New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24

mouth. a. if he would have spoken como
words of farewell, Q m0mentary expression
OF anxiety, and all was over.
CHAPTER 1.-THE DISAPPOINTMENT.
Beyond and entirely apart from the deep
sorrow into which the little home at High
gate was plunged for many months after
the death of its Oldes st inmate, there was in.
terwoven with the grief q sense ut amaze.
ment at the obscuIity in which Matthew
Hickman had left his Affairs; an mazement,
it may be said, not limited TO the region OF
Higbgate, where 80 old resident wss, OF
course, almost as we'll known az the church
spice. but extending into many an infuen
tial commercial circle in the city.
As may have been gathered from the
words of his son in-law, George WcOdwyn,
Mr.. Matthew Hickman was suppOsed-nay,
by those who were best informed, was
knOwn-tO have amassed considerab BILE
wealth; yet, except in regard to compar
alive email sum, no clue was discovered to
indicate what hi had done with il. or ia
what securities it hao been invested. Hs
left no will, and never eeemed to have EN-
ployed lawyer, having himself arranged
the disposal of his business 10 Cheapside,
and most other matters. At one time he
had had a confidential clerk, or head man.
who had been in his employ for long
while and might have known something
about his masters affairs; but he too was
dead-had died very soon after the business
passed Into other hands. Such memoranda
and accounts "a were found with Mr.. Mat
thew Rickmau's effects were couched ID
terms go mysterious, and set down In trade
and private marks 80 obscucely, that il was
evids mt they were not intended 10 be under.
stood by any one save their owner-tbat IL,
with enc exception, but this very notable
one.
Among tie papers picked up in the sum.
mer house, after the confusion ensuing upon
the sad catastrophe which happened there
had passed away, was a certain sheet OF
foclscap, whloh, from the purport of what
was written in q trembling hand upon 1t
aud at the smear of ink across 1t, appeared
to be that on which the old gentleman had
been in the act Of writing when hand and
brain were SO suddenly paraiyzed. Whether
he was induced to write what he did from
not feeling well. or whether he had re-
ceived sone provision of what was going TO
befall him. or whether merely after his own
eccentric fashion be conceived that the
time had come for him to make some ar
rangements by which those who were to
follow him could inherit his property, will
seemed to have been struck by the Difficult
ties that would arise through his dying in-
testate, and that he desired in some sort to
repair his error, for thus ran the document
in question::
"HIGHGArE, September. 1919.
Having for many years been Of the tirm
opinion that the English people are too
heavily and uUjustly taxed, through the
reckless maladministration Of the finances
of the country, by selfish and corrupt
government, and having in my time more
than amply contributed my share toward
swelling the enormous revenue collected
from universally large duties and taxes an.
nualIy levied, l am determined that when
/ die no more of my property shall pass to
the credit of the State in the shape Of pro-
bate or legacy duties. Therefore l have
ma no will, but by this, my deed OF gift,
l make over to my Youngest and best be-
loved child, Alice WoOdwyn, the sum Of
sl5OO, and q like sum to my much mis-
guided, but always sffectiona.ely remem.
bered son, Thomas Hickman, at present
supposed to be sheep farming in Australia;
and that, further, when it be possible to
convey to him the said cum Of fl5oO,
request that he may be told at the same
time that, notwithstanding the grief his
conduct caused me. /, in these my
last days, heartily fOrgave him, and pray
that the Almighty may do the same, and in
The future guide his foo steps back to those
paths of rectitude and obedience whence he
1as so sadly strayed. Also, hereby give
10 my little granddaughter, Lillian Wood
wyn, the sum of fl000, to be held by her
parents in trust fer her until she be of age,
,r until she shall marry with their tull con-
ent and approval. These three sums in
,tld will be found, each tied up in sep
rate bag and labeled with the Dsmes of
hose for whom they are intended, in the
mali iron safe at my bed. head; they key of
he safe, also labeled, ia attached to the
lunch l always carry in nay pocket. That
ny children only may understa ud how the
main bu-'
Here the writing ceased. The incomplete
word ended with an irregular upward
trOke of the pen, which W as partly tmsared,
by the coat-cutf as the helpless
land slid suddenly across the paper.
That Mathew Rickmsn should have died
rorth no more than $4,000, everybody said,
vas simply absurd; nay, these written d.
ections, this deed of gift-call the paper
What you please-c.eaIiy indicated that the
writer was going on to say something about
the main bulk" of his property. All who
aw the unfinished writing were unanimous
a interpreting 'but-" as the beginning of
he word "buik," and this. from the con.
ext, it was quite natural to conclude
you'd have been followed BY "of my prop
rty." But at the critical moment the
ummons had come. As the mCmentous
entence hung upon the pens point. the
In gers guiding it had relaxed, and the die
atiDg, busy, plotting mind became as
meaningless q blank as the rem ainder Of
ne unwritten page.
Despite the most minute search and in
uiry, extending over two or three years, as
o what the old gentleman had done with
no presumed mass of his wealth, nothing
anne of it; not a sign, not hint could be
btained. 1t was brought to light that sew
rel large sums ut different periods had been
ecretly presented by him to various char
ties; indications that he had constantly
een doing good by stealth in many drec-
ions cropped up, all going to confirm the
opinion that he hid large re.
ources to draw upon, but not in the leas:
eadipg to an idea of where those resources
sere deposited.
The $4,000 divided, as the paper de.
cribed, into three portions, were in the iron
ate sure enough. When the canvas bags
we're emptied, 1000 bright new golden SOW
reigns, in three glitteriDg heaps, lay upon
he table-an amazing, dazzling sight this,
ruly, to unaccus toned eyes, but to those
f the experienced bank clerk, George
Voodwyn, suggesting nothing for the first
moment so much as checking by careful
ounting the correctness Of the amounts;
md, OF course, they were correct to the last
overeign.
No contemplate sum either for "humble
ivers" in content, such as George and his
wife were; and it was with q grateful heart
hat he prepared to place his wife's and his
hild's portion in, as he thought, some more
'rofitable place Of security than an iron
afe. Still, without any mean repining or
ovetous feeling with regard to what they
ad naturally supposed they would come
IL sense of disappointment. The ever re-
urring question as to what the old man
ould have done with his money would in
tself have kept this sense alive.
The ne'er-do-weel renegade son, Tom
al ~ r:k oil - 20 lta