The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-07-26
"what if our plan doesn't answera

Hdb IL Jul pldu uOtSu u dQSW6E!
How long are we to keep it up?"
ga week won't do us harm; then If
nothing turn up we must find out some
thing wrong with our precious docur
ment. But 1 don't think she is inclined
to fight" And the confidential clerk
of Fordb Ford & Bittle, linked his arm
with that of ''our Mr.. Ford'' with as
tonishing freedom, and an utter forget
fulness Of his seedy hat and boots.
John Warrington, bartister-at-law,
was sitting alone In MY room next day,
when Thomas came in:
"a, lady to see you, sir" I was not
greatly surprised. q, .,
t'Show her in. Good gracious! How
do you do p. Please to take a seat, Miss
9Th, yes, Miss Greathead, Very sad
things have happened since I saw you
last. 1t was my former visitor, the
Serjeant's niece.
"Yes, indeed; they are too fresh To
be spoken of, have called to ask you
a question, Nj. Warrington, and 1 am
sure I may trust to your discretion"
absolutely" 1 assented, warmly:
"Please do not think it an odd one.
1 have a reason. Do you remember
witnessing my uncle's signature about
a year ago ?"
swell, L remember this much, that ]
did so, but / don't think / can tell YOU
much about It; is far as 1 can recall
the matter, Mrs. Coil was there. No
one else, 1 think. If 1 can help you
any further, 1 will think it out"
.'Thank you," she said, with q half
audible sigh, drumming softly on my
table with her gloved fingers: s.That is
all; l think, that | wanted to ask. Now
I am here; 1 should like to see my i'm
cle's room for-for the last time; Mr..
Warrington, if you please:"
'.Most certainly. Nothing has been
disturbed since you were here" 1 led
the way into the room; she stood in the
middle, and hooked round with a steady
scrutinizing gaze.
81 will leavey you for q moment;n said
I, considerably. and half-closing the
door, stepped into my own room, and
sat down-to finish the Statement OF
Claim in Davey Us. Davey P-nothing OF
the kind, but executed upon myhearth-
rug a silent dance of triumph that
would have gained for me d lucrative
engagement at the Aquarium. Aftei
five minutes Of this; l composed my
face, and went back to the old gentle.
mans room, stumbling careless1y ove1
the mat as L did so. She was still ap.
parently standing exactly where 1 had
left her. 1t cost me all my self-com.
mandto avoid glaneing round the room.
"Thank you,'' she said, sweetly: 10
am SO much obliged to you. 1 am very
glad I came: You will not mention my
visit P''
"You may depend upon my reti.
cence," I said, with a bow, in which
fatter myself that a sincere personal
devotion and an Overlooking apprecia.
ton for her uncle appeared to mingle.
The moment, however, that I had got
her out of the chambers, and the door
closed behind her, I sent Thomas of
with a note, and darted back into the
Serieant's room. There 1 stood in the
middle, where my visitor had stood, and
looked around ME. There was a mel:
ancholy tidiness everywhere. Quickly
l opened the drawers, cast my eye over
them, felt behind them; as 1 expected,
nothing. Then I procured a chair and
a candle, and with a minuteness thai
Woulo hdfO oOuC SlCult " q GouCuO,
looked along the top of row after row
of the calf-bound books, that on three
sides concealed the walls from floor tt
ceiling. Two sides had been examined
before I found what 1 had expected
Low down between the fireplace ano
one of the windows it was, almos
within reach of the writing-table. Their
1 sat down on the floor, put the candle
beside me, and took out my watch.
Seven minutes passed before Thomas
returned, and some one with him.
did not move, but sung out:
"Ford! here Lam; come in; and shu
the door,"
''There has been a lady here, you
boy tells mel"
Eyes, the lady. She wished to SCI
her uncle's room once more. Sweet.
appropriate, wasn't it ?"
Eyes, yes!"
"Well, out of consideration for he
feelings"
Bother her feelings
81 left her alone-and look here"
He was OF his knees in the twinklins
of an eye. and had both his eyes glue(
on the top OF the eleventh and twelfth
volumes of Bevan's Reports of tn
Court of Chancery. The layer of dust
which elsewhere layin uniform smooth
ness; was here disturbed.
1.-THE will is in Chancery, you ma,
depend upon it," L said, airily. At
sign from me Ford gingerly removed
the books, and opened first one, an
shook it-nothing 1 won't swear tina
our faces did not flush, as he opened tn,
other and shook it-nothing! Then h
got up and used a naughty word. Iex
amined the volume closely, with tn
same result. We looked at one an
other.
Nothing wrong with our calcula
tions, is there P"
mo; under the missing will she get
e5,0 That will disappears, that sh
may get two-thirds of the whole estat
under the first; when, 10, up starts al
intermediate villa devilish odd will
leaving her only $500, and good, as ia
as she knows, until the missing on
turns up. She's no fool; therefore
will turn up"
eff she has not destroyed it,"
Exactly. How much time did yo'
give her?"
give minutes at least, and some on
has been at these books. Wait a min
ute, what fools we have been!" Tn
two volumes of Bevan's Reports still la
! upon the floor side by side. L plunged
my hand into the oriice caused by thei
absence from the shelf. 1 CROPPED
Ford's eyes grew ~perceptibly bigger
"What's thisp" L cried, and brough
out a paper.
"Right!' he shouted, as he hastil,
glanced at it outside. 1.-The lost will
We've won."
"No chance of five years with,
eh, now, Fordp"
mo, but upon my honor, at one tim
things looked awkward"
The five thousand pounds wer
promptly paid to Miss Chilling, an
she has passed from our sight with tina
modest independence. She was a yer
clever woman, and most certainly vii
get or in the world. I am glad sh
never learned how she was checkmated
Give Greathead is now the wife of s.ou
! Mr.. Ford a COSY, pleasant resort