Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-24
MR.. NELSON'S WILL.
BY III. RIDER HAGGARD.

The elder man had, up till now, at all
events to outward appearance, kept his
temper; but this last flower OF vigorous
English was altogether too much for one
whom the possession of SO much money
| had for many years shielded from hearing
unpleasant truths put roughly. Tn mans
face grew like u devils, his thick eyebrows
| contracted themselves, and his pale lips
quivered with fury. Fer a few seconds he
could not speak, SD great was his emotion.
| When, at length, he did his voice was as
thick and laden with rage as a dense mist
il with rain.
"You impudent young rascal he began,
"'you ungrateful founding! Do you sup.
pose that when my brother left You to
starve-which was all that you were fit for
i picked you ont of the gutter for this:
that YOU should havethe i%nsolence TO come
and tell me how to conduct my BUSINESS
Now, young man, III just tell YOU what ii
is. You can be off and conduct a business
of your own on whatever principles YOU
choose. Get out of Nelson's, sir, and
never dare TO show your nose here again,
or I'll give the porters orders To hustle YOU
of the premises. And now, that isn't al.
I've done with YOU; never you look To me
for another siXpenCe. I'm not going 10
support you any longer, | can tell You.
And what's more, do YOU know what I'm
going to do just now? I'm going off tC
Old Todd-that's my lawyer-and I'm go
ing TO tell him to make another will and
TO leave every farthing / haye-and that
isn't much short of two millions, one way
and another-to Addison and Roscoe.
They don't want il, but hat dom matter.
You sha'n't have it-no, not IA farthing of
il; and | won't have a pile like that fritz
tered away in charities and mismanage-
ment. There now. my fine young gentle
man, just be off and see if your new bust
ness principlcrwill get YOU Il living
"All right, uncle, I'm going" said the
young man, quietly. II quite understand
what our quarrel means for me, and, to
tell You the truth, | am not sorry. | have
never wished To be dependent on you, or
10 have anything to do with Il business
carried on as Nelson's is. | have II hum
dred "A year my mother left me, and with
the help of that and my education ! hope
TO make Il living. Still, / don't want to
part from you in anger, because You have
been very kind to me ut zines, and, as you
remind me, you picked me out of the gut
ter when | was orphaned, or not far from
it. So | hope you will shake hands before
go"
"Ah!' snarled his uncle; 'you want to
pipe down now, do you? But that won't
do. Off you go! and mind you don't set
foot in Porhpadour Hail. Mr.. Nelson's
seat, unless it is TO get your clothes.
Come, cut!'
"You misunderstood me-" said Eustace,
with a touch of native dignity which be-
came him very well. probably we shall
not meet again, and / did not wish to part
in anger, that was all. Good-morniug."
And he bowed and left the office.
"Confound him." muttered his uncle, as
the door closed, Hes a good ~plucked
one-showed spirit. But I'll show spirit,
too. Meeson is a man of his word. Cut
him off with Il shilling? not |; cut him off
with nothing at all. And yet, curse it, /
like the lad. Well, I've done with him,
thanks to hat mink of "a Smithers girl.
perhaps he's sweet on her, then they Gu
90 and Starve together, and be hanged u
them! She had better keep out of my
way, for she shall smart for this, SO sure
as my name is Jonathan Meeson. IHkeep
her up TO the letter of that agreement, and
if she tries to publish a book inside of this
country or ont Of it, I'll crush her-yes, I'll
crush her, if il costs me five thousand to
do it, and with snarl, he dropped his fist
heavily upon the table before him.
Then he arose, put poor Augusta'sagree-
ment carefully back into the safe, which
he shut with a savage snap, and proceeded
TO visit the various departments Of his vast
establishment, and to make such hay
| therein as had never before been dreamt of
in the classic halls of Nelson's.
To this hour the clerks Of the great house
talk of that dreadful day with bated breath
for a. bloody Hec,or ragged through the
Greeks. SO did the great Meeson rage
through his hundred departments. In the
very first Office he caught II wretched
clerk eating sarGine sandwiches. With
out a moments hesitation he took the
sandwiches and threw them through the
window.
40 you suppose | pay You to come and
eat your filthy sandwiches here" he asked
~sayagely. There. now You can 90 and
look for them: and see yOu here, YOU
needn't trouble to come back, you idle,
worthless fellow. OF you go, and re-
membtr you need not send to me for 4
character. Now t~hen-doub.e quick"
The unfortunate departed, feebly re-
monstrating. and Meeson, having glared
| round at the other clerks and warned
| them that unless they were careful-yery
carefui-they would 500 follow in his
| tracks, continued his course of devasta-
ton.
Presently he met an editor, No. 7 il was,
| who was bringing him an agreement to
sign. He snatched it from him and glanced
through it.
What do you mean by bringing me q
thing like this?" he said. Its all wrong"
1T is exactly as you dictated it to me
yesterday, sir" said the editor, indignant
ly.
What, do you mean to contradict me?'
| roared Meeson. Look here, So. :, You
and | had better part. Now, no words;
your salary will be paid to You till the end
of the month, and, if You would like to
bring an action for wrongful dismissal,
why, I'm your man. Good morning, No. z
good-morning."
Next he crossed Il courtyard where, by
slipping ~stealthily round Il corner, he
came upon n jolly little errand boy, whc
was enjoying a solitary game of marbles.
Whdck came his cane across the seat Of
that crrand boys trousers, and in another
minute he had followed the editor and the
sandwich deyouring clerk.