Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-29
MR.. NELSON'S WILL.
BY a. RIDER HAGGARD.

ne Snoulu lose the cnance or getting what
he ought to have, II will be tattooed"
''Well, bust mep' said Bill, with enthus-
1asm; "bustme! if you amt a good-plucked
one for female womanl and if was that
there young man should make bold to
tell you so.'.
Yes" said Mr.. Meeson, ''that is an ex-
cellent idea. Your skin is very white,
quite as white and soft as the child's, and
you are young and strong, and as there is
lots of food here, dare say that YOU will
take long time to die You might even
live for some months. Let us begin at
once. l feel dreadfully weak. I don't
think that | can live through the night,
and ii l know that have done all can to
make sure that Eustace gets his own per.
haps dying will be a little easier!"
CHAPTER x.-THE LAST OF MR.. NELSON.
Augusta turned from the old man with
gesture of impatience not unmixed with
disgust. His self1shness was of an order
that reVolted her.
tIsuppose," she said to Bill, with an
other blush, "that l must have this will
tattooed upon my shoulders?"
eyes, Miss; that's it." said Bill. "You
see, Miss, one wants space for a DOGGY
a
fancy pictur of your young man, | might
manage it on your arm, but there must be
breadth for legal doccymint, more es-
pecially as should like to make good
job of it while l is about it. I don't want
none of them lawyers Affirming up their
noses at Bill Jones' tattooing."
Every well" said Augusta, with an in
ward sinking of the heart, 81 will go and
get ready"
Accordingly she adjourned into the hut
and removed the body of her dress and
turned down the flannel garment under
meath it in such a fashion as to leave as
much of her neck and shoulders bare as is
to be seen when a lady has on moderate
1y low dress. Then she came out again,
dressed, or rather undressed for the sacri-
flee. Meanwhile, Bill had drawn out the
ink bag of the cutie, had prepared little
round fragment of wood which he sharp
ened like pencil by rubbing it against a
stone, and had put keen edge on to q
long white fshbone that he had selected.
Now, Mr.. Bill, am ready" said Au-
gusta, seating herself resolutely upon q
fiat stone and setting her teeth.
my word, Miss, but you have a beauti-
full pair of shouldersp' said the sailor, con-
with the eye of an artist. 81 never had
such bit of material to work on afore.
Hang me if it amt almost pity to mark
'em! Not but what high-classed tattooing
is an ornament to anybody, from a Prin-
cess down; and in that you are fortunit,
Miss, for L larnt tattooing from them as
can tattoo, | did"
Augusta bit her lip and the tears came
40 .nrs ha
man, and had woman's little weakness.
and, though she had never appeared in
low dress in her life, she knew that her
bust was one of her greatest beauties and
was proud of it. 1t was hard to think that
she would be marked all her life with
this ridiculous will-that is, if she escaped
and, what was more, for the benefit of a
young man who had no claim upon her at
all.
That was what she said to herself, but
as she said it something in her told her
that it was not true. Something told her
that this young Mr.. Eustace Meeson had
a claim upon her--the highest claim that
man can have upon Il woman, for the
truth must out-she loved him. 1t seemed
TO have come home to her quite clearly
here in this dreadful, desolate place, here
she did love him, truly and deeply. And
that being so, she would not have been
what she was-a gentle-natured, devoted
woman-had she not at her heart rejoiced
at this opportunity of self-sacrifice, even
though that self-sacrif1ce was of the hard
est sort, seeing that it involved what all
women hate-the endurance of a ridicu-
lous position. For love can do all things,
non auaY, N, ol-a vntariac bravo ri6i-
cule
go on" she said sharply, "and let US
get it over as soon as possible"
every well, Miss. What is it to be, old
gentleman? Cut it Short you know"
~ ledDe all my property to EustGce FL.
MeeSon;' that's as short as / can get it,
and, if properly witnessed, think that it
will cover everything" said Mr.. Meeson,
with feeble air of triumph. Anyhow,
never heard of will that is to carry
about two millions being got into nine
words before
Bill poised his fish bone, and, next sec
ond, Augusta gave start and a little
shrek, for the operation had begun.
Never mind, Miss" said Bill, consol-
ingly; you'll soon get used to it."
After that Augusta set her teeth and en-
very much, for Bill was more careful of
the artistic effect and the permanence of
the work than of the feelings of the sub
ject. Fiat e1perimentuna in corpore pilt,
he would have said had he been conversant
with the Classics, without much consider
alton for the corpus Uilltm. SO he pricked
and dug away with his fishbone, which he
dipped continually in the cutie ink, and
with the sharp piece of wood, till Augusta
began to feel perfectly sick.
For three hours the work continued, and
at the end of that time the body of the viii
was fnished-for Bill was rapid worker
being written in medium-sized letters
right across her ivory shoulders. But the
signatures yet remained to be affixed.
Bill asked her if she would like to let
them stand over till the morrow?-but
this, although she felt faint with the pain,
she declined to do She was marked now,
marked with the ineffaceable mark of
Bill, so she might as well be marked to
some purpose. If she put off the signing
OF the document till the morrow, 1t might
be too late, Mr.. Meeson might be dead,
Johnnie might have changed his mind, or
hundred things So she told them to so
on and finish it as quickly as possible, for
there was only about two hours more day.
light.
Fortunately Mr.. Meeson was more OF
less acquainted with the formalities that
are necessary in the execution of will
namely: that the testator and the two wit
nesses should all sign In the presence OF
each other. He also knew that it was sui
ficient If, in cases of illness, some third
person held the pen between the testator's
fingers and assisted him to write his name
or even if some one signed for the testatol
in his presence and by his direction; and
.rouiny from this knowledge he came &c