Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-18

their point, and familiar anecdotes ret- He'd
without salt. Undredged, he yielded nothing,
except among those of his own mental caliDer,
and with them he talked about people he had
met, houses at which he had visited, wines that
he had drank, game that he had shot, the re-
latiouships of his acquaintance. about jolly fell
| lows, nice girls. good cigars and scrumptious
dinners. He was harmless, lazy man. who
would not wilfully do what was wrong, and
would never exert himself to do what was
right.
There are tens of thousands of these negative
beings about male and female. useful in their
way, as nitrogen is of use in the atmosphere,
void of quality itself, but diluting the active
oxygen; as certain ingredients are serviceabie
as fiuxes to valuable metals but have no other
known use in creation.
Lambert's mother had energy for both, and
managed for herself and for him. He was
well content that it should be so, and it saved
him trouble. He left her to decide everything
| for him. as he left his clothes to be brushed and
| folded and put away by the servant. And as he
was man without pursuit, he voted every
thing he had to do q bore, and was voted by
everyone who knew him the worst of bores.
"Well, Philip" said Mrs. Sidebottom, cheer
| lily, as her nephew entered; she was engaged IN
looking through list of designs for mourning
dresses "Well, Philip. l am knocked to pieces
you have had satisfactory interview with that
| girl, brought her to a humble frame Of mind,
| and induced her to confess that she and her
| mother concocted that abominable will?'
ION the contrary" answered Philip. gravely,
| 81 am satisfied from what she and Mrs Gus
worth have told me that they had nothing to
! do with it. Not only was no undue pressure
brought to bear on my uncle, but they were
completely ignorant Of the contents of his tes-
| lament"
"FiddIe-faddle," said Mrs. Sidebottom. II
don't give them credit for being such fools.
They had jeremiah in their hands for many
| years. He made that will in their favor, at
their suggestion; only when I came here did
| his conscience speak out, and then he Cancelled
it. The case is as plain as pikestaf."
You wrong her-her mother" said Philip,
with some heat.
"You-yourself," retorted Mrs. Sidebottom,
accused her of having employed unfair means
to procure the will. am only repeating what
| you said"
81 did so. was hasty. Inow regard both
| Mrs and Miss ellsworth as incapable OF such
| conduct"
| "Why!-what a weather-cock you are! You
men are easily talked round by women. A COW
| has horns, a horse has hoofs and a dog teeth,
for self-protection; but a woman has only her
tongue which she can use skilfully-far more
skilfully than the brutes use their weapons.
| Why, Philip, there are insects that accom-
| modate themselves in color and appearance to
the ground they are on, or the tree or lear
they are destroying, so as to escape detection;
and you would have this precious Salome less
clever than an insect? She has assumed the
color necessary for imposing on your eyes,"
Philip WINGED. He had changed his mind
twice with respect to Salome, and both times
| in consequence of an interview with her.
II have proposal to make" he said; 'but
before making it, must lay the case before
you plainly"
~ desire nothing better, but wish Lamb
was here also."
81 wish first to discuss it with you alone, after
that we can take Lambert into conference"
Il am all attention"
'In the first place, take it that my uncle
made the will without having been subject to
any direct pressure. Indirect there was, but
that was also unconscious. The children had
grown up in his house, he had become warmly
attached to them, and when one was married
he provided for her"
"Most unbecomingiy and unnecessarily"
HE did as he thought fit. The money was
his own-his savings; and he had perfect
right to dispose of it as he considered proper.
In full possession of his faculties, more than a
twelvemonth ago he made marriage settle
ment of large sum on one of the young ladies,
and then, as she was provided for, he made his
will, providing for the sister. Miss Salome had
been as a daughter to him, he loved her not
less than he did Miss Janet, and certainly had
no intention that she should be left destitute
when he was removed"
II grant you all that" said Mrs. Sidebottom.
HE might have left her an annuity of $50 or
flOO That would have suficed. But why
leave her everything? But there-what is the
| good of discussing document which is of no
| legal forcef'
"Allow ME to proceed Whether he acted
rightly or wrongly is a question will not enter
into. What he did was what he had proposed
in his heart to do to provide for Miss Salome,
| and to leave to Lambert and me only small
annuities. He did not bequeath the factory to
| Lambert, whom he very well knew was not
calculated to manage a business, and he did
not leave 1t to me, because he knew nothing
about my capabilities and character. I think
| it is by no means improbable that there is
something else behind. Miss ellsworth may be
engaged to a suitable person, whom Uncle
jeremiah approved as one likely to carry on
the business and not throw it away. l con
ceive that the will may have been prompted
quite as much by concern for an old-established
and respected business as by regard for the
Young girl. He may have calculated on the
| marriage but not have cared to allude to it al
| an early stage of the engagement. This Is
| merely a conjecture of mine, and have nc
knowledge of anything to substantiate it. You
must take it for what it is worth"
"Oh, that is likely enough, but as the will is
Cancelled, why harp upon it?'
.'Such imagine was the mind of my uncle
when he framed that will. In two words, he
desired that the firm should be carried on, and
that his adopted daughter should be provided
for"
~ allow all that"
Now the will has been invalidated in mys
| terious manner by the signature being tori
away. By whom that was done is not known
to us. but do not allow it is at all conclusive
that Uncle jeremiah did it himself"
"Of course he did it. He did it because
was in Mergatroyd, and he had come to value
me. Besides, Lambert had changed his name
he had ceased to be Sldebottom and had be
come Pennycomequick. Indeed he said az
much to me. He was nightly pleased at the
change 1t was compliment he took to heart.
Philip frowned. His aunt had recollection.
of things said and done that came in very con
veniently to support her theories.
my impression is" said Philip, shat the
will was not torn by my uncle, but by someone
else"
.And pray" said Mrs. Sidebottom, tossing
her head and moving uneasily in her seat, ''dc
you suspect anyone?"
~ accuse no one," he said dryly. 81 have nc
right without evidence to do So"
Good gracious mer' laughed Mrs. Sidebot
tom. "What an imagination you are endowed
with, Philip! First it leads you to scheme Out
the whole story of the concoction and destruc
ton of the will, and this you pour out on Sa
lone ellsworth; then you withdraw the charge
and you conceive a probable engagement be
a;v,,v
ton, who is to manage the mill and carry on the
| hrsina ass. and now Won haYa an idea of snmf