Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-12-07
Mr.. NELSON'S WILL.
BY 81. RIDER HAG0ARD.


Thus it seemed to Eustace, who knew
''Jemima's Vow" and also her previous
abortive work almost by heart, that he
was very intimately acquainted with Au-
guSta, and as he was walking home that
May evening he was rejecting sadly
enough of all that he had lost through
that cruel shipwreck. He had lost Au-
gusta, and, what was more, he had lost
his uncle and his uncle's vast fortune.
For he, too, had seen the report Of the APP
plication re Meeson in the Times, and
though he knew that he was disinherited,
it was little crushing. He had lost the
fortune for Augustus sake, and now he
had lost Augusta also; and he reelected,
not without dismay, on the long, dreary
existence that stretched away before him,
filed up as it were with prospective piles
of Latin proofs. With sigh he halted at
the Wellington street crossing,in the
Strand, which, owing to the constant
stream Of traffic at this point, is one of the
worst in London. There was block at
the moment, as there generally is, and he
stood for some minutes watching the
frantic daSheS OF an old woman, who al
ways tried to cross at the wrong time, not
without some amusement. Presently,
however, boy with bundle of untolded
Globes under his arm came rushing along,
making the place hideous with his howls.
"Wonderful escape of a lady and han
hinfant" he roared. Account of the sur
vivors Of the kangaroo-wonderful escape
desert island-arrival OF the Magnolia
with the criminals"
Eustacs jumped, and instantly bought a
copy of the paper, stepping into the door
way of shop where they sold Masonic
jewels of every size and hue in order to
read 1t. The very first thing that his eye
fell on was an editorial paragraph.
'En another column, - ran the paragraph,
will be found a short account tele-
graphed to US from Southampton just as
we me going to press, of the most remark
able tale of the sea that we are acquainted
with. The escape of Miss Augusta Smith
ers and of the little Lord Holmhurst-as
we suppose that we must now call him
from the ill-fated kangaroo, and their
subsequent rescue, on kerguelen Land by
the American whaler, will certainly take
rank as the most romantic incident of Its
kind in the recent annals of shipwreck.
Miss Smithers, who will be better known
to the public as the authoress of the charm
ing book, ''Jemima's Vow" which took
the town by storm about year ago, will
arrive at Waterloo Station by the 5:04
train, and we shall then
Eustace read no more. Sick and faint
with an extraordinary revulsion of feeling
he leant against the door of the Masonic
shop, which promptly opened in the most
bpCpiT oh1n HnnpsifinC him,
his back on the floor of the establishment
In a second he was up, and had bounded
out of the shop with such energy that the
shopman was ON the point of holioaing
"Stop, thiefn' 1t was exactly five o'clock,
and he was not more than quarter of a
mile or SO from Waterloo Station. A han
som was sauntering along in front of him;
he sprang into it. waterloo, main line, :"
he shouted, las hard as you can do" and
in another moment he was rolling across
the bridge. Five or six minutes drive
brought him to the station, to which an
enormous number of people were hurry
ing, collected together partly by q rumor
of whlt was going on and partly by that
magnetic cOntagion of excitement which
runs through a London mob like fire
through dry grass.
ne tlISiIlISScu luc IttIlSOlll, throwing Jne
driver half a crown, which, considering
that half crowns were none too plentiful
with him, was rash thing to do, and Wig
orously shouldered his way through the
crush till he reached the spot where the
carriage and pair were standing The car
riage was just beginning to move on.
stop" he shouted at the top of his voice
to the coachman, who pulled up again. In
another moment he was alongside, and
there, sweeter and more beautiful than
ever, he once more saw his love.
She started at his voice, which she
seemed to know, and their eyes met,
and great light of happine2s shot into
her sweet face and shone there till it
was covered up and lost in the warm blush
that followed.
He tried to speak, but could not Twice
he tried and twice he failed, and mean
while the mob shouted like anything. At
last, however, he got it out-"Thank
GodP' he stammered, THANK God, you
are safer
For answer, she stretched out her hand
and gave him one sweet look. He took it,
and once more the carriage began to move
On.
Where are you to be found?" he had the
presence of mind to ask.
''At Lady Holmhurst's. Come to-mor-
row morning; l have something to tell
YOU" she answered, and in another min.
ute the carriage was gone, leaving him
standing there in a condition of mind
which really "can be better imagined than
described"