Iron County register., 1880-09-02

elbow! With vain attempt to put off
the evil day l wrote the required par
ticulars regarding Uncle John and Mrs.
Corbet as slowly as possible and then
paused.
"' Hadn't 1 better put down the serv-
ants names next?' asked feebly.
"' Servants? Pshaw! Put yourself
next
"s But ought to fill up the census in
London urged, with sudden hope.
This is not my actual home
''You slept here last night, idiot,
didn't you?' said Uncle John, who had
waxed irritable at my slow caligraphy :;
'and you've been here three weeks as
well. What's the fool staring at, You
know your name and age, don't you?
Fill it in here, under Mrs. Corbet's, only
you're single
"Was !? I rapidly debated whaS was
best to be done. l believed dire pains
and penalties were attached to fraud
ulent filling up of the census, but |
would cheerfully have taken my chance
of being detected by the Government
did L describe myself as a bachelor.
That risk was not very serious one.
But, on the other hand, l could not
write a statement under Uncle Johns
own eye that might have to disavow
next day; at the same time this was
clearly not moment to reveal my mar
riage.
"'Can't you write your own name?'
cried Uncle John, wrathfully; and, as L
still fingered, chance came to my aid.
The Doctor arrived. l hailed him as
benefcent genius.
"'This paper, will be called for to-
day, SIR said, seizing it; perhaps
while you are engaged with Mr.. Jones.
1 will take it down stairs and finish fill
ing in the servants names;' and, with
out waiting for reply, hurried off,
feeling as if 1 had escaped a precipice.
81 called up the servants, filled in
their names and my own (truthfully, of
course), and fingered in the hall till the
messenger called, consigning the preci-
Gus document to him with my own
hands to escape prying eyes. Alas, 1
neglected one precaution; did not see
him out of the garden! The danger 1
had escaped had really given me such a
shock that 1 thought 1 would light a
cigar and take a quiet stroll in the
shrubbery to calm my nerves. Well, it
had ended right at last, but I resolved
making my confession; this state of con-
cealment was growing unbearable.
"'Please, Mr.. William, your uncle
wants to speak to you at once Mrs.
Corbet interrupted my reflections.
"There was a look of malicious tri-
umph in her face that alarmed me. L
threw away my cigar and followed her
in trepidation. Yes, my worst fears
were realized; there sat my uncle, al
most speechless with rage, the fatal
census paper open before him, demand
ing in a choking voice the meaning of
6 this-this disgraceful statement
81 shall always think Mrs. Corbet had
suspected my secret. Perhaps she had
friends in London who knew of my mar
riage. Any way, it was at her sugges-
ton that the messenger was recalled
before he got clear of the garden to en-
able my uncle to make sure L had filed
up the paper properly. Thus the secret
was disclosed.
"I need not dwell on the scene that
followed. Another hour saw me ON my
road homeward, no longer oppressed
by secret, certainly, but at the same
time devoid of all further expectations
from Uncle John. l never saw him
again. Next day came parcel con-
tanning all the small personal possessions
| had left at Clapham, also check for
$50 in blank envelope, and this closed
my intercourse with my uncle.
II did not accept my baniShment
without a struggle. l wrote, Minnie
wrote; our letters were returned to us
Then tried calling in per-
son at the house, but could not get ad-
mittance; my uncle was not well enough
to receive visitors.
"Three months afterward saw the
announcement of his death in the Times
and received a formal invitation to the
funeral from the family solicitor.
went, and remained to hear the will
read; as 1 expected, my name was not
The document dated the
day after the filling up of that fatal GEN.
sus) be9ueathed everything unreserved-
ly to his faithful and attached friend and
Mary Corbet.
Many people advised me to dispute
the will on the ground of undue inhu-
ence;' but 1 was too poor to embark in
a costly lawsuit ). and besides, my uncle's
prejudice against marriage was so well
known, that it could not be denied that
l had wounded him in his tenderest
point by marrying Minnie, and might
have expected to be disinherited in con-
sequence. Old Mr.. Williams, the solic-
itor, told me that he had often tried to
put in a good word for me during my
uncle's illness; but Mrs. Corbet watched
him so closely that it was impossible to
speak to him in private, and of course
her influence was all against my inter-
ests.
Fifty thousand pounds and the
house and grounds was good deal to
lose; but chancery suit is terrible
thing for a poor man to embark upon,
and there seemed great doubt if should
succeed in gaining a verdict after all.
So L decided to let Mrs. Corbet retain
her ill-gotten spoils. They did her very
little good after all, her worthless son
ran through her money and went to the
dogs a good deal faster as rich man than
he was doing as poor one. L don't
know what became of him at last; Mrs
Corbet died, a poor woman, about six
years ago. She left Minnie little
plate and jewelry, all that remained of
Uncle Johns thinps. suppose her