New-York tribune., 1886-07-18
MR.. SMITHS WILL

tn' dGstinc,,ish himself during his scholasuc
W - vet those who knew him believed III
ga" i,nnst as much as he believed IN himself.
PIN ,,as ra a brisk, busting little youth, with
Ecb falsetto voice and consequenun mannen' nnen
a. had worn an eyeglass and mgh sfnrt-col',s ',,S
r. Ge Ia an earlv age and at seventeen ne would
HV'n "~cue1 theology with an Archbishop, Oh
IG.S,os,,sSe1 politics with Prime Minister hen
Il time arrived for choosing a pro1ession.
xmc,,stus mhesitatingly decided IN Invoi ~
1ueG.r He had no prediction for the law
se 10 .,reer of barIister had The great attrhc
~ of lending to the woolsack. AueusVIs a,
.d u h;ch hut his ambition was not ouV oi
einn,.;on to his opinion of his ablDueS. hs
rrns lured by the prospect OF pecohlllg To-
Chancellor and Keeper ot the eeeon
science. ,A,.o5 ero,o his parents q
~ so,trne which he would be emitted u
s'cei,e mon attaining twenty-five. me- e w..
IL VJ,tacmltv. therefore. about rM'lnG lIe =.
,nium winch WaS necessary 10 ehaDc ,,nross ,,I.a,
ta tho mn of the chambers OF some s"ON.h
s"' .n, .onnscI Accordingly, the aspiring yVah'n th
- ronfded to the care OF Mr.. heG eGnno,, 90
b-.,trG equity drlughtsnan ana COW ar o,ai
,rbnsc nnnils though depressing III oeot
sens, always learned to draw par .rr,ents ui'r,1
nleaSings. and 10 turn out lee.A iI;oant law
rralrrl.fed 10 mystify the most lh'eNie'
After a brief experience, Augustus @ ovsS,iion ovsa
bore a dim idea that the goal OF nts .~ 80 h,d
vs. rather more difficult TO re'pI lilui it'ii bard
an.icipat4d lie realized UlEt p+--I, vere
~ perseverance and ceaSeIess stuuy ,o,1e
-; 4 ;n,r,e1ient- 10 the success Ol hls S''
g S,-Sstus was one OF those enbrl 'Islus
,,,. there are many OF them auou'-"'W " y
r. too great hurry 10 MAKE "a Iol 1"" t5e did
ohle to cive time to honest uuuSus' -; +Lo
80 evoctlv abandon ;he nope ol lo'Clu"e@ - n-
~! - -, 1ut ne resolved not 10 ult'oI ""1S
y; oiSi,,ies IN striving too much iOI IL ne
III Loe, II i'm view as something No' Vi '0'.
tend;ng for but he felt that meahWn.lc -
wnulI be rs well not to lose amy olP0 '''-''''
of advancement in other directions. A.
t~c1-tIIs had been very much struck py Ine
so-N fIgt i'm the course OF business. the piiNae
ofI,irs of q good many people OF wealth ana ul'
tincfion were revealed 10 INN. he ""S La.
