The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-11-27

lady yourself, now that the coasts
fclearP" suggested one.
Dick gave knowing wink, which as
good as said:
ado you take me for fool not to
have thought of that beforeP"
Just then a messenger entered and
placed a note in Dicks hand. He
glanced at the contents and started up
wildly.
"Listen to this, boys!" he exclaimed,
in tone and manner which left his
friends in doubt whether it was good or
bad news their attention was invited to.
"Listen to this !"-and then he read !:
"a mans body has just been found lying
on the sidewalk and identified as that of your
Uncle Medad to whose house it has been TAX
en-. advise you to repair thither at once, as
a man coming into such a fortune can not
look after his interests too promptly.
:" Your SINCE friend,
| FRANK WLMPLR."
Dick Gossett, without waiting to hear
the congratulations which poured in
from every side, snatched his hat and
was off.
The double pull he gave his uncle's
door-bell, was answered by the house
keeper.
"Un-uncle-'Dad!" he painted, out
of breath.
"They carried him up to his own
room, l believe" snapped the house.
keeper curtly, with the air of one who
had no patience with such carvings on
as sudden death in the family.
| Dick hurried to his uncle's chamber,
which he was surprised to find unten-
anted, save by the body, which lay up
on the bed covered by the Counterpart.
He advanced as if to remove the COW
ering from the face, but stayed his hand
without doing so. He had always had
a horror of looking at q corpse, especi-
ally when alone with it.
| Turning his back on the body he flung
himself into an easy-chair, rubbing his
hands gleefully.
so you're dead at last, are you, you
would-be old Methuselah!" he said, with
jerk of his head toward the remains.
''This is ma property now, and it's not
long you'll stay here trespasser. III
call in the undertaken at once, and pay
him extra to make a quick job of YOU
Dick started and looked back quickly.
He was almost sure he had heard low
grunt in the direction of the corpse, and
a slight rustic of the Counterpart. But
no; every thing looked as before, and
perfect silence reigned. His ears must
have deceived him.
YOU'RE a smart fellow, Dick" he
said, commendingly, tapping his not
over well-developed forehead-''you're
smart fellow, there's no denying it.
It's not every one who would have
thought of altering that check as 1 did
when l found it lying on Uncle Dads
desk, trusting to the old FOOLS sealing it
up without noticing the change"
This time there was no doubt as to
the movements of the corpse. Spring.
ing up, it caught Dick by the collar and
shook him till his teeth chartered.
"You thought was dead, did you'll"
roared Uncle Dad, in tone that made
Dick tremble. "A fine story, indeed,
if, at my time of life, q man meeting
some friends and taking too much wine
in honor of the occasion, can't tumble
over his own doorstep, and be quietly
carried to his room to sleep off his
spree, without some greedy nephew
prowling around to order his funeral
ana take possession OF his property! So
it was you, you scoundrel, who altered
the check, was itP"
And without further ceremony Rich
ard Gossett was ANONYMOUSLY kicked
into the street.
ga pretty lie you wrote mel" he ex-
claimed, as he turned the corner and
met Franklin Wimple.
"What lie?"
"Why, that Uncle Dad was dead"
81 never said sou
"Well, that his body had been found,
then"
"And so it was, but I didn't say it
was dead. My dear fellow, you shouldn't
take things too trustingly on the first of
April"
Dick cursed his own stupidity for not
thinking of the date of Franks note.
The upshot of it was that Mr.. Whistler
made another will, in which Richard
Gossett's name was replaced by that of
Oliver Lambert, who returned as mys-
teriously as he had disappeared, and soon
made it all right with Selma Jasmyn.-
NJ v To6ooo.