The morning call., 1890-09-19
81 REVOKE"

l MI UAI,
ESyhs that l am sim alive and now in England.
AlVlES May | come back 10 0rmsby Grange?
E&SEN have been bad son to You in the past, but
y ~ will try TO make mp for it, God willing
IN the future. II is nearly three years since our
quarrel when l left home and went abroad
Since then have been wa dering about the
world, an exile from my native land, spending
a wretched existence, which has DO h chastened
and soDered me. 1 am different man, believe
me, to what / three years ago. If you will
not have me back again at tho Grange at all
events let me see you sOon-whea and where you
Will Myers, the money lender, TO whom gave the
post-obit bond which was the unhappy cause of my
is, know, on my track. 1 cannot, Of course, pay
him his iniquitouS demand unless you VIII help me
letter addressed 20 the Lion Hotel, Swate, Yo TX
shire, will fad me. Your affectionate son,
December ). ISl4- RICHARD HAMMOND.
The recipient OF this letter. Mr.. