Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-06-07

| LII leave it all to him." said thu
miser.
Mr.. Peabody knew him too well t.
demonstrate. He took some paper
from the escritoire. and he also filled
up an empty ink stand with small
bottle of ink which he found. and went
to work. The miser. lying with closed
eyes, begged him to express his-Mr.
Jones'-high respect for the character
of old Captain Waddilove. and to say
that this, as we'll as that spendthrifts
should not waste his savings, was his
motive in leaving all to him unknown.
as he was.
1t took two people to hold the misel
up in bed while he feebly traced his
signature, but this once done. he
chucklcd and laughed. and boasted
that he had outwitted Oliver.
That night his mind wandered. The
next day he lost all use of his limbs.
But he lived fortnight more, and
died at last quite suddenly. after try
ing to swear at the good old minister,
who strove to recall HIM to a sense
that he had soul.
The funeral was over Not tear
was shed. The time for the reading
OF the will had come.
Perhaps. Mr. Oliver. you had bet
ter hear it." said Mr.. Peabody. "You
are the heir-at-law but for this.
fairly warn you that your late uncle
has proved his i'll feeling towards you
to be Geep-seated; but 1 would like
you to come"
"Fll come" said Oliver. Il know
my uncle hated me. I expect moth
ing"
And so he sat in the queer little par
lor. where curious neighbors assembled
to hear what Miscr Jones had done
with his half million of money.
The lawyer sat in their midst. He
held in his hand paper. Endorsed:
'Last Will and Testament of X. Jones,
ESQ.," and after few brief remarks.
slowly unfOlded it. As he did SO, his
eyes dilateI. He stared in astonish.
ment.
The pages. properly fastened to-
gether, were there, but not word of
writing was visible upon them.
Ladies and gentlemen" said Mr..
Peabody, "this savors of a miracle. ]
know this to be the paper upon which
1 wrote the will of the late Xerxes
Jones. Here is the seal under which
the witnesses signed their names, but
the testament itself has vanished from
the paper"
Every body crowded forward to look.
''In fact" said Mr.. Peabody, 'there
is no will in existence. 1t is plain that
writing of some sort has been here, but
no words remain"
mo more they didn't" piped 3
faint old voice. ION my poor hus-
bands rent receipt"
"Nor on the paper we thought
proved our mortgage paid" sighed
Miss Kitty Dunn.
"Aha!" said the lawyer. Il begin
to understand. Then rising. he went
to the escritOire. ''Here is the ink
with which l filled the stand" he said;
and carried it to the window.
"All is explained" said he This
is marked Vanishing ink for love-
letters. warranted to fade out in six.
teen days Ladies and gentlemen, we
will not remark upon the conduct OF
one gone 70 his account. but you will
be pleased to know that Mr. Oliver
here is his uncle's heir, and worth
half a million of money"
Oliver could not believe it; nobody
could; but it was true. and you may
be sure that poor Widow Grimes had
her money back; that all who had been
cheated were repaid in full; and that
Oliver and Kitty were married in a few
weeks. and sent for Sister Ruth to live
with them. And so. after all, the van.
ishing ink made everybody happy
~ y. Ledger.