Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-21

II you'll leave off haunting me"
Literary and scientific institution! Rub.
bishp
"Ill leave all my money to the poor
when de-"
1T won't do, Tom, itwon't do. You must
set the wrong right"
Give up tae money!" sain Tom, in great
lear.
well, might ask you to do that with
perfect justice, and to pay interest for the
time you have had it; but won't do that,
for reason best known to myself"
'You don't mean that / have not long to
live?" he was more frightened now than
ever.
Never mind what I mean" said the
voice, "only when people have come to
your age they shouldn't get wet through.
If you had not burnt the will, you would
not have had the money; and if you had
not had the money; you would not have
built the litersry and scientific institution
and If you had not built the literary and
scientific institution, you would not have
been here tonight; and if you had not
been here tonight, you would not have
got wet through; and if you had not got
wet through, you would not have ---
ahemp'
"What shall I do! oh, what shall l dor
said Tom. II am 80 very sorry"
''You must do this" said the ghost, "and
must make haste and tell yon, for | am
evaporising very fast. You must make
your will at once-the very first thing to-
morrow morning"
$50 pressing as that?" murmured Tom
Soper.
"And, in the first place, you must leave
that five hundred pounds to the clergyman
he has sixteen children already, and will
be very glad of the money"
eyes, yes" said Tom Soper; "I'll do
that, and leave the rest to Fanny Cham
pion."
"No such thing! Leave half to Fanny
Champion, and the other half to Jerry
Simpson"
"Mr Jerry Simpson! and what has he
done?"
when Fanny was living with the old
lady, Jerry fell in love with her, but was
too proud, or too modest, or too something
or other-you would think too foolish--to
say anything to her, as she was then look
ed upon as an heiress. But, since the alter
ed state of circumstances, Jerry has spoken
out, and they have got themselves engaged
to one another, but cannot marry Just yet
for want of means. Now, if you leave all
the money to Fanny, Jerry spirit will be
up in arms again, and no one can say what
will follow; but you leave it between them,
and 1t will make things right"
Il will will! But would it be hon.
est to depart from the terms of the
the"
"The burnt will, Bah! how can you
talk of honesty and the burnt will in the
same breath? Do as bid you; and if you
do not, SO much the worse. But I cant
stay, I'm going fast" Here the voice be-
came very faint. 'I'm evaporating, Tom,
or ], d stay with great deal of pleasure.
Goodbye, and mind you do as 1 bid you.
Goodbye, for the present"
And so the voice died away.
Tom Soper never knew how he got
home; but the servant who opened the
door to him always declared that he got
gig, perfectly insensible, and in that state
he WAS put to bed and doctor sent; and
in the morning more omninous than the
dreaded tick of any death-watch, came q
lawyer; and Tom Soper made his will, and
such reparation as lay in his power for
the wrong he had done.
In less than fortnight that will had to
be read, and people declared thai Il was
the most incomprehensible will that was
ever penned; Tor, as to Miss Champion, it
was known that Tom Soper had had what
amounted almost to an aversion for her;
Jerry Simpson, who was then up in Lon
don being turned into an architect, was no
more than a speaking acquaintance; and
there was not q penny bestowed in charity.
The trustees of the schools, the guardians
who had 20 keep the pump in repair, the
board of the literary institution, and, in a
word, every one connected with any of the
local charities, declared finally that the
five hundred pounds had evidently been
intended as charitable trust-fund, and
even went SO far rs to quarrel among them
selves as to Its distribution; but the clergy
man, happening to differ from them IN toto
kept the money for his own use and bene-
fit; and so the literary and scientific insti-
tuition, which it had been in contemplation
to call "The Soper Lyceum of Science, F"
came to speedy end for want of funds,
aud the building stands desolate and un-
tented (there is talk of turning it into a
lunatic asylum, but the "Black Lion" has
petitioned against it) even unto the pres
ent day-a melancholy monument OF the
vanity of human wishes.
Every one said it was the most incom-
prehensible will ever penned; and so one
half of Cogswell asked, "What Induced him
to do IT." and the other hall answered,
"Heaven knows!" But the above may be
taken as true statement of the matter
though how the facts came to be known
whether they were divulged by Mr.. Sopel
himself or whether the ghost of the last
will and testament paid second visit tC
earth and told the story-must remain {
profound secret. All that is necessary t
say is, Jerry Simpson and Fanny Cham
pion were married, and lived happily eyeI
afterwards.
Train Thrown from The Track by lndi
ans.
c. l. 4 T,.lsa,,., ..,A I,