Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-28

a1tcr all That 1 have gone through,
should be taken off to have my unfortu-
nate back stared at by doctor some ono
or other, and then be shut up with lot
of musty old wills in q registry"
"Well, my dearest girl" said Eustace,
"either it must be done or else the whole
thing must be given up. Mr.. John Short
declares that it is absolutely necessary
that the document should be placed in the
custody of the officer of the court"
But how am going to live in cup
board or In an iron safe with a lot of
willsf" asked Augusta, feeling very cross.
81 don't know, am sure" said Eustace;
"Mr John Short says that that is a mat
ter which the learned doctor will have to
settle. His own opinion is that the learned
doctor-confound him!-will order that
You should accompany him about whcr-
ever he rocs till the trial comes of, Tor,
y2u SEQ, in that way you wc"ld never lie
ont Of thc custody of an officer Of the
curt. But, went on Eustace, gloomily,
":ll | can tell him. if he makes th"t
order, is, thot if he takes you about With
him he will have to take me, too
"Why2' said Augusta.
"Why? Because | don't trust him
that's Why. Old? oh, yes; l dare say he
Is old. And besides, Just think, this
learned gentleman has practced for
twenty years in the divorce court! Now,
| ask you whGt can you expect from
gentleman, however learned. who has
practiccd for twenty years in the divorce
court? | know hill,' went on Eustace,
vmGi@tiycly--"I l.uow him. He will fail
in love with you himself. Why, he would
be an Old duifcr if he didn't"
"i,eally," said Augusta bursting out
laughing; 'you arc too ridiculous, Eus-
t2cc.'
81 don't know about being ridiculous,
Augusta; but if You think a,n going to
LET You be marched about Dv that learned
doctor without my being there to look
after you, you ar' mistaken. Why, of
course he would fail in love with YOU; no.
body could be near You for a couple of
days without doing 50"
"Do you think SOP said Augusta, look
ing at him so sweetly that wave Of hap
piness passed through him.
yes | do, he answered, and thus the
conversation came to an end and was not
resumed till dinner time
On the following morning at II o'clock
Eustacc, who had managed to get q few
days leave from his employers, arrived
with Mr. John Short to take Augusta and
Lady IIolmhurst-who was going to cha
pcron her-to Somerset House, whittier,
notwithstanding her objections of the
previous day, she had at last consented
to go.
Mr. Short was introduced, and much
impressed both the ladies by the cXtraor-
binary air of learning and command
which was stamped upon his countcnance.
He wanted to inspect the will at once;
IL Il : L.. =
would be quite enough to have her Shout
dcrs stared at once that day. With a sigh
and a shake of the head at her unrea-
sonablcncss Mr.. John Short submitted,
and then the carriage came round and
they were all driven off to Somerset
House. Presently they were there, and
after threading innumerable chilly pas
sages reached dismal room with an al
manac, dirty deal table and a few chairs
in it, wherein were congregated several
solicitors clerks, waiting their turn to
appear before the registrar
Presently however, somebody poked
his head through the door which he
opened just wide enough to admit it, and
I bawling out
"Short, re Meeson," vanished as alb
ruptly as he had come.
"Now, Lady IIolmhurst, if you please, u
said Mr.. John Short, "allow me to show
the way, if you will kindly follow with
the will-this way, please
In another minute the unfortunate
"will' found herself in large and lofty
room, at the top of which, with his back
to the light, sat Il most agreeable looking
p middle aged gentleman, who, as they adj
vanced, rose with politcncss that one
does not generally expect from officials
on fixed salary, and, bowling, asked
them to be seated.
"Wcll, what can do for yon? Mr.
ah! Mr.. and he put on his eyeglasses
and referred to his notes-"Mr Short
! you wish to file will, understand; and
/ there are peculiar circumstances of some
sort in the casey"
Eyes, sir; there are" said Mr.. John
Short with much meaning. The will to
be filed in the registry is the last true
will of jonathan Meeson of Pompadour
Hall, in the county of Warwick, and the
property concerned amounts to about two
millions. Upon last motion day the death
/ of Jonathan Mceson, who was supposed
to have sunk in the kangaroo, was al
lowed to be presumed, and probate has
been taken out. AS a matter of fact,
however, the said Jonathan Meeson per
ishcd in Kcrguclen Land some days after
+ the SnlpWrecK, ana before he uled ne uuly
executed fresh will in favor of his
nephew, Eustace II. Meeson, the gentle
man before you. Miss Augusta Smith
ers''-
WHAT said the learned registrar, ''s
this Miss Smithers, whom we have been
reading so much about lately-the her-
guelen Land heronef'
Yes, | am Miss Smithers," she said
with little blush, and this is Lady
llolmhurst, whose husband and she
checked herself.
1T gives me much pleasure to make
your acquaintance, Miss Smithers, said
the learned doctor, courtcously shaking
hands, and bowling to Lady lIolmhurst-
proceedings which Eustace watched with
the jaundiced eye of suspicion. Hes
beginning already, the old viper" said
that ardent lover to himself, Il knew
how it would be. Trust my Gus into his
custody? never. | had rather be com,
mitted for contempt"
"The best thing that | can do, sir,
went on John Short impatiently, for, tc