Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-10-05

have done 10 give way, on principle. 70
must understand that, Miss Smither,
Don't revenge yourself on ne about II
now that am helpless, because, you sec
II was a matter Of principle"
81 am not in the habit OF revenging my
self, Mr.. Meeson," answered Augusta
with dignity; but I think thai you hay
done q very wicked thing TO disinheri
your nephew in that fashion. and / don
wonder that you feel uncomfortable abou
it."
Tho expression Of this vigorous op!nio,
served 10 disturb Mr. Nelson's conscience
all the more, and he burst out into lameat.
and regrets.
well" said Augusta at last, "if you
don't like your viii you had better alter
It, There are enough Of us here TO wit
ness n viii, and, il anything happens 70
you, 10 will override the other-win it nots''
There was n new idea, and the dying
man jumped at it.
"Of course, OF course he said; "Inever
thought Of that before. | will do il at
once, and cut Addison and Roscoe ont al
together. Eustace shall have every farth-
ing. Ineyer thought of that before. Come,
give me your hand; I'll get up and see
about it,"
"Stop a minute" said Augusta. "How
are you going 10 write a will without pen
or pencil, or paper or ink,'
Mr.. Meeson sank back with q groan.
This difficulty had not occurred to him.
Are you sure nobody has got a pencil
and a hit Of paperi" ne asked. 'It would
do, SO long as the writing remained legi-
BILE"
II don't think so" said Augusta, shut I
will inquire" Accordingly she went and
asked Blu and Johnnie; but neither OF
them had a pencil or a single scrap of pa
per, and she returned sadly TO communi-
cate the news.
II have got i'll have got itn said Mr..
Meeson, as she approached the spot where
he lay upon the rock. IF there is no pa
per or pen, we must write il in blood upon
some linen. We can make a pen from the
feathers OF a bird. Tread somewhere in a
book Of somebody who did that. 1t will
do rs well as anything else"
Here was an idea indeed. and one that
Augusta jumped at. But in another mo-
ment her enthusiasm received a check.
Where was there any linen TO write on;
Yes" che said, ii you can find some
linen You have got on a flannel shirt, SC
have the two sailors. aad little Dick is
dressed in flannel, too"
IL was a fact. AS il happened, not one
OF the party had 4 scrap OF linen on them,
or anything that would answer the pur-
pose. Indeed, they had only one pocket
handkerchief between them, and it was a
red rag full OF holes. Augusta had had
Que, but il had blown overheard when
they were in the boat. What would they
not have given for that pocket handker-
chief now
Yes said Mr.. Meeson, sit seems we
have none l haven't even got a bank
note, or / might have written in blood up
on that; though l have got a hundred SOW
ereigps in gold-I grabbed them up before
/ boited from the cabin. But / say-ez-
cuse me, Miss Smithers, but-um-ah-oh,
hang modesty-haven't you got some linen
on, somewhere or other, that you could
spare a bit of You sha'n't lose by giving
it 10 me. There, ! promise that | will tear
up that agreement if ever ! get out of this
which l sha'n't-which / sha'n't-and l
Will write on the linen that it is to be torn
UP. Yes, aud that you are TO have five
thousand pounds legacy, too, Miss Smith
ers. Surely you can spare me n little bit
-5ASN VI Auc ShlLN. OK YOU
know, Miss Smithersg 1t never win be
missed, and it is so very important"
Augusta blushed, and no wonder. ~
am sorry to say ! have nothing of the sort
about me, Mr.. Meeson-ncthing except
flannel, I" she said. az got up in the middle
Of the night before the collision, and there
was 40 light in the cabin, and l put on
whatever came first, meaning 70 come
back and dress afterward when it got
light"
stays" said Mr.. Meeson, desperately.
Forgive me for mentioning them, but
surely You put on your stays, Ons could
write on them, you know"
II am very sorry. Mr.. Mceson," she an
swered, but / did not put any on"
Not a cuf or . ~collar!' he said, catch
ing ut a last straw Of hope.
Augusta shook her head So lily.
"Then there is an end OF it!' groaned
Mr.. Meeson. "Eustace must lose the
money. Poor Lad! poor lad / have be-
hsved very badly to him"
Augusta stood still, racking her brain
for some expedient, for she was determ-
ined thst Eustacs Meeson should not lose
the chance OF that colossal fortune If she
could help It. II was but a poor chance at
the best, for Mr.. Meeson might not be dy-
ing, after all And il he did die, it was
probable that his fate would be their fate
also. and no record would remain Of them
or Of Mr.. Nelson's testAnentsry wishes.
AS things looked at present, there was
every prospect OF their all perishing miser.
ably On that desolate shore.
just then the sailor Bill, who had been
up TO the Dag stat on the rock on the
chance of catching sight of some passing
vessel, came walking past. His flannel
shirt sleeves we're rolled up TO the elbows
OF his brawny arms, and rs he stopped TO
speak to Augusta SIZE noticed something
that made hcr start and gave her an idea
There amt nothing to be seen," said
the nsan roughly; sand it's my belief that
there won't be, neither. Here we are, and
here we stops tn we dies and rots."
"Ah, l hope not" said Augusta. "By
the way, Mr.. Bill. will you let me look ut
the tattoo on your ARM"
Certainly, Miss" said Bill. with alacr:-
~, holding his great arm within "a inch
Of her nose. 1t wss covered with various
t~attoos; flags, ships, n what-pot, in the
middle Of which. written in small letters
along the side OF the forearm, was the
sailors name-Bm Jones.
who did it, Mr.. Bilir'' asked Augusta
who did IL, Why, | did it myself. A
chap made me . bet that ! could not tattoo