The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-01-09
EVANESCENT Ink.
Mr.. Ambrose Peck's l oChlf tioue
Prove His Deb

MI brose Peck sat before his
desk De 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 spider which was spin
ming a web across dusty pigeon-hole
above the desk.
Hang i'll" he muttered impatiently
to himself, 81 wish that I could see
my way clear"
Mr.. Peck was thinking Of his aunt,
the widow of his great-uncle, Captain
JOllifer. She was eighty years old
and lived in the 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
a town, which slowly extending itself,
anaconda-like, 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
well 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
todeclare in a truly Spartan spirit tina,
rather than leave any of her property
to "those people," she "would burr
down the house over her own head
As a security against either alterna.
tive, she took care to have always or
hand, locked away in her private desk
a last will and testament, written with
her own hand and duly signed ant
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 late
husbands granddaughter, Ambros,
Peck. or to certain Miss Meliss;
Judd, distant relative, who had for
score of years lived with her. in tn,
capacity of housekeeper, nurse ant
confidential companion. But tn
trouble was that Mrs. Jollifer. being
lady ofvery 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 a new one, cuttin,
of the offender with legacy of on
hundred dollars, and bequeathing tn
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 iron
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 o
his own interests.
Presently Mr.. Peck, having duly re
fiected, began to talk to himself in
SLOW and emphatic tone.
"Yes-it's the only way, so far as
can see. OF course she'll accept me if
propose Then. if she turns out 10 be tn
heir, I'll marry her (this with an invol
untary grimace), while, should the fina
will be proven in my favor-well. nee
not consider myself bound by the err
gagement There is Alice-prett