The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-08-06
MR.. SMITHS WILL:
And How His Daughter Happened
to Get Married.

Mr. Augustus Nav was such a smart
young gentleman that his friends ex-
pected great things of him. There are
some persons who possess the knack of
inspiring confidence without doing any
thing to warrant it. Augustus had
failed to distinguish himself during his
SCHOLARSHIP career, yet those who knew
him believed in him almost as much as
he believed in himself He vas a
brisk, bustling little youth, with high
talsetto voice and consequential man
ner. He had worn an eye-glass and
high shirt-collar from an early age, and
at seventeen he would have argued
theology with an Archbishop or dis
cussed politics with a Prime Minister.
When the time arrived for choosing a
profession Augustus unhesitatingly de-
cided in favor of the bar. He had no
prediction for the law, but the career
of barrister had the great attraction
of leading to the Woolsack. Augustus
aimed high, but his ambition was not
out OF proportion to his opinion of his
abilities. He was allured by the pros
pect of becoming Lord Chancellor and
Keeper of the Queens Conscience.
Augustus had inherited from his par
ents small fortune, which he would
be entitled to receive upon attaining
twenty-five, There was no difficulty,
therefore, about raising the premium
which was necessary to enable him to
have the run of the chambers OF some
successful counsel. Accordingly the
aspiring youth was confided to the care
of Mr.. Retainer, the celebrated equity
draughtsman and coDveyancer, whose
pupils, though depressing in social
sense, always learned to draw particu-
larly neat pleadings and to turn out
legal instruments calculated to mystify
the most intelligent layman.
After a brief experience Augustus
began to have dim idea that the goal
of his ambition was rather more diff
cult to reach than he anticipated. He
realized that plodding, hard work, per-
severance and ceaseless study were es-
sential ingredients to the success of his
scheme. Now, Augustus was one of
those ente- rising youths-there are
many of them about-who are in too
great a hurry to make fortune to be
able to give time to honest drudgery
lie did not exactly abandon the hope
of reaching the Woolsack, but he re-
solved not to fritter away his abilities
in striving too much for t. He would
keep it in view as something worth
contending for, but he felt that mean
while it would be as we'll not to lose
any opportunity of advancement in
other directions.
Augustus had been very much struck
by the fact that, in the course of bust
ness, the private affairs of a. good many
people of wealth and distinction were
revealed. He was naturally OF an in
quisitive disposition, and he reveled in
the surreptitious knowledge he acquired
in this manner. Mr.. Retainer had n
large connection among solicitors of
old standing with rich and aristocratic
clients, and, according to custom, his
pupils were permitted to try their prem
ticed hands in preparing the rough
drafts of wills, marriage-settlements
and deeds of various kinds. 1t was
quite tantalizingto Augustus to be be-
hind hescenes, asitwere, and to observe
the secret disposition of so many thou
sands of pounds without protitine
thereby. He did not see his way, how,
over, to turn his experience to ac-
counts but the idea took possession of
him that in this direction he might one
day make discovery which he could
utilize to his advantage.
Meanwhile, be grew utterly sick and
tired of the law long before the wished
for opportunity arrived But at length
his dropping spirits were revived by
what seemed to be genuine prospect
of acquiring fortune. One day there
wao handed into the pupils room a
paper of written instructions for the
Will OF Mr. John Smith, of Hilldrop-
crescent, Camden town, who was rep
resented by a well-known firm of
solicitors. Mr.. Smith appeared to be a
gentleman of considerable wealth. for
he owned whole terraces OF houses in
London, broad acres in the county,
and Stock Exchange investments
galore. Augustus attention was at
traeted by two eli cumstances-on OF
which was, that this Mr.. John Smith
was n neighbor of his uncle's with
whom he resided; and the otl.ar, that
the testator had an only daughter. ia
whom ne had bequeathed nearly the
whole of his wealth. From the fact
that Mr. John Smith resided in the I'm.
assuming locality of Camden town it
seemed probable that he was a person
OF quiet tastes and habits, to whom il
would be easy to obtain an introduc.
ton. This done, thought Augustus
nothing would be simpler than to in
gratiate himself with the old gentle.
man, to win the affections of his
daughter and to gain both her hand
and her fortune.
10 tell the truth, this was not the
first time that Augustus had cherished
designs of marrying heiresses whose
prospects he had learned in similar
manner. Unfortunately, in previous
cases tho ladies had been of exalted
rank and station, which rendered them
mapproachable. Disparity Of station
had not prevented him, however from
making discreet advances. Like all
mottle-faced, snub .nosed little men,
Augustus considered himself above
every thing a lady-killer. When he
discovered that the Lady Angelins
Fitzpowderpuff was the resitluarv lega-
tee under the will of her decrepit old
uncle, Lord Towzlepate, ho had taken
immense pains to have her Ladyshir
pointed out to him, and had ogled hen
in the park for q whole season. Va.
rious instances of this kind might be
recorded of his cnterprising nature,
but it would be depressing to chronicle