Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-21

/ Bill, so she might as well be marked to
/ some purpose. If she put off the signing
! of the document till the morrow it might
| be too late. Mr. Meeson might be dead
| Johnnie might have changed his mind,
or hundred other things SO she told
/ them to 20 on and finish it as quickly as
/ possible for there was only about two
hours more daylight.
Fortunately, Mr.. Meeson was more or
| less acquainted with the formalities that
are necessary in the execution of WILL
namely, that the testator and the two
witnesses should all sign in the presence
of each other He also knew that it was
sufficient if, in case of Illness, some
third person held the pen between
/ the testator's fingers and assisted
him to write his name, or even if
some one signed for the tcstator in his
presence and by his direction; and argu.
ing from this knowledge, he came to the
Observation-Disclosures justified in the
great case of Mecson VS. Addison and
, Anothcr-that it would be sufficient if he
inflicted the first prick of his signature
and then kept his hand upon Bll's while
the rest was done. This accordingly he
did, clumsily running the sharp bone so
deep into the unfortunate Augusta that
she fairly shriekcd aloud, and then
keeping his hand upon the sailors
arm while he worked in the rest of
the signature, 81. Meeson." When
, it was done the turn of Johnnie came.
Johnnie had at length aroused himself to
some interest in what was going on, and
had stood by watching all the time, since
Mr.. Mceson having laid his finger upon
| Augustus back had solcmulY declared the
writing thereon to be his last will and
testament. AS he (Johnnic) could not
tattoo, the same process was gone through
with reference to his signature as in the
case of Mr.. Meeson. Then Bill Jones
signed his own name, as the second wit
ness to the will; and just as the light
went out of the sky the document was
finally cxecuted-the date of the execu-
ton being alone omitted. Augusta rot up
off the flat stone where she had been seated
during this torture for something like five
hours, and, staggering into the hut, threw
herself down upon the sail and went off
into a dead faint. 1t was, indeed. only by
a very strong exercise of the will that she
had kept herself from fainting long be-
fore.
The next thing she was conscious Of
was a dreadful smarting in her back, and
on opening her eyes found that it was
quite dark in the hut. So weary was she,
however that after stretching out her
by her side, she shut her eyes again and
went fast asleep When she woke the
daylight was creeping into the damp and
squalid hut, revealing the heavy form of
Mr.. Mccson tossing to and fro in Il
troubled slumber on the further side She
got up, feeling dreadfully sore about the
back; and awalling the child, took him
out to the stream of water and washed
him and herself as well as She could. 1t
was very cold outside; so cold that the
child cried and the rain clouds were COM
ing up fast so she hurried back to the
hut, and, together with Dick, made her
breakfast off some biscuit and some roast
penguin eggs, which We're not at all bad
eating. She was, indeed, quite faint with
hunger, having swallowed no food for
many hours, and felt proportonately bet
ter after it,
Then she turned to examine The condi-
ton of Mr.. Mceson. The will had been
executed none too soon, for it was evident
to her that he vas in Il very bad way in
deed. His fa"e was sUnkcu aud hectic
with fever his teeth were chattcring, and
his talk. though he was nov awake, was
quito incohcrent. She tried to get him to
take some food, but lie would swallow
nothing but water. Having done all that
she could for him. she went out to see the
sailors, and met them coming down from
the flag staff They had evidently been
at the rum casR again, though not to any
great extent, for Bill looked shecpsh and
shaliy, while the i'll favored Johnnie was
more sulliy than ever She gazcd at them
reproachfully, and then asked them tc
collect some more penguin's eggs, which
Johnnie refused point blank to do saying
that he wasn't going to collect eggs fol
land lubbers to eat; she might collect
eggs for herself. Bill, however, start ed
on the errand, and in about an hours
time returned just as the rain set in il
| good earnest bearing six or seven dozen
fresh eggs tied up in his coat.
Augusta, with the child by her sat il
the miserable hut attending to Mr.. Nee
son; while outside the pitiless rain poured
down in steady, unceasing sheet OF
water that came through the wretched
roof in streams She did her best to keer
the dying man dry, but it proved to be al
most an impossibility; for even when she
succeeded in preventing the wet from
falling on him from above, it got under
meath him from the reeking floor while
the heavy damp of the air gathered on his
garments till they were quite sodden.
AS the hours went on his consciousness
came back to him, and with it his terror
for the end and his remorse for his past
; life, for alas, the millions he had amasseC
could not avail him now.
Il am going to de!' he groaned Il an
going to die, and I've been bad man
I've been the head of publishing com
; pany all my life"
Augusta gently pointed out to him that
publishing was a very respectable bust
ness when fairly and properly carried on
; and not one that ought to weigh heavy
upon u man at the last like the record o.
career of successful usury or burgling
Meeson shook his heavy head Yes
yes, he groaned but you are talking OF
private firms. They are straight, most OF
them; far too straight, | used always tC
say. But you don't know Meeson's-you
don't know the customs of the trade al
Nelson's"
Augusta reflected that she knew good
deal more about Nelson's than she liked
Listen, he said with desperate en-
ergy, sitting up upon the sail, land l will