Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-05

assuring, for Alfred Laking naturally
supposed the man had been sent with
some message from his master relating
| TO business matters.
IL presume Mr.. Baker asked Won to
call?f he said, nervously.
'No, sir; the fact is left Mr.. Baker s
Office some months ago. am at pres
ent in another situation" replied the
man.
What is your business, then?" in
quired Mr. Laking, with increased I'M
easiness.
II suppose we are quite alone. sir,
and cannot be ove-heard?' said the
man, mysteriously.
you can speak out, though 1 cannot
imagine what you can have to say that
is so important" returned Mr.. Laking,
glancing to see that the door was
closed.
"When left Mr.. Bakers office Itook
a situation with another solicitor" said
Crumber, lowering his voice. 1.-The
| gentleman / am now with is Mr.. Mayne,
OF Lincoln s-inn-felds. 1 don't know
whether you ever heard of him, sir?''
Alfred aking started, and turned
deadly pale. He happened to know
that his uncle had consulted this gentle
man professionally at a comparatively
recent date. and he, therefore, in
stinctively guessed the nature of the
reve alton in store for him.
''NO! / never heard of Mr.. Mavne,
and don't believe my uncle did," he
replied, almost fiercely.
''Well, sir, YOU see your uncle did not
always consult you about his affairs"
returned Mr.. Crumber, rather disre-
specially. ''At any rate, he knew Mr..
Mayne. who prepared a will for him
shortly before he died"
How do you know" demanded
Alfred Laking, too startled to conceal
his agitation.
Because I've seen it. I've not only
seen it, but I've read it. Your name
isn't mentioned in that will, Mr. LAX
ing" said the man, with grin
"A very fine story" said Alfred
Laking, with a forced laugh. pray,
how is it that Mr.. Mayne has never
written to inform me OF the alleged
will?''
because, in the first place, 1 doubt
If he is aware of the ColOners death;
but, if he is, he has probably forgotten
that the Colonel left his will with him,
for his memory isn't what it was said
MIR. Crumber, growing more famil' ar in
his manner rs he remarked Alfred
Laking's white lips and agitated de-
meanOr ''BY some OMISSION the will
is not indexed in the schedule of the
contents OF the strong room. | came
across it quite accidentally while search
ing for something else. Knowing the
name of the testator and all the Cir
cumstances. the will attract ID my atten-
ton. Otherwise, it would probably
have remained undisturbed for years"
Then do you mean to say that Mr.
Mayne is unaware of the existence OF
the will?" said Alfred Laking, with in
voluntary eagerness.
- believe every one in the office has
forgotten it. | might purloin that will
from the safe tomorrow and no one
would be the WISER" returned Crumber,
impressively.
II was impossible to ignore the in
sidiOus purpose of the mans visit.
Evidently he was an unscrupulous
scoundrel, who desired to turn the dis
covery he made TO account. Alfred
Laking looked at him with newly
awakened curiosity, and was by 10
means favOrably impress ed by his APP
pearance. The man had forbidding
expression, and it suddenly occurred to
! Mr.. Laking that this was an impudent
attempt to extort money by false pre-
| lenses.
u don't believe word of what YOU
say" he cried, suddenly rising from
his seat and confronting the unwel-
come visitor Your story is tissue
of falsehoods"
- was afraid you might think so.
sir, so ventured to bring the will with
me-" said the man, slyly.
"What! YOU have actually stolen it?'
cried Alfred Laking.
q" / have it here, anyway returned
Crumber. cody, rs he produced a
document from his pocket. Il can put
it back where | took it from within an
hour. OF course, it is no earthly use
to me-"
LET me see it." said Alfred Laking,
in hoarse voice, seating himself in his
chair again.
Mr.. Crumber un 'olded the document
and glanced at it, apparently rejecting
whether it would be wise to part with
IT. But ter a pause he laid it on the
desk. saying:
II m treating you like a gentleman,
sir. You must promise to return it to
me-"
Yes, yes" said Alfred Laking,
stretching out his hand impatiently.
Some moments elapsed before the
agtated gentleman could compose him.
self sufficiently to take in the contents
of the will He first turned to the final
page. which bore the signature of the
testator and the attesting witnesses.
So far as he could Judge the signatures
were genuine. and the document had
evidently been prepared several months
ago. the edges of the paper being dis
colored and the ink faded. 1t was
dated a few weeks before Colonel LAX
ings death, and was. therefore, in all
probability, the last will he had made.
When he came to read it carefully
Alfred Laking's lingering hope that the
document might be forgery was quick
ly dispelled. From internal evidence it
was undoubtedly genuine, the name of
various persons and places being men,
toned which no stranger could have
fabricated. The Colonel appeared to
have left his property 10 some distant