The Man from Brodney's

"The Man from Brodney's" by George Barr McCutcheon is a story set in motion by the strange death of Taswell Skaggs, whose unusual will ignites a series of events for his potential heirs across the ocean. The core of the story explores themes of inherited wealth mixed with unexpected challenges stemming from Skaggs's odd requests, especially concerning the romantic prospects of those in line to inherit. After Skaggs falls into a volcano on the island of Japat, his will dictates that his fortune should go to his granddaughter and an American named Robert Browne, but with the catch that they must marry within a year to keep the money. As the story starts, Browne is already married, and Skaggs’s granddaughter hopes to marry a member of British nobility. The story introduces the central conflict: love and responsibility entangled within the somewhat funny absurdity of the situation, which the lawyers try to untangle.