The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-01-25
A Tarry Millionaire.
ONE PHASE OF THE GREAT HARDIN WILL
CASE IN NEW YORK.

ONE PHASE OF THE GREAT HARDIN WILL
CASE IN NEW YORK.
A short time ago the commanding officer
OF man-of-war.lying at this station was
informed that one of the old salts belonging
to his ship wished to speak to him on the
quarter deck. The Captain promptly
appeared, and as he stepped from his cabin
with eyes like ferret's and face as rough
as nutmeg crater, drew himself up and
touched his cap with the precision OF an
Algerine soldier. The old salt was dressed
in clean blue, mastering suit, carried a
jack knife fastened to a snow white lanyard
something less than aquarter of q pound of
tobacco. Well, my lad, what do you
want :" asked the Captain. The old sailor
hauled OFT his cap, slowed it under his arm,
let out quart or 30 of tobacco juice, and
then hauled out from inside his shirt q let
and domestic dirt.
=" I'd like to 60 ashore, sir, to see about
this letter." he said in reply.
Let's see, your name is Hardin, isn't
1T ! The last time you went ashore you got
beastly drunk, and we had to pay $40 to
get you ont of the lookup" and the Cap
tain was about to order the old seaman
forward when something in the appearance
OF the letter in the mans hand made him
hesitate.
"What's your letter aboutf Let me see
it," he asked. The letter was addressed to
Henry Hardin, United States ship -.
Mare Island, Cal. 1t was an aristocratic
looking epistle, having a coat of arms in
blue and gold, and delicate water lines
across the sheet. The enveIop was square
and also bore the same herafdic device
in flaming colors. The handwriting was
neat and beautiful in style, and as the
Captain glanced at it he thought it was
written by woman.
THE CAPTAIN AsroN1suED.
The letter ran as follows:
ARMAGH, County Armagh, Sept. "a, 1873
Dear Henry-Your last letter to me was
dated more than eight months ago, SO do not
know if you are yet on board the -,
though hope 80, for it is important that the
news have should reach you. 1t is
so long since you went away from home, and
you have led so checkered and eventful a life,
that presume you have forgotten many of
your relatives here and abroad Do you re-
member Uncle George, fathers youngest
years ago If you remember correctly q was
a very little girl then) it was just about the
time you so foolishly away from home
that was in 1885. was it not 7 Well, Uncle
merchant in New York, and when he retired
from business he added 20 his fortune still
more by lucky real estate speculations in and
around place called CentralPark. We have
now received tie important news of the old
gentlemans death, which occurred, it seems,
several months ago. His estate is an
charge of it think. at over e2OoOo0O. He
leaves no family, he ever married,
though 1 believe there is woman named
Walker, who claims to have married him
terest in the estate. She will not be able
though, think, to prove her marriage, and SO
our interests will not suffer. There are, of
course, o great many heirs, our family has
m L n a
will not fall thort of 100000 each. Lord
Kenneally, who knows Uncle George WELL
thinks if the property is permitted to lie and
not be sold, it will in few years be worth
much more. 1t seems some of it-a large
tract-lies in what is known as Westchester
county, near New York, where they are making
will all have to be sold. Cousin Sir Robert
Hardin-you remember him, do you not f-has
been or is about to be selected to go to New
York aud arrange for a meeting of the heirs.
Can you not manage to get discharged from
your present unfortunate position and go there
and meet your cousin He would be glad to
see you, know. 1 think, dear Henry, that
now is the opportunity for you to take your
place once more in the society which you were
born and raised. Think of it! You have for
more than thirty years wandered about the
Now come home, 1 beg of you. Your friends
will give You warm welcome, and with the
means which will he at your diposal soon you
will be enabled TO take your place in the
living. She often speaks of you, and. I know,
regards you with moro affection than any
member of the family. So, too, does your
nephew, Sir James, who, by the way, was q
very little boy when you went away. His
house, know, would be open to you, as it
always has been to me. Therefore, Henry,
como home. Do, 1 beg of you.
Write me at once and let us know what
action to take in your interest with reference
to UDcle Georges property. Your affectionate
and loving sister, HENRIETTA HARDIN.
ARIsToCRACY IN BLUE.
The Captain read the letter carefully,
and looked at the weather-beaten tar in
utter amazement.
"De you mean to say, Hardin, that You
are the person addressed in this letter
Why, you've been a man -of-war's man for |
twenty years or more. You sailed with
me in the Lancaster, in 1860, and you were |
then gray haired man. Why in the world |
don't you 60 home7"
Old Hardin has a voice that sounds, even |
in its softest cadences, like the noise of
three dozen rats shut up inside a brass |
drum. He rumbled out, in a hoarse, gut
tural way:
"Wa'al, Cap'n, that's just what want |
TO see you about. I've been in the service |
IL.