The morning call., 1890-09-19

|
| the prisoner, with grateful look, ITO pay me
| visit in this dreadful place. II makes me fancy
that you, at any rate, 90 not believe me guilty VI
TO me-"
AZ hardly know what to think, James" re-
| piled his visitor ..but l nm most anxious TO dis
| cover the truth Of what happened on the night
| my father died. They may not nave told you
| that my falher's will has never yet been FOUND.
| valuaoles In the safe Now care nothing about
| the jewefy ana such things nor am eager 10
see Tie poor wretch who robbed US suheri oqt
is matter OF great moment TO me, ana also 10
| others"
! missing will: but-bu," and here The prison
er's face frightened consider ably, II think can
tell you something. Mir. Paul, which may throw
| some light on tie matter. You VIII remember
how, on the morning OF your fathers seizure. he
asked TO be left alone for while when they
brought him his letters. Wei, as II happened,
was the last TO leave his room, for had been
helping Miss Hammond 10 move him In his big
| chair nearer the hle, as he was feeling chilly,
| when. Just as was closing the door after me, lie
| called me back and said, James, want you 10
| do little service for me. do not wish any OF
| the others 10 know abou, il, you understand ana
| ! feel l can trust you. Here are my keys! This
small one unlOcks a secret cupboard IN my study,
which you Will find behind the portrait OF my
| FIRST VIE that hangs over my wIltlng table open
| the cupboard and take out my VIII and bring It
| here o me. II you see two wills. only bring the
| one which is in my own handwIltlns; the other
| is merely an old one which have altered ,"
| "And did you DO thiS?" asked Paul. with fever
ISL interest. :, AZ,
| wished. | went down TO the study. When |
| opened the cupboard door found the two wills
| tied together, and taking out tile top one which
| | saw was Endorsed In your fathers writing 1
| left lie other inside reloched the cupboard aud
went upstairs. then handed the document to
your father, who was reading letter in front OF
| The fire and gave hin the keys. lie thanked me
| and withdrew Ii would be hall an hour later
| Wien Miss hammond went back and found he
| had had stroke. In my opinion. sir, lie put the
| uil1 inner lucket of tlp dressing
| he was wearing, aud no doubt il is lying there
| stlll. What became OF that dressing gown, MIR.
Paul?"
"The dressing gOwu!" exclaimed Mr.. Paul,
| With Il look OF CONSERVATION, why, my father
was buried in 1T 1t was his shroud. The gar
menr, which very uncommon one Of six
embroidery WAS worked for!hihil 81 ~ my mother
shortly before her dedtfi, aud he had always told
! my flsiter that lie wished TO be buried in 1t when
lie died. That wish was, OF course, respected
"Then the will, sir" said Tierce, solemnly lis
now lying ID the cuflia along with the dead man.
l am sure of it.h
" But, if true. what terrible position for me
10 be placed H." muimured Paul. 81 must have
lime 10 reflect what Is TO be done. in tile
While l VIII not forget you, James. will do all
/ can to prove your innocence, for now nrmly
believe you To be Innocent"
Indeed, Indeed, | am, Mr.. Paul! Tile Few
trinkets that have been found were either given
10 my lis er myself by your father IT different
times dufin. his lifetime. God KNOWS they were
never stolen. Being in want of money-my sis,
ter and Ia short time ago, we pawned gold
watch chain which your father gave Eliza on her
tweuiy-fTst Olrthdy. aud that has Deen tile
II fully believe all you have told mr," said
Paul Everything shall be put night al tie trlal,
II only We can secure the real culpriis, or get
some cicw of them" and he shook the prisoner
warmly by the hand, promising TO see him again
In Il day OF Two.
While this interview was proceeding in the
Jail, another OF Il different character was taking
place at Ornlsby Grange. A man had called,
lpl N SOS Richard HdmfnOud IL
lar business, and was shown in. When Richard
entered the room he was startled 10 lind that MS
visitor was none other than a disreputaOle little
moneylender from the nelghboring town. called
Myers, with whom lie had had dealings III the
:" You wish to see me?" said Richard, inter-
8 do, badly" mumbed the old man, with a
diabcl!c4l smile. Il neeu not Introduce myself,
No; you are Myers, the money-lender, the
rascal. The thief? Yes, l remember you well
enough"
{" am glad OF that. Then when may expect
10 be PAID that tritie OF money which you owe
me on the post obit bond L have here in my
pocEet?"
