The Residuary Legatee; Or, The Posthumous Jest of the Late John Austin

"The Residuary Legatee; Or, The Posthumous Jest of the Late John Austin" by Frederic Jesup Stimson is a late 19th-century novel brimming with inheritance mysteries and budding romance, focusing on Austin May's return home and the complicated legacy awaiting him. When Austin comes back to his family's Brookline estate—accompanied by his loyal St. Bernard, Fides—he faces a puzzling situation where his uncle’s will has unusual rules involving a "residuary legatee," sparking unexpected challenges in his love life and forcing him to confront his long-held feelings for his cousin, May Austin. With a witty and ironic tone, the story follows Austin as he untangles the implications of the will, creating a path filled with love, duty, and finding himself as a result.