Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
CHAP TER IL.
THE ODD TRICK.

Is due. the unknown person who invented
the ''etfort-Ot-nature" theory would be
freshly and gratefully remembered. There
are several ailments to which the human
body is subject that are, much to the COM
tort OF the patients, described as efforts
Ot-nature, SO That disease is regarded as
an assurance Of health and of longevity.
Mr.. Ciacy had been troubled with attacks
Of govt. not the poor mans govt, but the
uumiserly variety that favOrs the + ch and
ilustrious, and Is supposed TO he fostered
by liberal diet aEd plenteOus partak-
ing Of generous wlne In the interval be-
~ cen the w nges be consOltd himself
with the ttfnrt-Of-natuTe heOrv.
- tell You, Eliza, that the pain is awful
but govt is AN effort ct nature and keeps
the sysf N healthy. You can't live to "A
hundred without some sdrdwDack."
Mr.. Clacy was seized with a nOn-effOrt-
Of-uaturr Illness that made his doctor look
grave and suggest further advice; and the
day after The consultation Miss Rispln
call, d on the doctor.
Il would rather know the truth, how
ever dreadful; so tell me ie nv dear, dear
uncle, my only earthly friend, in danger ~
The report, my dear Miss Rispin, is. l
am sorry to inform you, UnfaVUrabl, &.
Your uncle will rally from the present at
tax, hut we are afraid that another at
tack is likely to follow, and from that the
chance of recovery wilt be very eight"
An hour after Miss Rispin had LETT, Mr..
Conrad Clacy called 10 ask the same ques-
ten, and be received the same reply.
Great and painful was the anxiety of
both niece and nephew. Would dear, dear
uncle make a willf Had he made q will?
Would The will, il the Was will. be in
favor OF dear Eliza, or heqaeath the prop
erty to Conrad dear. Mr.. Clacy adhered
to his resolutions with unyieidng peril
naciiy, and therefore it WAS certain the
fortune would not be divided. The loving
niece or the loving nephew would get the
whole of it.
Mr.. Clacy sent for his solicitor, and
when'that gentleman arrived Miss Rlspin
was about to leave him alone with his
client. but her uncle told her to remain.
Though am going TO talk to Mr..
Skinner about my will, there is no reason
why you should not hear what have to
say"
What a dreadful minute for Miss Ris-
pin! She was shire wd woman and de-
served the eulogy OF her uncle, who had
often described her as a thorough man of
business who ought not to have been born
IA woman. 1t instantly occurred to her
that if the property was to be hers, the
instructions for the will would not be given
in her presence. Surely the fortune for
which she had plotte d and toiled for twenty
years would not be hersl She was SOME
what relieved by what her uncle said to
the solicitor.
Il think, Mr.. Skinner, l ehall get bet
terv'
Il hope so, my dear sir. and am sure
you will. A cheerful confidence wins the
battle.'
''Of course you wish me well, and so
does the doctor, tor | pay you both hand
sOmely. But l want to be prepared for
the worst"
you are quite right, Mr.. Clacy. 1t
IaaN, the mind easy, and an easy mind
heins the nhysic. Ny Will was made
many years ago.
What | want YOU to do, Mr.. Skinner,
is 10 draw me out form 70 give every
thing | am possessed of to one party.
Such will can be short, and / can copy
it and put in the name of the party"
'Certainly, Mr.. CI cy. Sucn will can
be written on single sheet. 1t is the
duty of a solicitor in this matter to obey
instructions, for your testamentary power
is unlimited"
"And mean to do as / like. 1t is hard
that a man cannot take with him what be
longs to him. and it would be Still harder
If he couldn't leave it according to his
fancy
"PreciseIy, Mr.. Clacy. You have an
inrontestlble legal right to bequrath the
whole of your property to one person"
"And in my opinion it is a moral duty.
A legacy does no good. and a divided prop
city is spoiled. An undivided fortune is
the making Of one party. But | can't
talk any more. Send me the copy l re-
qure."
When the form came Mr.. Clacy directed
Miss Rispin to send it to Conrad, who was
e. Of "a bacf onnnsal n II
and to pay the opinion.
Eliza, the arrangemeTJ is simple and
| am pret.'y sure Mr.. SINNERS form is
correct. but | won't risk anything going
wrong with the fortune for the sake of not
spending a few extra guineas in law. But
suppose the lawyer gives bad advice tor
the sake Of getting job in the future!
All, it is shocking to have to leave your
precious property behind yOuV
Mr.. Clacy did not intend to torture his
affectionate relations, tor he did not care
enough for his fellOw-crpatures to wish to
please or to tease them; but the course he
adopted was most tormenting. Dear Eliza
and Conrad dear looked very old and wan,
because they were, SO they said to each
other, distressingly anxious about their
dear, dear uncle.
The position of Conrad became very
trying. Mr.. Clacy had told him not call
so often, and that if he was wanted he
would be sent for.
THAI fawning cats poisoning his mind
and / shall be rJlDed. l wish it was law
full to poison her."
But dear Eliza was very kind. She not
only wrote almost daily as to the progress
of dear. dear uncle, but frequently called
on Conrad dear, One day she was long
time alone in her Cousins chambers and
amused herself by looking over his pa"
pers. The object of the call was to invite
Conrad dear to dinner and a rubber; for
dear, dear uncle was so much better he
could play game.
After the rubber. when Conrad WIS
leaving, Mr.. Clacy said to him;
81 have heen rather sharp with you,
Conrad. but l did not mean it. AS Eliza
saws. YOU are good fellow, but of course
il is only human nature to think about
what may be soon coming, and not to feel
fond of person who is to be your heir
Those words were hopeful, yet Conrad
was not completely treasured; and as he
walked home deep in thought he NUT
tered:
ut is a trick of the fawning cat to
spaak we'll of me, for she hates me as |
do her."
Instead of Immediately retiring, Mr..
Clacy sat in an easy-chair and smoked
MS cigar.
depend upon it, Eliza, when a man
can enjoy his cigar he is pretty well mend
ed. WHAT'S that?'
"What, uncle dear?"
"Lying at your feet"
"NOthing, uncle dear"
"WeIl. if | am not blind you are"
F. Miss Rispin looked again on the ground,
! stopped and picked up letter.
II beg your pardon, uncle dear, but
| didn't see it,"
''WhO is it from?'
81 don't know" said Miss Rispin, read
ing the address on the envelope.
''Then open it and see who it is from
! Here is a pretty state of business, an un.
opened letter carried about and dropped
| Uncle dear, it is not letter to you, but
| to cousin Conrad, and be must have
| dropped it when he was leaving"
''Now that yeXes me. A man who drops
a letter by accident may drop fortune
/ What are you dOingY
quitting it into an envelope to send il
to Conrad"
care you mad? Leave alone the wear
Of the pen, and the cost of the ink and the
envelope, are we to pay penny postage
because he is careless? Give it me-"
Mr.. Clacy bestraddled his nose with his
folders, read the address on the envelope
and turned it over and over.
'LOok here, Eliza. There Ough to bC
no secrets between me and Conrad, anC
in case this is important and can't wei
wait till he comes again I'll see what it il