Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-09-11


his mead or noticing the remark in any
way. Keeping straight on up the street,
turning aside now and then where the mar
row walk was blocked by such gatherings
as he had just left. he FASTENED up the
broad avenue leading from the street to
Wallingford House. as it was called 10y the
villagers, and entered with the air OF one
who was perfectly at home there.
BY this time the crowd had thinncd; so
that when the attorney entered the room
where the dead man lay, he found himself
r:oae. He at once summoned the house,
keeper.
The coroner has done his duty. sup
pose?' he said. with an eye to the legai
features of the case.
The poor woman said. between her sobs,
that he had
"lt is necessary that I. as his attorney,
shoald take charge of the papers fonnd on
his person and the keys to his secretary"
sud the attorney. and then added, Il
simply do this in the absence of any re-
lAtivcs."
The woman handed him bunch of keys
and Il package Of papers. letters. etc.
which had been taken from her masters
pockets
The attorney Mt once began n hasty cx-
plcxity came upon his face as he did so.
The paper he sought seemed to be wanting.
Surely, madame. these are not all" he
said. turning to the housekceper. after
looking through the entire lot and examin-
ing each paper closely.
The woman assured him that every paper
had been saved and placed in the package.
just then. the attorneys eye caught the
tiuttcr OF Il small scrap of paper. which,
waited by a light breeze from the open
window, futtered from the side of the
corpse and landed almost at his feet. He
caught it up, glanc'- ut it hastily and
thrust it into his pochst-
In that one quick look he saw but
single word. but it was the one he had
looked for in vain among the other papers.
and the one he wanted to find.
If Mr.. Nallingforl ever made will"
he said, addressing the old lady, " it was
not drawn up in this village. He always
told me that directions regarding it would
be found on his person after his death.
Now, | want you to 30 over every one of
these papers with me to certify that there
is nothing Of tine kind here
She did as requested. but met with no
better success than the attorney.
You are certain that you have not
overlooked single paper. Mrs. Ames,'
said the attorney. addressing her by name.
Yes. certain
"Then we will go; only don't forget
that you examined the papers. and that the
existence of a will was not mentioned"
And the two left the room, the attorney
returning to TIE street and going in the
direction Of his Office.
Arriving there, he drew the slip of paper
L., - II l.
1t WAS the same the dead hand had held so
firmly, and the characters We're almost
llrgibly written, or scrawlcd, rather for
death to write them. and the pencil had
dropped from his hand while the last W ord
was still incomplete.
Notwithst lndinE the labor necessary to
i,htly understand the scrawl, however, the
attorney seemed highly pleased with his
uvrsti cations. He worked over the paper
t,r an hour or more, copied the words into
cyphcr known only to himself, and then,
outing the original into the CRATE, watched
he lines slowly darken with the heat, fade
away and turn to ashes.
Not ,ul knew Of the existence OF
shat paper he muttercd, "nnd no one
suspects the secret it contained. l have IL
Tor une within my grasp at last y he added,
cxult,ntly, and sat down to mature his
plans.
The dead hand had done its work but
clums;ly. and 4 barrier of avaricc and cum
ming was building fast between the great
mills standing SO gloomily silent on the
river bank below, and the man whom the
former owner had bequeathed them to-,
when their gains or losses were nothing to
him.