ursllv of an inQUsIuve dl-posiuon' anu ~
,e~enod in the surrepttiOus knoWieuEe he
I';J in tbis nuer Nj. Retainer haN a
Ia, re connection among solicitors OF oiu s''iHu
~ with rich and alistOcrauc chentS ana,
according 10 custom. ms pupils were ptlahi'.Tu
- trv their prentice hands In preparing tIt
rough drafts OF wills, marriage S'uoiilenvs ,liu
deed, of various kinds. II was qulle tintlI-
irnr 10 Augustus 10 be behind the scenes, as
!, u-err and 10 observe the secret disposition
of - many thousands of pounds, without pront-
IN, thereby He did not see his way, however
~ tlr, his experiences 10 account but the
;dea took possession of him that In this diIec-
tion he might one day make discovery which
he could utilize 10 his advantage
Meanwhile. he grew utterly sick and tired
of ,be law long before the wished Tor OppOlluh-
inv arrived But AZ length his dropping spIIO>
were revived by what seemed 10 ne geh,uH'
pro>uect of acquiring fortune One U'y 'neIs
yyos handed into the pupils room paper oi
written instructions for the Will OF MI. John
Smith. of HIldrOp-creScent. Camden lOWl
Who was represented by wcl-knoWn urn oi
solicitors Mr. Smith appeared TO De- senuS
man of considerable wealth. iOr he owned Whole
g in | broad
the country. and stock f 'hange investment,
galore AuguStu~'s attention was attracted
hv two circumstances. one OF when Wds uhd'
this Mr. John Smith was nelgheOr OF Ms
rucle's with whom ne resided. and the Other
That the testats had an only daughter. 10 whom
he had bcqueathcd nearly the whole OF M
wealth. From the fact that Mr. John Smith
resided in the unassuming locality OF Camden
Town il seemed probable that he was person
OF 0ulet tastes and habits. 10 whom II would
BE easy to obtain an Introduction. IhlN done
thought Augustus, nothing would be simpler
tLaD 10 ingraiiafc himself with the old e ntle-
man. 10 win the affections of his daughter and
IL gain both her hand and her fortune
To tell the truth. this was not the hrst tune
that Augustus had cherished designs OF marry
ing hciresses whose prospects he had learned
in a similar manner Unfortunately, IN pre-
vious cases the ladies had been OF exalted
rank and station. which rendered them un-
approachable Disparity Of station had not
IlfAtl'fl llIfl ltlWtNtI, lltUl UlthlI- NAN'At'
advances Like all mottledfaced. snub-nOsed
little men, Augustus considered himself above
everything ladv-kiler. When he discovered
that the Lady Angelina FltzpOwdcIpun was
the re>iduary legatee under the VIII OF her de
crepit old uncle. Lord Towzlepate. he had
taken immense pains 70 have her ladyslip
pointed out to him. and had ogled her in the
park for a whole season Various instances
OF this kind might be recorded of his enter
pri,ng nature, but il would he depressing to
chronicle a series Of dismal failures. Augustus
had borne his ill-luck with equammity. con
vnced that ii WIS lack of opportunities alone
which had prevented him from making con-
quests.
In the case of Miss Smith, however, no OBJ
stacleS Of an insurmOuntable kind seemed to
exist. Augustus with his native sanguineness.
therefore regarded her fortune practically
within his grasp. That very evening, in fact.
On his return TO MS uncle's house in Camden
Town, he began TO make discreet inquiries
about the Smith family Not word did he
breathe Of Nj Smiths fortune. and ne was the
more cautious because II seemed that the extent
OF il was not generally known But he learned
sufficient 10 feel convinced that the old gentle
man was a wealthy mser. He was described
a. taciturn and rather eccentric person, who
mad resided many years in Hlldrop-creScent
Win his daughter and maiden sister. He was
supposed n be comfortably off for he paid his
way and lived al his ease, but he WAS certainly
DOT suspected OF being a millionaire.
Augustus wisely determined 70 look we'll be-
lore ne leapt IN this instance and he therefore
ser TO work to ascertain whether Mr. Retainer
Knew anything about Mr. Smith ana hi affairs.
Arcorhngly he lnhorOn-lv prepared the draft
OF NJ Nsnitll's viii himself and vent,led to take
mi" Nr. Rctainer's >mctum. The learned
conyevancer-stIuck perhaps. by the unwonted
Eeai Of BIS least promising pupil-good -naturedly
put ASIDE the papers he was engaged up0n,
end invited Augustus 10 stand by while he re-
vlsed the important document This method
W instruction was particularly CALLING 10
Augustus. for Nr Retainer was accustomed
10 make mincemeat Of his pupils, Youthful
eeroIt> and Was crueliv frank IN his criticisms
Vn miS occasion. however. Auglstns bore the
oFdeal with edifvino meckne>s being entirely
pIeoccppied with the moncntous inquiIies he
ut',ed 10 make When Mr. Retainer. after =
kOo9 de4 OF cOntcmpmous "pishing" and
pSha Wing accompanied bv viciou, scratch
M, M ol D. oI"ad-nibbcd pen. threw the dOcu.
! L..