Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-02-14
EVANESCENT INK.
Mr.. Ambrose Peck's Vaccinations
Prove His Defeat.

Mr.. Ambrose Peck sat before his
desk in the law office of Steele &
Snellings, buried in profound thought
1t was after Office hours, and there was
no one present to disturb him. With
his feet on the desk and his elbows on
the arms of his chair, he slowly pulled
at his sandy mustache, while his keen
gray eyes fixed themselves uncon-
sciously upon a spider which was spin
ming a web across a dusty pigeon-hole
above the desk.
Hang it," he muttered impatiently
to himself, 81 wish that l could see
my way clear"
Mr.. Peck was thinking of his aunt,
the widow of his great-unclc, Captain
Jollifer. She was eighty years old
and lived in tho old Jollifer mansion,
which had once been the pride of the
village on whose outskirts it had stood.
But the village had in time grown into
town, which slowly extending itself,
anaconda-li had swallowed up the
big brick mansion and the wide lawn
and garden, until they now formed an
entire square in the heart of the cor
poration. This real estate alone,
which, as Mr.. Peck reflected, could be
laid off in beautiful building lots, was
in itself fortune; though the old lady
had other property, of which Ambrose
we'll knew-the firm of which he was
head clerk being Mrs. Jollifer's law
yers. And how to get possession in a
strictly legal way of all this property
was the problem which was now SO
profoundly exercising Mr.. Peck men.
tai acumen.
He knew that Mrs. Jollifer had but
few distant relatives, and that these
she cordially hated. Indeed the
amiable old lady had often been heard
to declare ina truly Spartan spirit that
rather than leave any of her property
to "those people" she would burr
down the house over her own head. y
AS a security against either alterna
tive, she took care to have always OF
hand, locked away in her private desk
last will and testament, written with
her own hand and duly signed an(
sealed. OF the contents OF this docu
ment she made no secret, having al
ways openly avowed her intention o
leaving her property to either her lat,
husbands granddaughter, Ambrose
Peck, or to a certain Miss Meliss;
Judd, distant relative, who had for
score of years lived with her in tn,
capacity of housekeepcr, nurse an,
confidential companion. But tn
trouble was that Mrs. Jollifer. being
lady of very uncertain mind and temper
should every now and then have
"falling out with one or the other O
her proposed heirs, in which case sh
would invariably destroy the last
made will and write new one, cutting
off the offender with legacy of on
hundred dollars, and bequeathing n
rest of her possessions to the other
with the exception of an annuity to he
pet dog, Fido. In consequence of thi
popularity Mr.. Peck was continual
haunted by the fear of his respects
relative being suddenly called fror
this sublunary sphere while one of tn
wills adverse to himself happened t
be in force; and he naturally felt it hi
duty to form some plan in defense Q
his own interests.
Presently Mr.. Peck, having duly re
flected, began to talk to himself in
slow aud emphatic tone.
"Yes-it's the only way, so far as
can see. OF course she'll accept me if
propose. Then, il she turns out TO be tn
heir, I'll marry her (this with an invo
untary grimace). while, should the fins
will be proven in my favor-well, nee
not consider myself bound by the er
pagement There is Alice-prett
Alice-and, by the by, should Their
happen by chance to be no will at al
Alice will be heir. or, at least, he
mother will, being the nearest of kit
Yes, yes-I could throw over the oil
cat and marry Alice. But stayl no
do know but that Melissa, If she b
comes the heir. may take it into h,
head to throw me over? Old maid
when they come into possession
property. generally prefer to keep
TO themselves, and Melissa Judd is 1
cunning and IS aysrieious rs a ma.
pie. 1t will be necessary 70 get
sure grip on her, A secret marriage