Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-30
Mr.. SMITHS WILL.

Mr. Augustus Nav was such smart
young gentleman that his friends expected
great things of him. There are some per-
sons who possess the knack of inspiring con-
fidence without doing anything to warrant
it. Augustus had failed to distinguish HIM
self during his scholastic career, yet those
who knew him believed in him almost as
much as he believed in himself He was a
brisk, busting little youth, with high fall
setto voice and a consequential manner. He
had worn an eye glass and high shirt collars
from an early age, and at II he would have
argued theology with an archbishop or dis
cussed politics with prime minister. When
the time arrived for choosing profession
Augustus unhesitatinsly decided in favor of
the bar He had no prediction for the
law, but the career of a barrister had the
great attraction of leading to the woolsack.
Augustus aimed high, but hi ambition was
not out of proportion to his opinion OF his
abilities He was allured by the prospect of
becoming lord chancellor and keeper of the
queens conscience.
Angus us had inherited from his parents
small fortune, which he would be entitled
to receive upon attaining .. There was no
difficulty, therefore, about raising the pre-
MUM which was necessary to enable him to
have the run of the chambers of some sue
cessful counsel. Accordingly the aspiring
youth was contided to the care Of Mr. Re-
tainer, the celebrated equity draughtsman
and conveyaneer, whose pupils, though de-
pressing in a social sense, always learned to
draw particularly neat pleadings and to
turn out legal instruments calculated to
mystfy the most intelligent layman.
After a brief experience Augustus began
to have dim idea that the goal Of his am
bition was rather more difficult to reach
than he had anticipated. He realized that
plodding, hard work. perseverance and
ceaseless study were essential ingredients to
the success of his scheme. Now, Augustus
was one of those enterprising youths-there
are many of them about-who are in too
great hurry to make fortune to be able
to give time to honest drudgery. He did
not exactly abandon the hope of reaching
the woolsack, but he resolved not to fritter
away his abilities in striving too much for
it He would keep it in view as something
worth contending for, but he felt that,
meanwhile, it would be as well not to lose any
opportunity for advancement in other di-
rections.
Augustus had been very much struck by
the fact that. in the course of business, the
private affairs of good many people Of
wealth and distinction were revealed to him.
He was naturally of an inquisitive DISPOSE
ton, and he reveed in the surreptitious
knowledge he acquired in this manner. Mr..
Retainer had a large connection among
solicitors OF old standing. with rich and
aris.ocratic clients, and, according to Gus
tom, his pupils were permitted to try their
prentice hands in preparing the rough
drafts of wills marriage settlements and
deeds of various kinds 1t was quite tanta-
lizing to Augustus to be behind the scenes,
as it were, and to observe the secret DISPOSE
ton of so many thousands of pounds, with
out profiting thereby. He did not see his
way, however to turn his experiences to
account, but the idea took possession of him
that in this direction he might ono day
make discovery which he could utilize to
his advantage.
MeanN lille. he grew utterly sick and tired
of the law long before the wished-for oppor-
tunity arrived But at length his dropping
spirits were revived by what seemed to be
genuine prospect Of acquiring fortune.
One day there was handed into the pupils
room paper of written instructions for the
will Of n Mr.. John Smith, of Hilldrop
Crescent, Camden Town, who was repre-
sented by q well known firm of solicitors
Mr. Smith appeared to be gentleman of
considerable wealth, for he owned whole
terraces of houses in London, broad acres in
the country. and stock exchange investments
galore. Augustus attention was attracted
by two circumstances, one OF which was
that this Mr.. John Smith was a neighbor of
his uncle's, with whom he resided, and the
other that the testator had an only daughter,
to whom he had hequeathed nearly the
whole of his wealth. From the fact that
Mr.. John Smith resided in the unassuming
locality of Camden Town, it seemed probable
that he was a person of quiet tastes and
habits, TO whom it would be easy to obtain
an introduction This done, thought Angus
tu5, nothing would be simpler than to in
gratiate himself with the cd gentleman, to
win the affections of his daughter. and to
gain both her hand and her fortune
To tell the truth, this was not the first
time that Augustus had cherished designs of
marrying heiresses whose prospec' he had
learned in similar manner. Unfortunately.
in previous cases the ladies had been of
exalted rank and station, which rendered
them unapproachable. Disparity of station
had not prevented him, however, from
making discreet advances. Like all notified
faced, snub-nossd little men. Augustus coz
sidered himself above everything a lady
killer. When he discovered that the Lad,
Angelina Fitzpowderpuff was the residuary
legatee under the will of her decrepit Old
uncle, Lord Towzlepate, he had taken i'm
mense pains to have her ladyship pointed
out to him. and had ogled her in the park
for a whole season Various instances of
this kin might be recorded of his enter
prisinG nature, but it would be depressing
to chronicle series of dismal failures.
Augustus had borne his ill-luck with equan-
unity, convinced that it was lack of oppor-
tunities alone which had prevented him
from making conQuestS
In the case of Miss Smith. however, no
obstacles of an insurmountable kind
seemed to exist Augustus, with his native
sanguineness, therefore regarded her fortune
as practically within his grasp. That very
evening, in fact, on his return to his uncle's
house i'll Camden Town, he commenced to
make discreet inquiries about the Smith
family. Not a word did he breathe of Mr..
Smiths fortune, and he was the more
cautious because it seemed that the extent
of it was not generally known. But he
learned sufficient to feel convinced that the
old gentleman was a wealthy miser He
was described as taciturn and rather
eccentric person, who had resided many
years in Hllldrop Crescent with his daugh-
ter and maiden sister, He was supposed
to be comfortably off, for he paid his way
and lived at his ease, but he was certainly
not suspected of being millionaire
Augustus wisely determined to look well
before he leaped in this instance, and he
therefore set to work to ascertain whether
Mr. Retainer knew anything about Mr.
Smith and his affairs. Accordingly, he
laJoriously prepared the draft OF Mr.
Smiths will himself, and ventured to take
it into Mr.. Retainers sanctum- The learned
cunveyance-, struck, perhaps. by the I'M
wonted zeal of his least promising pupil,
gool-naturedly put aside the papers he was
engaged upon, aud invited Augustus to
stand by while he revised the important
document This method of instruction was
r., IT,