The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-11

elbow! With vain attempt to put off
tne evn day | wrote the required par
tIcu,ars regarding Uncle John and Mrs.
ooroes as slowly as possible and then
- hadn't | better put down the serv-
an.s names next" l asked feebly.
next ~ '00' 'eh
But ought to fill up the census in
London urged, with a sudden hope.
ms Is not my actual home.'
lou slept here last night, idiot,
olun youP said Uncle John, who had
waxeo irritable at my slow caligraphy;
'ana you've been here three weeks as
wen. What's the fool staring at! You
know know! your name and age, don't youp
I Ill u IN here, under Mrs. Corbet's, only
you're single
was Up I rapidly debated what was
pest 70 be done. l believed dire pains
anu penalties were attached to a fraud
ulenI hlling up of the census, but I
woulo cheerfully have taken my chance
OF being detected by the Government
did l describe myself as bachelor.
nat risk was not very serious one.
But, on the other hand, l could not
write a statement under Uncle Johns
own eye that l might have to disavow
next aay; at the same time this was
clearly not moment to reveal my mar
riage,
Can't you write your own namep'
cried Uncle John, wrathfully; and, as
ssh fingered, chance came to my aid.
The Doctor arrived. l hailed him as
beneficent genius.
"'This paper, will be called for to-
day, SIR said, Selling it; perhaps
while you are engaged with Mr.. Jones.
| will take it down stairs and finish fill
ing in the servants names;' and, with
out waiting for reply, 1 hurried off,
feeling as if l 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, l
neglected one precaution; l did not see
him out of the garden! The danger
had escaped had really given me such a
shock that 1 thought | would light a
cigar and take a quiet stroll in the
shrubbery to calm my nerves. Well, it
had ended right at last, but | resolved
to take the very earliest opportunity of
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 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 choking voice the meaning of
'this-this disgraceful statements
"I 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 had filled
up the paper properly. Thus the secret
was disclosed.
81 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. I never saw him
again. Next day came a parcel con-
tanning all the small personal possessions
had left at Chaplain, also check for
ESQ in blank envelope, and this closed
my intercourse with my uncle.
81 did not accept my Punishment
without struggle. l wrote, Minnie
wrote; our letters were returned to us
unopened. Then l 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 l saw the
announcement of his death in the Times
and received formal invitation to the
funeral from the family solicitor. l
went, and remained to hear the will
read; as l expected, my name was not
mentioned. The document dated the
day after the filling up of that fatal CEN
sus) bequeathed everything unreserved-
ly to his faithful and attached friend and
housekeeper, Mary Corbet.
"Many people advised me to dispute
the will on the ground of undue infu-
ence;' but 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
1 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 good word for me during my
incle'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 a terrible
thing for poor man to embark upon,
and there seemed great doubtif l should
succeed in gaining a verdict after all.
So | 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 good deal faster as a rich man than
he was doing as a poor one. | don't
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