Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01


property remained unproductive. The houses
could not be let, nor pulled down, nor patched
up. The Musgrave claim was admitted to be
vuuy strong but one INK IN the chain was
exist, but could not be found anywhere The
prov oking part Of the matter was that n had
been discovered once by the present claimant's
legal evidence, since collected, had not been
got te gether; and the old man, who Was queer
from the effects of hope deferred, combined
with that OF apistol-wound In the head he had
received In duel arising out of the suit. had
slowed the important document away in safe
80 carefully that no one had since been able TO
lind it; FOR he was struck down by . fit, and died
hiding place to his only son, who was hurriedlv
summoned TO his dying-bed. A minute des-
cription Of the document, together with an
account of how he obtained it, was found in his
will, and In the next legal tussle this was put
in with some confidence, that, combined with
the rest Of the case, il would be accented as
evidence But, after . deal Of learned argu-
ment, and some hesitation, the authorities Who
had to decide the matter declined to take the
will for the deed; and the case was kent for the
benefit of fresh set of lawyers, at that time
Musgrave property remained bleeding. NV
fathers friend got pretty well the last drop out
OF II, and then married, not for love, but partly
because the lady had little money to be sucked
into the chancery quicksands. He did get an
heir; ne did sink the money. Fortunately for
her, the wife died before it was quite spent
The gOodly Musgrsye estates were now all
gone, as has been said, the house and homestead
being alone retained. This last bit of strand
was stuck to tenaciously, because it was pretty
certain that the iron safe, with the coveted
parchment inside it, was somewhere about the
premises. But where? 1t Is needless to saw
that it had been well hunted for, experienced
detectives having been well employed in the
search; and, indeed, the ruinous state of the
house was, In no small measure, owing to the
ruthless manner in which some of these inves-
legations had been conducted.
Happily, not quite all the money Of Walter
Musgrave's father went to the lawyers; some Of
&c was spent in educating him in q manner be-
fitting the position he would hold when the
property at his disposal. But his father died.
and the funds gave out before he had finished
lis intended course; and he found himself in
the queer, iantaii.ng, ,Poverty-stricken con-
dttfOn in which found him when photography
and thunderstorm brought us together.
When he frst commenced his condolences, I
was beyond EXPIRE ssion dismayed. 80 my pro-
phetic soul, his great-grandfather!"I mentally
exclaimed, when he opened with o short biOgra-
ply OF that ancestor. But by degrees grew
interested; his account was clear enough, if
to show for everything he advanced. At last
was able to conceive how it was possible to keep
him ont of what seemed SO undoubtedly his
own; but then was not a lawyer.
Nevertheless, as soon as we were intimate
enough for such liberty, 1 talked reason to him,
urging him to throw the losing game up, leave
: he ruin to the care Of Molly and Dabble, and
look about for some method of earning bread
and bacon; for even an unskilled M tfsan he
would live better than he did at present.
He let his remaining patch of grassland for
for the apples i'm his orchard, and half as much
more for the hay that was cut in it. Dabble,
VINO was an arrant, but not a self-seeking
Poaeher, occasionally brought in a rabbit or a
leseret; and that was what the last of the Mus
graves lived on. He owned that it savOred of
lunacy to go on like that; that his best course
would be to sell what little homestead remain
cd to hini-which he could DO at fancy price,
a. his retaining possession of it destroyed the
cOmpactness of the remainder of the estate
and make fresh start in the world; but said he
simply could not do il.
.'Sureiy, you could make one vigorous effort
said L.
''Of course / could, )" he replied .sif that were
an; but after 1t was NADIA week after, or a
month, or year. or five years after-I should
be drawn back into this inherited struggle; and
II L then had to bear the reflection that had
thrown away chance, feel certain that SEN
mad. No, YOU might just as well tell I.aoeooa
10 make an effort, and wrench himself free of
the serpent folds. II he could, they would Irvine
round him again, when he was weary"
So never annoyed him with common sense
again; and, indeed, after little while, 1 caught
the chancery infection myself. OF course it
was but in a mild form. as had no property of
my own at stake; but had tsufii GENTLY to alter
my ideas entirely, and sympathize with the per-
sIstent struggle with fate in which nv new
friend was engaged. To tell the truth, was in
an unhealthy state of mind at that time, hav-
ing been recently jilted-a misfortune, which,
till they grow accustomed to it, often makes
Young men sulky with the world in general.
Nj sulks took the form of isolation, tempered
by photography; and residence at DOwd, with
man bound to go crazy, witch, and an un-
canny black cat for my sole acquaintance, ex-
actly suited me just then: There is a freema-
sonry amongst the fOrlOrn in love which enables
the IN TO recognize one another, and soon heard
that Musgrave had met . certain Mary, the
daughter OF poor clergyman, who had acted
IN day dreams Of taking his degree, going into
orders, and leading a life of married bliss i'm a
parsonage, on hundred Q year; but he had to
died, and left him the dormant lawsuit, and
nothing else. Then, at first, he was sanQuine
Of being able shortly to offer his Mary q better
home home than they had mSdestly pictured for them.
studied the story Of the family failures his love
was but another wedge in the torture-boot I
consoled him with the reflection that his case
was far better than mine, h1 girl was faithful
to him, or at least he thought so, and he had a
chance; whereas / knew for certain that the
heart oil mine was a mere pop-gun. and that
lad seen shot ont OF II as another fellow popped
IN. But he did not pity me properly, for he
considered that was lucky In that she had
changed her mind before marriage, instead of
after; and could not contradict that.
But the cup of Musgrave's misfortunes was
not yet full. babble died.
Do you laugh at people who grieve for pet ami
mas! dont. "Oniy dog" folks say. Well,
a dog who loves me Is better worth nv regret
than continent full Of men and women who
don't. Still more absurdly, argument is some
times attempted; and we are told not to give
second thought to the loss Of an animal, 7.that
be has no soul" Now, surely, if the death of a
dog. cat, or horse meant its utter humiliation,
mat Is an extra cause for sorrow. But there Is
no reason for such a notion. Read Buffers
" Analogy" and never speak with that ignorant
confidence again. do not refer you to Plato,
heather Greek, but to Bishop Butler, as or
thodox man as yourself; perhaps more so
Well, whatever may be the spiritual endowment
OF other animals, Dabble must have had soul;
at least, he reasoned, and certainly would have
talked il the formation of his mouth had per-
mitted him. Do you mean to tell me that a
mere breathing machine would have found out
that his master wanted rabbits, without being
told, and so brought them home when he caught
them, instead Of eating them quietly in the
woods?
He took no medicine; he had no doctor. and
yet he died, poor dear-which looks as il the
medical profession was slandered sometimes
His illness was short; he did not eat one morn
ing; the next his coat was rough, and he did not
lick II; ON the third he went about mewing, and
his eyes got nlmy; on the fourth he had conyul-
sions, in the course Of one Of which he sue
cumbed. We made a wooden box for him. and
determined to bury him in the orchard, under
his fayorite tree, where he used to scratch holes
and lie in wait for dickey-birds. 1t was ON a
lovely autumn evening that we bore the box to
this spot, and commenced our sad preparations,
Musgrave being chief mourner, took the part
Of sexton. and struck the spade into the ground.
l<s.u Ara - H. s>-n