Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-15
SEEKING A FORTUNE.
It Was at Last Found Around
a Dogs Neck.


a Dogs Neck.
"Come! come!-what the mischiefv'
! could say no more as ! slid rapidly
down the steps under the impetus of a
vigorous shove from the man just COM
ing out of the club. i arose with wrath
in my eyes, and then
"Harryr'
Erred! well, this is surprise
thought you were in Switzerland"
Returned on last steamer. Very
sad news. Aunt Jessica died last
Wednesday week-you heard of 1t,
SUPPOSED"
mo, hadn't. had been in Flori-
da and just returned"
VERY mysterious case altogether,
old fellow" said Fred, after we had
adjourned to the smoking-room. II
don't mean Aunt Jessica's death, al
though that was very sudden-about
her property, | mean. l am her only
heir.''
"Let me congratulate.
"No-don't. 1t isn't worth while.
The fact is, there is no property"
"You surprise me! l thought your
aunt was rich"
80 did l." said Fred, gloomily; 1--WE
were not on very good terms, and !
didn't know much about her affairs,
but thought she was worth at least
sixty thousand. Well, | find house,
and some pretty fair furniture, pictures
and so forth, say ten thousand, all told,
and no trace of the remainder"
'Hidden in an old stocking" ! sug-
gested, "or in the family Bible or Sc
cret panel; I've read of such things"
$50 have |" answered Fred, with a
sickly smile, land I've nearly torn the
house to pieces in the past three days in
my mad search"
Don't give it up" said, encourag.
ingly. /, ..r
fellow, willyoup"
l said l would, and of course l did.
Fred and | went over Aunt Jessica' S
house from cellar to garrett, turned every
blessed thing inside out, explored every
nook that could by any possibility con.
tain gold, silver or bank-notes, and
even ripped up the floor In a dozen
places. Nothing! l was in despair; SC
was Fred.
AUNT Jessica's fortune is amyth, ~
said, decidedly "You had better be.
lieve it, Fred; it will make it easier to
BEAR
Fred thought so likewise, and so we
separated, but the very next day he
rushed into my office, all ablaze with
excitement.
81 am on the trail," he shouted
''Sit down." l said, showing chair
towards him. where is it buriedP"
Nowhere" he replied, savagely,
''it's spentH
Worse and worse" cried in dis.
may. ''Do you mean to say that your
aunt squandered $50, 900 in yearP''
"Listen, will you,'' roared Fred
''and stop guessing. You know Miss
Carbrook-Violet Carbrook Beauti
full girl-very- -dashing-sort of com
panion to Aunt Jessicap"
Yes, well, l met her by chance las
night and she cleared up the mystery
in ten minutes. 1t seems that aunt
about six months ago, converted near
ly all her property into cash, and real
lied over $4,000. Then she bought
you can not guess what she boughtr'
"A ship"
Nonsense; necklace of rubies!''
''What in the name of common sens,
did she want of such thingP"
at is my private opinion" sale
Fred, earnestly, ''that she did it witt
the intention of keeping your humble
servant out of her property-and sh
has succeeded admirably"
You mean that the rubies have dis
appearedp"
Entirely"
Fred" said l, with gasp, "this i
q very remarkable yarn. Who eve
saw this necklacep"
Miss Carbrook," replied Fred
promptly. ''She describes it as com
posed of thirty stones of the fines
water-as | can very well imagin
from the priests, 000."
ibid your aunt ever wear It'll"
= "Never, she kept it in her dressing
case, just like any common trinket."
WAS she the last one who saw it
Miss Carbrook mean?"
II suppose SO, but see here! wit
great violence, do you mean to insir
uate that She"
mo, no." said, hastily, ''certainl
not; if it has got to that stage don
dare to suggest any thing. Let U
suppose that the earth opened an
swallowed themm
ut may be joke for you," sal
Fred, with groan, ''but it's very 8,
rious matter to me.
Il know it." said /, soothingly, IAN
I'll 60 and help you pull down tn
house any time you say the word. |
the meantime, let us go down to th
club and take dinner" We had mic
little dinner. and Fred's gloom bega
to fade under the influence of goo
fare.
Presently he looked up and caugl
che waters eye