The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-03
MIR. NELSON'S WILL.
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD.


lowed at neighborng restaurant, quickly
restored him, however; and, jumping into
a cab, he drove poste haste to his lawyers,
Messrs. Todd g. James.
as Mr. Todd in'" heAsaid TO the manag-
ing clerk, who came forward bowling OBJ
sequiously to the richest man in Birming-
ham.
'Mr. Todd win be disengaged in few
minutes, sir" he said. MAY offer you
the IYmesf'
'Damn the Times" was the polite an
swer; az don't come here to read ncwspa-
pers. Tell Mr.. Todd that must see him
at once, or else / shall 60 elsewhere"
az am much afraid, sir"-began the man
aging clerk.
Mr.. Meeson jumped up and grabbed his
hat. NOW, then, what is it to bef' he
said.
"Oh, certainly, sir; pray be seated" an
swered the manager in great alarm-Mee-
sons business was not a thing to be lightly
lost. 81 will see Mr.. Todd instantly" aud
he vanished.
Almost simultaneously with his depart
ure an old lady was unceremoniossly
bundled out Of an inner room, clutching
feebly at reticule full of papers and pro-
claiming loudly that her head was going
round and round. The poor old soul was
Just altering her viii for the eighteenth
time in favor OF brand-new charity, high
ly recommended by Royalty; and to be
suddenly shot from the revered presence
of her lawyer into the outer darkness of
the clerks Office was really too much for
her
In another minute Mr.. Mceson was being
warmly, even enthusiastically, greeted by
Mr.. Todd himself Mr. Todd was n nerv-
ous-looking jumpy little man, who spoke
IN jerks and gushes in such n way as to
remind one of fire hose through which
water was being pumped intermittently.
''How do you do, my dear sir' Delight
ed to have this pleasure" he began with a
sudden gush and then suddenly dried up
as he noticed the ominous expression on
the great mans brow. 81 am sure I am
very sorry that you were kept waiting, my
dear sir; but / was ut the moment engaged
with an excellent and most Christian tes-
tator--n
Iere he suddenly jumped and dried up
again, for Mr.. Meeson, without the slight
est warning, calculated: Course your
Christian testator. And, look here, Todd,
just you see that it does not happen again.
I'm Christian testator, too; and Chris
tians of my cut aren't accustomed to be
kept standing about just like Office boys
or authors. See that itdon't happen again,
Todd"
az am sure I am exceedingly grieved.
Circumstances"
"Oh, never mind all that want my
will"
"Will-will- Forgive me-a little con-
fused, that's all Your manner is so full
of hearty old middle-age's kind of vigor-"
Here he stopped, more suddenly even
than usual, for Mr. Meeson fixed him with
his savage eye, and then jerked himself
out of the room to look for the document
In question.
Little idiotV' muttered Meeson; "pu
give him the sack, too, il he isn't more
careful BY Joyel why should not have
my own resident solicitor? / could get a
sharp hand with a damaged character for
about $500 a year, and pay that old Todd
quite G., 900. There is a vacant place in
the Hutches that could turn into an Of
flee. Hang me IL / don't do it. l will
make thatlittle chirping grasshopper jump
to some purpose, I'll warrant" and he
chuchIGs. al Ihe idea.
Just then Mr.. Todd returned with the
will, and before he could begin to make
any explanations his employer cut hira
short with sharp order to read the gist
of It.
This the lawyer proceeded to do It was
very short, and, with the exception of a
few legacies, amounting in all TO about
twenty thousand pounds, bequeathed all
the tes tator's vast fortune and estates, in
Guiding his (by far the largest) interest in
the great publishing house, and his palace.
with the paintings and other valuable
contents, known as Pompadour Hall, to
his nephew, Eustace III. Meeson.
VERY well, he said, when the reading
was finished; "now give it to me-"
Mr.. Todd obeyed, and handed the docu-
ment to his patron, who deliberately rent
1t into fragments with his strong fingers,
and then completed it's destruction by
tearing it with his big white teeth. This
done, he mixed the little pieces up, threw
them on the floor, and stamped upon them
with an air of malignity that almost
frightened jerky little Mr.. Todd.
''Now then" he grimly said, there's an
end of the old love; SO let's on with the
new. Take your pen and receive my in
structions for my will"
Mr.. Todd did as he was bid.
81 leave oil my property, real and per
sonal, to be divided in equal shares be-
tween my two partners, Alfred Tom Ad
olson and Cecil Spooner Roscoe. There,
that's short and sweet, and, one way and
another, it means q couple Of millions"
Good Heavens, STRIP jerked out Mr.
Todd, "Why. do you mean to quite cut
out your nephew-and the other legatees'"
he added, by way Of an afterthought.
'Of course do; that is, as regards my
nephew. The legatees may stand as be
fore.n
'Well, all I have to say" went on the
little man, astonished into honest opinion,
ais that it is the most shameful thing i
ever heard ofl''
Indeed, Mr.. Todd, is it' Well, now,
may ask you-am leaving this property
or are your Don't trouble yourself to an.
swer that, however, but just attend. Eth.
er you draw up that win at once, while
wait or you say goodbye to about G, 2,0oe
q year; for that's what Nelson's business
is worth, reckon. Now you take your
choice"
Mr.. Todd did take his choice. In under