The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-07-26

Her nerves had not recovered t le sur
prise of my sudden entrance.
cit would hardly do for any one to
find me here" she said, with a forced
laugh, finding my eyes fixed upon her
face.
"Nop but that was so like your uncle's
footstep that it did not alarm me.h
She did not smile as [ expected. On
the contrary, she helped to unfasten the
outer door with almost petulant eager
ness. Once in the open air she breathed
more freely, but she hardly spoke again
except to thank me when I put her into
the cab.
81 hope the SERGEANT will sleep to-
night and not need his papers," We're
my last words, which she only acknowl.
edged by a bow, AS she threw herself
back. But 1 had cause, as will be seen,
to remember them.
L did not get much work done that
night, quiet as it was; my visitor had
unsettled me, 1 suppose, Twice
thought l heard some n in the Ser.
jeant's room, and was foolish enough
to take a light and 60 and see. Oh
course there was nc one there; SO after
a short time Igaye itup and @ehthome
30 bed.
The next day, be it observed, was
Sunday. Ipass on as briefly as 1 can,
az breakfast on that Monday ] rereived q
serious shock. Among the items of in.
telligence in the Morning Post appeared
this PARAGRAPH Git will save me much
explanatory: "We regret to have to
announce the sudden death, at his resi-
dence, Gloucester Road, of Mi. Serieant
Greathead, Q. c., of ,the Western Cir:
cult, Recorder of Diddleham. His de,
cease, which took place very suddenly
on Saturday evening, was caused by .
heart complaint from which the learaed
gentleman had for some time suffered
"Umph.' said l to myself, and, being
a lawyer, began to think and to put two
and two together, not without now and
again a little eerie feeling down the
small of my back. MI. SeEieantG Great.
head died on Saturday evening. On
Saturday evening" before or after the
event il Is not proved, a lady is occu-
pied all alone among Mr.. SERGEANT
Greathead's papers in his chambers,
and, though this 1 was not Quite sure
about, among the drawers of his private
writing table, "Umph!" well; 1 was
never on very intimate terms with the
old gentleman who was thirty years
my senioh and 1t is no particular bust
ness of mine. It's all right, or will
come SO in the end, doubtless. And /
put on my boots and eoat and went
down to the chambers and discussed the
old gentleman's death, With the due
amount of sympathy, with his clerk,
and forwarded a letter of coincidence to
the family, of whom l knew nothing,
applied to the treasurer of the Inner
Temple to take on the S~erieant's cham
bers, and did my usual work and lived
my usual life for four days. Then
something happened. Thomas, my
boy, showed in to me s'our Mr.. Ford, -
of Ford, Ford & Bittle, of Staples Inn,
whom1 knew to be the late Serieant's
solicitors. "a new CLIENT" said 1 to
myself. with mitch excitement. With
a judicious mixture Of courtesy and dig
nifty waved him to a seat, which was
all thrown away.
"Now, perhaps you a help me, MI.
Warrington" he said, after a few pre-
liminary observations which sufficiently
enlightened me. ''Have you any idea
where u poor friend is likely to have
put his will?"
mot the slightest. We were not on
very intimate terms, though the best Of
friends. Have you searched his cup
board and book?"
Carefully. Yet I feel sure that it is
here. The day he signed it he said to
me-: Here you'll find it when it's want.
ed, Ford, and he tapped the table, SO
that ! took it for granted he meant to
lock it up there"
"What family has he left, Mr.. FordP''
"He was never married. His niece,
a remarkably nice girl, has lived with
him for a year. Except a distant cousin,
who actedas a kind of housekeeper, she
was his only connection"
"Was his niece a great favorite OF
hisP"
Yes, of late, very much SO. Hell
mother and the SERGEANT did not get on;
a year ago the mother died and Mr..
Greathead, who was a good man at bot
tom, took the girl home. 1 don't mind
telling you that the missing will leaves
her nearly everything"
"What!" l cried, in huge astonish.
ment, ''leaves her nearly everythingP'
Yes; and very natural, too. Why
notp"
Up to this moment l had had, since
the lawyer opened his business to me
but one idea, which was, that on the
night on which the old man died, his
niece, this ''very nice GIRL" had come
to his chambers, searched for the will,
and, for her own advantage, a~bstracted
and destroyed it. Had done that, and
had, into the bargain, startled me frs
and fooled me afterward. But how
about this theory now? Chi bono
81 can't make it out!!" 1 said, SLOWLY
nursing my chin.
"NOr can Ir' cried the other briskly
sis the niece, Miss-Miss Greathead
of a very Quixotic spirit? at all likel,
to burn the will to benefit some ont
else?"
"She's not sc mad as to throw away
seventy thousand pounds, if you NEAR
that. Good heavens, sir, what suggest
ed such a thing to youP"
1 told him all thakhad occurred OF
the Saturday night, Just as l have rela
ted it above. If my readers feel a tith,
of the wonder he expressed. l am sat
isied with my powers of description.
eff you had not told me face to face
sir, l would not have believed a sylla
BILE of it," he said, cmphatically, Snot
a syllabler"
"Could you''-after I had thought !
minute or two-'could you procure me
a glimpse of Miss Greathead, or of hel
photograph"
Our Mr.. Ford actually blushed
"Well, l could. Perhaps it would be
more satisfactory if you saw herself
mot at all" What in the worlc
made the man fidget SOP
"Then 1 thinkI have-somewhere
I've not left it, the very thing you want
o, yes, here it is" And after fumblins
in all his other pockets, from his breas
pocket Mr.. Ford, g. little red in tn,
face, produced a neat little Russi;
leather case. He opened this and helt
the portrait within for my inspection.
"Well?" he uttered ilnpatiently, Will
with a critical eye L was examining
very pretty, very youthful, wholly gooc
face.