Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-25

one morning, requested to 30 into Mr..
Retainer's room, be had prssentlment
Of what was IN store. ,
aGood morning. Mr.. MAN," said Mr..
Retainer, very stiiIly. 81 have sent Tor
vou to AJAX II Il IL true, as ! hear, that
you are engaged to be married."
"Yss, sir; II is true" Augustus an
swered de6antly.
"Of course have nothing whatever
to do with your private affairs" re-
sumed Mr.. Retainer; "but 1t has oc-
Cured to me that may be In mea-
sure innocently responsible for what has
taken place."
81 don't understand. said Augustus,
reddening. :,
"The young lady is Miss Smith, |
am told-the daughter Of Mr.. John
Smith, of Hilldrop-C Crescent, Camden
Town." said Mr.. Retainer, mean'ngly.
"That is correct" admitted Angus
tus.
"wbose will was prepared in my
chambers few months back" said
Mr.. Retainer with unpleasant empha-
sis.
cit was an accidental circumstance"
murmured Augustus, avoiding Mr.. Re-
tainer's gaze.
"Of course. III thought for one
moment that any one in my chambers
could be capable of such gross breach
Of faith, as well rs Of professional ETH
quette, as to take advantage of profess
sional secrets, l would request him to
put on his hat and leave this moment"
The effect OF this speech upon Au-
gustus was that he felt inclined to
sneak out Of the room then and there.
1t WAS evident that Mr.. Retainer's
words were equivalent to formal no
,ice to him to leave. Augustus stood
his ground, however, in sheer despera-
ton.
81 quite agree with you, SIR" be
said, shortly.
lam glad OF that" said Mr.. RE
tsiner, with a grave bow; "your az
lection for the young lady" he added,
"beiDg purely disinterested, it is hard
~, perhaps, necessary that should say
more. Still, to avoid misunderstand-
ing, you had better read this"
He handed Augustus letter which
he had been holding between his fingers.
Augustus took the document without
word, and read as follows:
1870 IINCOI.N's INN Fields.
Dear Retainer:
sit was a coincidence, and nothing
more. | put in the name Of Smith
myself, and my confidential clerk added
an address-the first that occurred to
him. know nothing Of the Mr.. John
Smith you refer to, neither does be. 1t
was an accident. However, no harm is
done. Yours very truly,
IL. r. TAPE"
"No harm is done, as Mr.. Tape
says" said Mr.. Retainer, as Augustus,
looking stupidity perplezed, handed
back the letter to him.
81 don't quite understand" muir
INJURED Augustus, though he perceived
well enough that there had been fatal
mistake somewhere.
"It is very simple" explained Mr..
Retainer. /" A client Of Messrs. Tape
& Parchment's--a gentleman well
known in society, but rather eccentric
gave instruction for his will, but ex-
pressly asked persons through whose
hands the draft might pass'should not
be able to identify him with the tesla
tor. 1t was an odd precsution, and |
must say" added Mr.. Retainer, look
ing severely at Augustus, that |
thought at the time it was almost in
sulting. However, the result is that
none but the confidential clerk who en-
crossed the will for signature is in the
secret"
81 understood you to say that you
knew all about the testator," cried Au-
gustus, beside himself with vexation
and disappointment.
$50 did. The secret was con6ded
to me-" said Mr.. Retainer. Had you
mentioned that you knew Mr.. John
Smith of the address given | should
have been on my guard. But you
merely said you knew the address,"
II did not. know him at the time"
blnrted out Augustus.
lie could have bitten his tongue off
the instant after, for he saw he had be-
trayed himself. Mr.. Retainer, in a
voice of thunder, ordered him out of
the room, and Augustus, overcome with
humiliation and confusion, needed no
second bidding.
The prevailing sentiment which
agitated the bosom of Augustus, when
he came to consider the situation, was
a sense Of having been cruelty wronged
and deceived. The insinuations of Mr..
Brittlebone concerning Mr.. Smiths cir
cumstances had, as VIC have said, for
long time caused him uneasiness, and
now that it had transpired that the
old gentleman was not the owner
of the property mentioned in the
fatal will, Augustus had no difficulty in
convincing himself that his rivals YER
sion was correct. Most unreasonably
be suspected poor Arabella and her
relatives Of having attempted to invei-
gle him into matrimony by false pre-
fences, and in his vrtuous indignation
he did not pause 10 consider the MUS
tice OF the charge. Acting upon the
impulse of the moment, be Immediately
wrote and broke off the engagement,
using expressions Of reproach and
harshness which poor Arabella had
done nothing TO deserve.
After this il was particularly CALLING
to Augustus to be condoled with for
having missed the hand OF an heiress.
1t turned out, however, when too late
to repair the hasty step he had taken,
that old Mr.. Smith, though not fabu-
lousy wealthy, was certainly rich
enough TO make most desirable father
iD-law. Before Augustus had recovered
the unpleasant shock Of this yexa.
tious intelligence, he received
visit from Mr.. Bri.tlebone, which
resulted in his being sgathsd in
vinegar and brown paper for several
weeks. AS reward, apparently for
this brutality, Mr.. Brittlebone had the
undeserved happiness of leading Miss
Arabella to the altar, but this was not
until the prosecuted Augustus, in the