, 1886-01-19

What mattcri' | asked
"You know-about the doing up those
rooms"
l began 10 get annoyed myself, for there
was evidently some underlying motive OF
advantage 10 himself in his persistence Any
shadowy belief l had ever entertained as toa
benevolent idea had long ago vanished and
left not a wrack behind. told himp promptly
and briefly that I would not do as he desired.
and that / did not cnro to enter any further
upon the matter. He again made an sun
ruly exit" This time he nearly swept away
in his violence a young man who was enter
ing through the swing door to get some
papers stamped The youth demonstrated
with that satirical force which Is characters
tic of the lawyers clerk. Mr.. 'Gradde WINS
too enraged TO stop and listen, and the young
man entered the room grumbling and look
ing back at him.
sold bruten he said. Al know him. Next
time l sec him I'll advise him TO buy some
manner with his new fortune"
aHis new ~fortuneip | asked, naturally In
ter,stcl about him. Allow do you mean,
Wigleyf
Lucky old brutel l wish had a share OF
IL. I heard all about 1t at Doctors common
yesterday"
"Why, is IL anything stranger
"Strangel Why, it's no name for it. What
do you think OF an old flint like that having
a miser for n tenant who goes and dies and
leaves him all he's got-940,0OO or 10000
in n will, providing a hill OF his own doesn't
turn up TO claim II.
II died recently, them"
About three or four weeks ngo. Old Grad
der only found the will a few days ago. He
had been finding pots Of gold and bundles
OF notes all over the house, and it was like
drawing n tooth from him to make an in
ventory, as he had TO do under a clause OF
the will. The old thief would have pockcted
all the coin without a word, only for the
will, and he was afraid he'd risk everything
II he did not do II legally
you Know all about it." l remarked,
wishing TO hear more.
~ should think l did / asked Grips, Of
Bogg & Snagley, about 1t this morning.
They're working for him, and Grips says
that II they had not threatened him with the
public prosecutor he would not have given
even a list of the money he found"
/ began now TO understand the motive Of
Mr.. Gradder's anxiety to aid in working at
my house. / said TO Wigley;
"This is very interesting. Do you know
that he is my landlordP
@Your landlord Well, l wish you joy to
him. l must be off now. l AVE TO go
down to Doctors commons before l o'clock.
Would you mind getting these stamped for
mo, and keeping them till l come backiD
with pleasure" / said, "and look herel
Would you mind looking out that will OF
Graders, and make a mem. OF it for me,
II it isn't too longi I'll go l shilling on it"
And | handed him the coin.
Later in the day he came back and
handed me a paper.
at isn't long, he said. ave might put
up the shutters II men made wills like that.
That Is an exact copy. 1t isduly witnessed,
and all regular"
l took the paper and put it in my pocket,
for was very busy at the time.
After supper that evening l got a note
from GRADER, saying that he had got an
offer from another person who had been in
treaty with him before l had taken the
house, wanting TO have it, and offering to
pay a premium. ale is an old friend"
wrote GRADER, and | would like to oblige
him 50 IL you choose l will take back the
lease and ham over what he offers to pay"
This wa eos, altered from GOO.
I then told Mary OF his having called on
me in the office, and of the subsequent reve-
lation Of the will. She was much impressed.
"Oh, Bob she said, "it is a real romance"
With a woman's quickness OF perception,
she guessed at once our landlords reason for
wishing to help us.
"Why, he thinks the old miser has hidden
money here, and wants TO look for 1t. Bob"
this e~xcitedly, this house may be full OF
money the walls round us may hold a fort
une. Let us begin to look at oncei"
was as much excited as she was, but l
fslt tina some one must keep cool, so l said:
MARY, dear, there may be nothing; but
even IL there is, it does not belong to us"
@Why notf1 she asked.
because 1t Is all arranged in the will (" 1
answered; "and, by and by, l have a mem.
OF it here and l took from my pocket the
paper which Wigley hads39n me.
With intense interest N6read IL together,
Mary holding mo tightly by the arm. 1t
certainly was short. It ran rs follows:
~, Little Butler street, s. W, London-I
hereby leave to my child or children, IL l
have any living, all l own, and in default of
such everything Is to go TO John GRADER,
my landlord, who is to make an inventory
OF all he can find in the two houses occupied
by me, this house and 2 Lampeter street, s.
W. London, and to lodge all money md Sc
curities in Coutts' bank. II my children or
any Of them do not claim in writing by an
application before u justice OF tho peace
within ono calendar month from my do
cease, they are TO forfeit all rights. Ignor-
ance OF my death or their relationship 10 DO
no reason for noncompliance. Lest there be
any doubt Of my intentions, l hereby declare
that | wish in such default OF my natural
huirs John Grnddor aforesaid to have my
property, because he is the hardest hearted
man 1 over know, and will not fool it away
in charities or otherwise, but keep it to-
gother. II any fooling is 10 b. d'ne, 1t will
b. by my own.
afltwn.n nrr - A unruu hT,u4ar N.rtra-
formerly Of Whitby."
When l cam noar the end, Mary, who had
been looking down the paper in advance OF
my reading, cried out; "Giles Armeri Why,
that was my fatherlr
"Good Godlr l cried out, as | jumped to
my feet,
@Ycs," she said, excitedly; didn't you sec
me sign Mary Armer at tho rcgistryi We
never spoke OF the name, bocuu~s liz had n
quarrel with mother and deserted hcr, and
after seven years she married my stepfather,
and l was always called by his name
"And wns he from Whitby,n / asked. |
was nearly wild with excitement.
"Ycs,r said Mary. aMother was married
there, and 1 was born there"
was reading over tho will again. Ny
hands were trembling 10 that / could hardly
read An awful thought struck me. What
day did he diet Perhaps IL was too lato-
IL was now the 3Oth Of October. However,
We wors determined TO be OF the safe side,
and then and there Mary and / put on our
hats and wraps and went TO the nearest po-
lice station.
There we learned the address OF n magis-
trate, after we had explained TO the inspector
the urgency OF the case
We went to the address given, and after
v,mo delay were admitted TO an interview.
The magistrate wds at first somewhat
crusty ut being disturbed at such an hour,
for by this time 1t was pretty late " tho
evening. However, when we had explained
matters 20 him he was greatly interested,