Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-24
Mr.. NELSON'S WILL.
BY Fl. RIDER HAGGARD.

"Ihen YOU must ue stupid" SAID Eus
tace "Don't you see the joke?-'mesne
profits neon Of thcmm
eAh," said James, with satisfaction; 81
perceive Lady Holmhurst does not seem
to be aware that although 'mesne'-a total
ly erroneous words pronounced mean
it is spelt m-e-s-n-e.'
81 stand corrected said Lady Holm
hurst, with a little curtsey. 81 thought
that Mr.. James Short would take my ig-
norance into account, and understand
what medRr'
This feminine sally turned the laugh
against the learned James, and then, the
telegram to News & News having been
despatched, they all went in to the wed
ding breakfast.
In general way wedding breakfasts ar
not particularly lively affairs. There is
mock hilarity about them that does not
tend to true cheerfulness and those OF the
guests who are not occupied with graVer
thoughts are probably thinking of the
dyspepsia that comes after. But this par
ucular breakfast was an exception. For
the first time since her husbands unfor-
tunate death, Lady Holmhurst seemed to
have entirely recovered her spirits and was
her old self, and very charming self 1t
was so charming, indeed, that even James
forgot his learning and the responsibilities
of his noble profession, and talked like an
ordinary Christian. Indeed, he even went
so far as to pay her an elephantine com
pliment; but as it was three sentences
long, and divided into points, it shall not
be repeated here.
And then, at length, Dr. Probate rose
- 49,
nicely he did it, as might have been ex-
pected from man with his extraordinary
familiarity with matrimonial affairs His
speech was quite charming, and aptly
sprinkIed with classical quotations.
Il have often" he ended. "heard it adj
vanced that all men are in reality equally
favored by the Fates in their passage
through the world. Ihave always doubted
the truth of that assertion, and now am
convinced of it's falsity Mr. Eustace Nee
son is a very excellent young man, and, if
I may be allowed to say So a very good
looking young man; but what, I would
ask this assembled company, has Mr..
Meeson done above the rest of men to
justify his supreme good fortune? Why
should this young gentleman be picked
out from the multitude of young gentle
men to inherit two millions of money, and
to marry the most charming-yes, the
most charming, and the most talented,
and the bravest young lady that L have
ever meta young lady who not only car
ries twenty fortunes on her face, but an
other fortune in her brain, and his fortune
on her shoulders-and such fortune, too,
SIR and he bowed towards Eustace-
"'Lovely That's sits beside thee,
Take he 60 d. tho gods provide thee
/ salute you, as all men must salute one
so supremacy favored. Humbly | salute
you; humbly pray that you may contin-
ually deserve the almost unparalleled good
that it has pleased Providence to bestow
upon YOU"
And then Eustace rose and made his
speech, and very good speech it was,
considering the trying circumstances I'M
der which it was made. He told them
how he had flllen in love with Augustus
sweet face the very first time that he had
set eyes upon it in the office of his uncle at
Birmingham He told them what he had
felt when, after getting some work in
London; he had returned to Birmingham
to find his lady-love flown, and of what he
had endured when he heard that she was
among the drowned on board the Kanga-
roo. Then he came to the happy day of
the return, and TO that still happier day
when he discovered that he had not loved
her in vain, finally ending thus
''Dr. Probate has said that | am a SUI
premely fortunate man, and | admit the
truth of his remark. / am, indeed, for
tunate above my deserts, so fortunate that
feel afraid. When | turn and see my be-
loved wife sitting at my side, feel afraid
lest / should after all be dreaming a dream,
and awake to find nothing but emptiness.
And then, on the other hand, in this coloS-
sal wealth, which has come to me through
her, and there again | feel afraid But,
please Heaven, / hope with her help to do
some good with it, and remembering al
ways that it is a great trust that has been
placed in my hands. And she also is 8
trust and far more inestimable one, and
as deal with her so may | be dealt with
here and hereafter" Then, by an after
thought, he proposed the health of the
legal twins, who had so nobly borne the
sxunt of the ARRAY single-handed, and dis
~~ncerted the Attorney General and all his
learned host.
Thereon James rose to reply in terms of
siephantine eloquence, and would have
gone through the whole case again had
not Lady Holmhurst in despair pulled him
by the sleeve and told him that he must
propose her health, which he did with sin.
certify, lightly abiding to the fact that she
was widow by describing her as being in
. "discovert condition. with all the rights
and responsibilities of femme SOLE"
Everybody burst out laughing, not ex-
cepting poor Lady Holmhurst herself, and
James sat down, not without indignation
that giddy world should object to an ex-
act and legal definition of the status of the
dtYo ioc or nrYN hx-T boI o&
And after that Augusta went and
changed her dress, and then came the hur-
ried good-byes; and to escape observation,
they drove off in hanson cab amid a
shower of old shoes.
And there in that hanson cab we will
leave them.
CHAPTER xx1IL-MEEsoN's ONCE AGAIN.
month had passed-a month of long,
happy days and such dear delight as young
people who truly love each other can get
out of honeymoon spent under the most
favorable circumstances in the sweetest,
sunniest spots of the Channel Islands.
And now the curtain draws up for the last
time in this history, where it drew up for
the first, in the inner office of Nelson's
huge establishment.
During the last fortnight certain COM
munications had passed between Mr.. John
Short, being duly authorized thereto, and
the legal representatives of Messrs. Addi-
son and Roscoe, with the result that the
interests of these gentlemen in the great
publishing house Mad been bought up, and
that Eustace Meeson was now the sole
owner of the vast concern, which he in
tended to take under his personal SUPER
vision
Now. ACCOMPANIED by John Short whom