Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-02-15
Whenever he did mention the expect

| ell event, lie was sure 10 say, " AND
mind, boys, my will is in that chest"
Don't speak of it, father, was the
reply.
When he was dying, he called for his
sons, and said, i'll a feeble voice: 81
was strong farmer, and come of honest
folk. Yell give me good wakin', boys,
an gran funeral"
They promised this very heartily.
"And after the funeral yell all come
here together, and open the will, the
children an all. All but Garrett I've
left him nothing, poor boy, for sure he
not in this world. I'll maybe see him
where I'm goin'."
So there was grand wake, and the
virtues of the deceased and his profes-
sional importance were duly howled by
an old lady who excelled in this lugu-
brious art Then the funeral was hur-
ried on, because they were in a hurry
to open the chest
The funeral was joined in the church
yard by stranger, who muffied his face,
and shed the only tears that fell upon
that grave After the funeral he stayed
behind all the rest and mourned, but he
joined the family at the feast which fol-
lowed and, behold, it was Garrett, come
day too late. He was welcomed with
exuberant affection, not being down in
the will but they did not ask him to
sleep there. They wanted to be alone,
and read the will He begged for some
reminiscence of his father, and they gave
him Lurcher So he put Lurcher into
his gig, and drove away to that good
farmer, sure of his welcome, and praying
God he might find him alive. Perhaps
his brothers would not have let him go
so easily had they known he had made a
large fortune III America, and was going
to buy quite a slice of the county.
On the way he kept talking to Lurcher,
and reminding him of certain sports they
had enjoyed together, and feats of poach-
ing they had performed. Poor old
Lurcher had been pricking his ears all
the time, and cudgeling his memory as to
the tones of the voice that was address
ing him. Garrett reached the farm, and
was received first with stares, then with
cries of Joy, and was dragged into the
house, SO to speak After the first ardor
of welcome, he told them he had arrived
only Just in time to bury his father.
"And this old dog" said he, els all
that's left me of him. He was mine first,
and, when 1 left, he took to father. He
was always a wise dog"
"We know him." said the wife, she
has been here before" And she was
said, Another time" and gave her a
look as black as thunder, which wasn't
his way at all, but he explained to her
afterward. They are friends, those
three, over the old mans grave. We
should think twice before we stir ill
blood betume EN-" So, when he stopped
her, she turned it off cleverly enough,
and said the dear old dog must have his
supper. Supper they gave him, and a
new sheep-skin to lie ON by the great fire.
So there he lay and seemed to doze.
The best bed in the house was laid for
Garrett, and when he got up to go to it
didn't that wise old dog get up, too, with
an effort, and move stifily toward Garrett,
and lick his hand and then he lay down
again all of piece, as who should say /:
I'm very tired of it all" "He knows
me now at last" said Garrett, ioyfully.
"That is his way of saying goodnight,
suppose. He was always wonderful
wise dog"
In the morning they found Lurcher
dead and stiff on the sheep-skin. 1t was
long goodnight he had bid so quietly
to the friend of his youth.
Garrett shed tears over him and said :
I" If had only known what he meant,
I'd have sat up with him. But l never
could see far. He was deal wiser for a
dog than shall ever be for man"
Meantime the family party assembled
in the bedroom of the deceased. Every
trace of feigned regret had left their
faces, and all their eyes sparkled with
Joy and curiosity. They went to open
the chest. 1t was locked. They hunted
for the key first quietly, then fussily.
The women found it mt last, sewed up in
the bed they cut it out and opened the
chest.
The first thing they found was lot of
stones. They glared at them, and the
color left their faces. What deviltry was
| this?
Presently they found writing ON one
stone "Look below" Then there was
reaction, and a loud laugh. The old
fox was afraid the money and parchments
would fiy away, so he kept them down. y
lHtN BituiBCh tiitii hhiho III, etit,A S~'cti
cleared out barrowful of stones till
they came to n kind of paving-stone.
They lifted this carefully out, and dis
covered good new rope with running
moose, and-the will.
1t was headed in large letters finely en-
crossed
"The last will and testament of Brian
Taafe."
But the body of the instrument was IL
the scrawl of the testator:
Il bequeath all the stones in this bo,
to the hearts that could turn their fathel
and benefactor out ON the highway tina
stormy night.
81 bequeath this rope for any fathe
to hang himself with who is fool enough
to give his property to his children be
fore he dies"
This is prosaic story compared will
the Lear of Shakespeare, but it is wei
told by Gerald Griffin, who was a maj
of genius. OF course / claim little merit
but that of setting the jewels. Were
to tell you that is an art, / suppose yol
would not balfeva n - yTOypc..'s Ecely,