Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-24
was the polite an

pers. Tell Mr.. Todd that | must see him
al once, or else ! shall 90 elsewhere"
~ am much afraid, sir"-began the man.
aging clerk.
Mr.. Meeson jumped up and grabbed his
hat. Now, then, what is it to be?' he
said.
"Oh. certainly, sir; pray be seated an
severed the manager in great alarm-Mee-
sons business was not a thing to be lightly
lost. IL will see Mr.. Todd instantly and
he vanished.
Almost simultaneously with his depart
ure an old lady was unceremoniously
bundled out of an inner room, clutching
feebly at Il reticule full Of papers and pro
claiming loudly that her head was going
round and round. The poor old soul was
just altering her will for the eighteenth
! time in favor OF n brand new charity. high.
ly recommended by Royalty; and to be
suddenly shot from the revered presence
of her lawyer into the outer darkness of
the clerks office was really too much foI
her.
In another minute Mr.. Meeson was being
warmly, even enthusiastically, greeted by
| Mr. Todd himself. Mr.. Todd was Il merry
o~us-looking, jumpy little man, who spoke
| in Jerks and pushes in such a way as 10
remind one Of a fire hose through which
water was being pumped internationally.
HOY DO you do, my dear sir? Delight
ed to have this pleasure" he began with a
sudden gush, and then suddenly dried up
aS he noticed the ominous expression on
the great mans brow. Il am sure | am
very sorry that you were kept waiting, my
dear sir; but | was at the moment engaged
! with an excellent aud most Christian tes-
tatOr-'
Here he suddenly jumped and dried up
again, for Mr.. Meeson, without the slight
est warning. calculated: Curse your
Christian testator. And, look here. Todd.
just you see that it does not happen again.
I'm n Christian tcstatcr, too: and Chris
tians of my cut aren't accustomed 10 be
kept standing about inst like Office boys
or authors. See that il don't happen again,
Todd
II am sure / am exceedingly grievcd.
Circumstances"
ooh, never mind all that want my
will"
"Will-will- Forgive me--a little con
fused, that's all. Your manner is so full
of hearty old middle-age's kind Of vigor-'
Here he stopped, more suddenly even
than usual, for Mr.. Meeson fixed him with
his savage eye, and then jerked himself
out of the room TO look for the document
in question.
Little IDIOT muttered Meeson; "I'll
give him the sack, too, if he isn't more
careful, BY Jove. why should | not have
my own resident solicitor? / could get o
sharp hand with a damaged character for
about 600 a year, and | pay that old Todd
c,;,, 90 nna uGaro ;v an ,n.,,t ,l,oo =.
the Hutches that | could turn into an of.
flee. Hang me if / don't do it. | will
make that little chirping grasshopper jump
to some purpose, III warrant" n he
chuckled at the idea.
Just then Mr.. Todd returned with the
will, and before he could begin TO make
any explanations his employer cut him
short with a sharp order TO read the gist
of it.
This the lawyer proceeded to do. 1t was
very short, and, with the exception of q
few legacies, amounting in all To about
| twenty thousand pounds, bequeathed all
! the testator's vast fortune and estates, in-
GLIDING his (by far the largest interest in
the great publishing house, and his palace.
with the paintings and other valuable
contents, known as ~Pompadour Hall, to
his nephew, Eustace II. Meeson.
VERY well" he said, when the reading
was finished; now give it TO me"
Mr.. Todd obeyed, and handed the docu-
iaent TO his patron, who deliberately rent
il into fragments will his strong fingers,
and then completed its destruction by
tearing il with his big white teeth. This
done, he mixed the little pieces up, threw
them on the floor, and stamped upon them
with an air of malignity that almost
frightened jerky little Mr.. Todd.
Nov then he grimly said, there's an
end Of the old love; 50 let's on with the
new. Take your pen and receive my in
srsuctions for my will"
Mr.. Todd did as he was bid.
II leave all my property, real anG per
sonal. To be divided in equal shares be
tween my two partners, Alfred Tom Adj
olson and Cecil Spooner Roscoe: There,
that's short and sweet, and, one way il
another, ii means IA couple of millions"
Good Heavens, sir.'' jerked out Mr..
Todd, "Why, do you mean to quite cut
ont your nephew-and the other legateesy'
he added, by way OF an afterthought.
"Of course | do; that is, rs regards my
nephew. The legatees may stand as be-
fore"
"Well, all / h nave to say" went on the
little man, astonished into honest opinion,
'is that il is the most shameful thing I
ever heard Of"
Indeed, Mr.. Todd, is it? Well, now,
may | ask you-am leaving this property
or are you? Don't trouble yourself to an
swer that, however, but just attend. Eth
er you draw up that will ut once, while !
wait, or you say goodbye TO about e., coo
Il year; for that's what Nelson's business
is worth, / reckon. Now you take your
choice"
Mr.. Todd did take his choice. In under
an hour the will, which was very short,
was drawn II engrossed.
Now, them said Meeson, addressing
himself to Mr.. Todd and the managing
clerk, as he took the quill between his sin
gers TO sign, edo You two bear in mind
that at the momen | execute this will ]
am of SOUND mind, memory, and under
standing. There you are; now do you W
witness"
1t was night, and King Capital. in the
shape Of Mr.. MeesOn, sat alone at dinner
in his palatial dining room at P%ompadour.
Dinner was over. The powdered footman
| had departed with stately tread. and the