Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-10-26
MR.. NELSON'S WILL.
ey a. RIDER HAGGaRD


Interviewer the only terror that they had
to face. Little girls gave them bouquets
III. old lady, whose brain was permeatet
with the idea that shipwrecked people
went about in a condition of undress for
much longer than was necessary after the
event, arrived with an armful Of under
clothing streaming on the breeze; and
last, but not least, a tall gentleman, with
r beautiful mustache, thrust into Angus
ta's hand a note hastily written in pencil,
which, when opened, proved to be an offer
Of marriage!
However, at last they found themselves
In a frst-class carriage, ready to start, or
rather starting. The interviewing gentle
men, W of whom had their heads jammed
through the window, were forcibly torn
away, still asking questions, by the Of
fcials of the company-the tall gentleman
with the moustachios, who was lowering
In the background, smiled a soft farewell,
in which modesty struggled visibly with
hope, the station master took of his cap,
aud in another minute they were rolling
out of Southampton Station.
Augusta sank back with a sigh of relief,
and then burst out laughing at the thought
Of the gentleman with the fair moustach-
los. On the seat opposite to her somebody
had thoughtfully placed a number Of the
days papers. She took up the first that
came To hand and glanced at it idly with
the idea Of trying to pick up the thread Of
events. Her eyes fell instantly upon the
name of Mr.. Gladstone printed all over
the sheet in type of varying size, and she
sighed. Life on the ocean wave had been
p~erilous and disagreeable enough, but at
any rate she had been free from Mr.. Glad
stone and his doings. Whatever evil
might be said Of him, he was not an old
man of the sea. Turning the paper over
impatiently she came upon the reports Of
the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Di-
vision of the High Court. The first report
ran thus:
BEFORE TIE RIGHT HONORABLE II
PRESIDENT. IN THE MATTER OF
NELSON, DECEASED.
This was an application arising out OF
the loss of the X. Nj. >. kangaroo on the
eighteenth OF December last. II will be
remembered that out Of about a thousand
souls on board that vessel the occupants of
one boat only-twenty-five people in all
were saved. Among the drowned were Mr..
Meeson, the head Of the wel-known Bir-
mtngham publishing company Of Meeson,
Addison, and Roscoe, n Co.. Limited),
who was at the time on a visit TO New Zea-
land and Australia in connection with the
business of the
Mr.. Fddlestick, q. c., who with Mr..
Pearl appeared for the applicants land
who was somewhat imperfectly heard),
stated that the facts connected with the
sinking OF the Kangaroo would probably
still be so fresh in his Lordship's mind
that it would not be necessary for him to
detail them, although he had them upon
affiHavit hafnra htvn Eia Vnr1ahin uvnf,1a
remember that but n boatload of people
had survived from this, perhaps the most
terrible shipwreck of the generation.
Among the drowned was Mr.. Meeson; and
his application was on behalf Of the Ex-
ecutors of his will for cave to presume his
death. The property which passed under
the will was very large indeed; amounting
in all, Mr.. Fiddlestick understood, to about
two millions sterling, which, perhaps,
might incline his Lordship to proceed very
carefully in allowing probate to issue.
THE President: Well, the amount OF
the principles on which the Court acts with
regard to the presumption Of death, Mr..
Fiddlestick.
quite so, my Lord, and I think that in
this case your Lordship will be satisfied
that there is no reason why probate should
not issue. 1t is, humanity speaking, i'm
possible that Mr.. Meeson can have escaped
the general destruction.
THE President: Have You n affidavit
from anybody who saw Mr. Meeson in the
water?
mo. my Lord; I have an affidavit from
a sailor named Okers, the only man who
was picked up in the water after the Kan
CARGO foundered, which states that he be-
lieyes that he saw Mr.. Meeson spring from
the ship into the water, but the affidavit
does not carry the matter further. He
cannot swear that il was Mr.. Meeson.
The President: Well, l think that that
will do. The Court is necessarily adverse
TO allowing ;sle presumption Of death ex-
cept on eyideace of the most satisfactory
nature. Still, considering that nearly four
months have now passed since the foun-
dering OF the Kangaroo under circum-
stances which make il exceedingly inn
probable that there were any other sur
vivors, | think that il may fairly presume
that Mr.. Meeson shared the fate of the
other passengers.
MIR. Fiddlestick: The death to be pre-
sumed from the eighteenth of Decemberl
The President: Yes, from the eigh-
tenth.
Mr.. Fddlestick: If your Lcrdship
pleases."
Augusta put down the paper with q
gasp. There was she, safe and sound,
with the true last will of Mr.. Meeson tat
tooed upon her own shoulders: and pro
bate had Observation-Disclosures that mystSri-
Gus formula might mean-to another will,
not the real last will. 1t meant las she in
her ignorance supposedly that her will was
no good, that she had endured that abom-
Unable tattooing to no purpose, and was to
no purpose SCARED for life.
1t was too much; and. In a ut of vexa-
ton, she flung the Times out of the win
dow and cast herself back on the cushions.
feeling very much inclined to cry.
CHAPTER xnI.-EUsTkcE BUYS A PAPER.
In due course the train that bore Au-
gusta and her fortunes, timed to reach
Waterloo at sos p. NJ, rolled into the sta
ton. The train was a fast one, but the
telegraph had been faster. All the even
ing papers had come put with accounts,
more or less accurate, of their escape, and
most OF them had added that the two sur
yivors would reach Waterloo by the 5,o4
train. The consequence was. that when
the train drew mp at the platform. Angus
Ia, on looking out, was Mortified 20 see q
dense mass of human beings being kept In
check 10y a line of policemen.
However, the guard was holding the
door open, so there was nothing for it but
to get out, which she did, taking Dick by
the hand, a proceeding that necessarily
put her identity beyond q doubt. The
momeat she got her foot on to the platform