Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-01
SEEKING A FORTUNE.
It Was at Last Found Around
Dogs Neck.

"Come! come!-what the mischief!''
i could say no more as slid rapidly
down the steps under the impetus of q
vigorous shove from the man just com.
ing out of the club. arose with wrath
in my eyes, and then
''Harryr'
Erred! well. this is a surprise
thought you were in Switzerland.
Returned on last steamer Very
sad news. Aunt Jessica died last
Wednesday week-you heard of 1t,
SUPPOSE
mo, hadn't. Ihad been in Flori.
~da and just returned
Very mysterious case altogether.
old fellow" said Fred, after we had
adjourned to the smoking-room. 81
don't mean Aunt Jessica's death, al
though that was very sudden-about
her property, l mean. am her only
heir
'Iet 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"
$50 did I, said Fred, gloomily; 1--WE
were not on very good terms, and
didn't know much about her affairs,
but i thought she was worth at least
sixty thousand. Well, l 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 l." answered Fred. with q
ssickly smile, land I've nearly torn the
house topieces in the past three days in
my mad search"
Don't give it np," said, encourage
ingly.
fellow, will you?"
/ said l would, and of course I did.
Fred and l went over Aunt Jessica's
house from cellar to garnet, turned every
blessed thing inside out, explored every
nook that could by any possibility con-
tain gold, silver or bank-notes, and
seven ripped up the floor IN dozen
places. Nothing! / was in despair; so
was Fred
'.Aunt Jessica's fortune is amyth,"I
said, decidedly. ''You had better be-
1ieve 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.
Il am on the TRAIL" he shouted.
''Sit down." said, showing a chair
towards him. where is it buried?'
Nowhere" he replied, savagely,
-.it's spent!'
'WOrse and worse" cried in dis
may. ''Do you mean to say that your
aunt squandered $4,000 in year?"
''Listen. will you," roared Fred,
land stop guessing. You know Miss
sCarbrook-Violet Carbrook Beauti-
4ul girl-very--dashing-sort of COM
.panion to Aunt Jessica?"
''Yes, well, l met her by chance last
might and she cleared up the mystery
an 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 bought"
"a Ship"
Nonsense; necklace of rubies!'
''What in the name of common sense
did she want of such thing?"
ut is my private opinion" said
Fred, earnestly, ''that she did it with
the intention of keeping your humble
servant out of her property-and she
has succeeded admirably"
ssf0Iv y,aoY, hot fh<, parhioo own Aio.
entirely"
Erred. said 1. with gasp. .'this is
ssaw this necklacep"
.'Miss Carbrook." replied Fred.
promptly. ''She describes it IS COM
posed of thirty stones of. the finest
-water-as l can very well imagine
from the price-$45. COO"
Ibid your aun: ever wear ita"
'Never, she kept it in her dressing
ease, just like any common trinket
"Was she the last one who saw it
Miss Carbrook mean?"
81 suppose SO. but see here! with
great violence. do you mean 70 insin-
nate that She"
mo. no." said, hastily. certainly |
not; if it has got to that stage don'e
dare to suggest any thing. Let Us
suppose that the earth opened aud
swallowed themr'
els may be joke TOR you." said
Fred. with groan. ''but it's q very So
Hious matter to me.
81 know it, said I, soothingly, land
IN go and help you pull down the |
Mouse any time you say the word. In |
the meantime, let Us 90 down to the |
club and take dinner" We had nice