Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-22
wonder that you feel uncomfortable about


served to disturb Mr.. Nelson's conscience
| all the more, and he burst out into Iaments
and regrets.
well" said Augusta at last, IF YOU
don't like yodr will you had better alter
| it. There are enough Of US here to Wit
| ness a will and, if anything happens to
you, it viii override the other-wfIl it not?''
There was new idea, and the dying
man jumped at it.
'fOf course, of course he said; 81 never
thought of that before. I viii do it at
once, and cut Addison and Roscoe out al
together. Eustace shall have every farth-
ing. Inever thought Of that before Come,
give me your hand; III get up and see
about it,
''Stop a minute" said Augusta. How
are you going to write q viii without laan
or pencil, or paper or ink?"
Mr.. Meeson sank back with 4 grou..
This difficulty had not occurred TO him.
care you sure nobody has got q pencil
and bit OF paper?" he asked. cit would
do, so long as the writing remained legi-
BILE"
II don't think So" said Augusta, but I
will inquire" Accordingly she went and
asked Bill and Johnnie; but neither of
them had pencil or a single scrap of pa
per, and she returned sadly to commune
cate the news.
81 have got it have got itl'' said Mr.
MeesOn, as she approached the spot where
he lay upon the rock. ''If there is no pa
per or pen, we must write it in blood upon
some linen. We can make a pen from the
feathers of q bird read somewhere in a
book of somebody who did that It viii
do as well as anything else"
Here was an idea indeed, and one that
Augusta jumped at. But in another mo-
ment her enthusiasm received a check.
Where was there any linen to write on?
Yes she said, 'if you can find some
linen. You have got on a flannel shirt, SO
have the two sailors, and little Dick is
dressed in flannel, too"
1t was fact. AS it happened not one
Of the party had scrap of linen on them,
or anything that would answer the pur-
pose. Indeed, they had only one pocket
handkerchief between them, and it was a
red rag full of holes. Augusta had had
one, but it had blown overheard when
they were in the boat. What would they
not have given for that pocket handker-
chief now?
yes" said Mr.. Meeson, sit seems we
note, or 1 might have written in blood up
on that; though 1 have got hundred SOW
ereigns in gold-I grabbed them up before
bolted from the cabin. But 1 say-ex-
cuse me, Miss Smithers, but-um-ah-oh!
hang modesty-haven't you got some linen
on, somewhere or other, that you could
spare bit of? You sha'n't lose by giving
it to me. There, promise that will tear
a IF of nj
which | sha'n't-wbich I ha'n't-and
viii write on the linen that it is to be torn
up. Yes, and that you are to have five
thousand pounds legacy, too, Miss Smith
ers. Surely you can spare me a little bit
Just off the skirt, or somewhere, you
know, Miss Smithers? It never will be
missed and it is SO very important"
Augusta blushed, and no wonder. 81
am sorry to. say L have nothing of the sort
about me, Mr. Meeson-nothing except
flannel" she said. 81 got up in the middle
Of the night before the collision, and there
was no light in the cabin, and L put Cd
whatever came first, meaning to come
back and dress afterward when it got
light"
"Staysl'' said Mr.. Meeson, desperately.
Forgive me for mentioning them, but
surely you put on your stays? One could
write on them, you know"
''I am very sorry, Mr.. Meeson," she an
swered, ''but did not put any on.''
mot q cuff or collar!' he said, catch
ing at last straw of hope.
Augusta shook her head sadly.
''Then there is an end Of it!'' groaned
Mr.. Meeson. "Eustace must lose the
money. Poor lad! poor Lad! have be-
hayed very badly to him. -
Augusta stood still, racking her brain
for some expedient for she was determ-
med that Eustace Meeson should not lose
the chance of that colossal fortune if she
could help il. 1t was but poor chance at
the best, for Mr.. Meeson might not be DIV.
ing, after all. And if he did die, it was
probable that his fate would be their fate
also, and no record would remain of them
or OF Mr.. Nelson's testamentary wishes.
AS things looked at present, there was
every prospect Of their all perishing miser-
ably on that desolate shore
Just then the sailor Bill, who had been
up to the flagstaff on the rock on the
chance Of catching sight of some passing
vessel, came walking past. His flannel
shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows
OF his brawny arms, and as he stopped to
speak to Augusta she noticed something
that made her start and gave her an idea.
There amt nothing to be seen" said
the man roughly; ''and it's my belief that
there won't be- neither. Here we are and
here we stops till we dies and rots."
"Ah, 1 hope not,'' said Augusta. ''By
the way, Mr.. Bill, will you let me look at
the tattoo on your arm?"
Certainly, Miss" said Bill, with alacri-
ty holding his great arm within an inch
of her nose. It was covered with various
tattoos; flags, ships, and what-not, in the
middle of which, written in small letters
along the side of the forearm, was the
sailors name-Bin Jones.
"Who did it, Mr. Bill?" asked Augusta.
"Who did it? Why, did it myself. A
chap made me bet that could not tatto
my own name on my own arm, so 1
showed him; and a poor sort of hand l
should have been at tattooing if 1 could
not"
Augusta said no more till Bill had gone
on, then she spoke.
''Now, Mr.. Meeson, do you see how you
can make your will?" she said, quietly.
''See? No." he answered, Il don't"
"WelI, l dol You can tattoo it-or, rath-
er, get the sailor to tattoo it. 1t need not
be very long"
Tattoo 1t! w hat On-and what W1th!''
he asked, astoniShed.
"You can have it tattooed on the back
of the other sailor, Johnnie, if he will al
low you; and as for material, you have
some revolver cartridges; if the gunpowder
is mixed with water, it would do, l should
think"
~'Pon my word,'' said Mr.. Meeson, "you
are wonderful womanl Whoever would
have thought of such thing except a