/" 1t was $500 you lent me, was It not? and
you hoped 10 IecoIp much larger amount with
heavy interest, If l succeeded 10 my fathers
prouefty?"
Aud you have succeeded +" snarled the
m oney- lender. You have claimed the Gieenhill
estatr as heir a-law. as well US come In for your
81 don't dispute what you say. but 1 dispute
your claims in toto. Only lately have l learned
now you have been sponglng on my father ever
sInce l left home three years ago. idon't intend
TO pay you much as another penny piece"
The money-lrnder grew neary iyid with rage.
Take carel lake cafe!" lie yelled. g Do you
see tins? ?" Ana lie drew from his pocket docn-
ment written on large white paper and folded
" 1t is your fathers last WILL and testament.
Never mind how got 1t. have got IL; and I'M
less you Pay me all that you owe me ON the bond
| shall baud This Will over to your brother. The
Greenbil estate Is left 10 him. Your name is not
m IN my fine faII aW u,a
take the consequences"
DICK Hammond although considerably taken
aOack, was fully equal TO tile occasion.
II lhat IS my fathers VIII, VILLAIN, you have
stolen il! You. then, were the thief WHO robbed
his house the very night lie dled!'
was. do not deny Ito you. l felt sure
the Old man had disinnerlted you, l was told lie
dying, and knew, II | could make away
with the Will in time, you would come into your
estate, and should get my money. DO you still
refuse 10 pay me?'
=" do. Yoa have been paid already"
And you VIII give me nothing further?"
Then take the will to your brother" And
he prepared to leave the room, but DICK was too
quick Tor him. Selling Myers with one hand, he
rang Tie bell with tile other, ana, when as
sisIance Came, lie had the wretch tied and
secur ed, Willie he himself rode of on horseb back
to lie nearest magistrate for z warrant TO arrest
the real burglar, who had thus been safely
caught at last.
There is not much more to tell. Needless TO say
tie viii In the money-lender's possession was the
one, full of alterations and CORE ctions, with
the signature torn of and yalueless Myers had
known this well enough, but lad not sciuplru 10
use The document for Tie purpose OF a threat,
which, unbappiiy for him. had had far different
result from what lie had expected. The limo
cence OF James TleTce was speedily established
most OF the stolen yaluable5 were recovered;
while Myers, together with an accomplish, who
turned out TO be q professional burglar, was
found gully and sentenced 10 penal seryltude.
Some weeks later, Paul Hammond, after no
little delay and difficulty, succeeded IN obtaining
a faculty for The reOpenlng OF his fathers vault
IN OTHlSDV cuurcn-NdT0, anu an examination OF
the coffin. Aud there. as James Tierce had fore
told, in the inside breast pocket of The
faded silk dressing gown, which still chung
around the decayius corpse, was found the dead
mans will-that last Will which lie himself had
written out III his own handwriting, ana which
had been signed and Witnessed six weeks before
his death; that same wil-now discoloIed but
legiDlc enough-which James Tierce had fetched
tor HIN, aud In which Richard Hammond's name
did not once appear. But. strange 10 say, when
the lawyers came TO examine ii, both signature
and dale were found TO be missing. They had
been torn away from the document Just In the
same manner as from he older Will. aud the MISS
Ing fragments were not forthcoming.
regret 10 tell you, Mr.. RAUL" said the
lawyer, That this Will. so strangely found at
last is legally imperative. Whether lie testatOr
tore oil The missing fragments and burnt them
just before hi. fatal seizure and then put the
document IN his pocket, amino revocandi, or
whether this mutilation has occurred through
decGmposition or otherwise since his death and
burial, [ cannot positively aifi,m, but the former
certainly appears TO me 10 be by far the more
likely explanation. In any case your fathers
VIII, as III now stdnus, is clearly lnVdid ana tDe
court would refuse 10 admit II to probate"
Paul DO. G his defeat with good grace. The
disposition OF Mr.. Hammoud's property under
the intcstacy consequently remained unaffected
by the discovery OF the Will, and when II was
found that richards letter asking for forgye-
ness must have reached his lather on the very
morning of The day he died, The family could not
but feel instinctlvely that This silent, unseen act
of revocation Of the Will had been a token OF the
dying mans unSpOken pardon 10 The repentant
prodigaL-Lundon Truth.
ITS WORK ENDED.
The Pacific Unitarian Conference Ad-
Journs Sine Die.
YeSfnrdny Innrninn WAS davnted hu hn