Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-04-27

mans now vacant Office to hear the pa
per read. There WAS dead silence fol
IA few minutes. broken only by the
cracking of the paper as the lawyer
unfolded it. Then. wiping his glasses
and adjusting them without regard to
the evident Impotence of his audience
he began to read, Stripped of its lega
phraseology, the will bequeathed to
his nephews. Jointly. the trifing bal
ance still due on the mill and the old
chest of drawers which had held his
papers for sixty years. Then came the
disposition of the other articles that
had meagerly furnished the old man s
house. ending with request that they
should preserve their Easter eggs in
memory of the giver. and a blessing
nothing more.
what can have become of all his
money!" said Reub en-, as he and Seth
went together to the bank to make in
quiries of Mr.. Wilkins, who said the
bank held sum of money to the credit
of Mr.. Flint, but he had been instructed
that it had been drawn against to the
full amount by checks not yet present.
ed.
Strange" replied Reuben. "Do you
know wao holds those checksp"
Couldn't tell" replied Mr. Wilkins.
And they left more puzzled than be-
fore. and the more they though, of it
the more mysterious it seemed.
Spring time had como again. There
had been little change in the prospects
Of the Flint family, although the owner
ship of the mill was help. Easter
had also come. the glorious Easter
ide, when all Nature rejoices. and hui
nanity. like Nature, having lain fallow
for a season, takes on renewed life and
vigor
eff old Flint was alive" said Reuben
Flint to his wife Easter morning, 1--WE
night get some more Easter eggs to-
lay gazing scornfully at thu varied
array on the mantelpiece, the accumu-
ation of seven years. 1--WE had better
urn them all over to the children to-
lay. They will enjoy smashing them
more than we have their keeping"
Thereupon the children were called
up and given the eggs bearing their
ames. The older ones had acquired a
certain reverence for the eggs so care
fully preserved. and one of the little
fellows. who was Of the destructive age,
began his Investigations by trying to
cram one of the eggs into his mouth.
ct fny INF f,I Lat "a
suited in broken shell, and when his
sister noticed him. and came to his res
cue, she found in the chubby fist a
queer little roll of paper that seemed
% have been inside the egg. When
Reuben's eye caught the slip of paper
he grabbed it eagerly. and. taking in
the situation at glance, called to his
wife: The checks are in the eggs
What fools we have BEEN" They gath
cred up all the now precious eggs
counting them carefully to make sure
none were lost. Stopping only to send
one of the children for his brother Seth,
he counted up seven checks of 81 200
each for himself, seven checks for $500
for his wife. besides all those for the
children at 800 each. amounting in all
o about $4,000. When Seth arrived
and learned his brothers luck he, too,
was overjoyed. and fastened home
again to find that he was equally fort
mate. Neither said any thing about
Tom. but the next morning they called
IN Mr.. Wilkins and presented their
| oh xuhi oh hn
question and without apparent sur
prise.
This business over, Reuben fell to
thinking and figuring. and soon
reached the conclusion that what he
and Seth had received was but a frao
ton of the estate. and that the greater
part was as yet unclaimed Perhaps
Tom was to be the lucky one. He
would wait and try to learn what Tom
had done with his eggs, and if there
was any way to obtain them. Seth had
the same idea, but neither confided in
the other.
Tom soon noticel an apparently
friendly disposition in his brothers to-
ward himself which pleased him with.
out arousing any suspicion on his part
But Nellie's quick eye detected some
unusual purchases by R,uben's wife,
who had always been rigidly economi-
cal and. meeting little Annie on the
street one day, she asked her where
she got all her new clothes.
20, papa has lots of money now,'
replied the child. did you find as
much money In yolr Easter eggs as
papa and Uncle Seth? 0, but l WASH
to tell; don't let mama or papa know
that | said any thing pleaded Annie.
"Never mind; l won't tell them,"
and Nellie kissed the child with more
warmth than usual. and then hurried
home to tell Tom.
Toms manly independence and his
disregard for his uncle's selfish advice,
together with Nellie's fidelity to Tom,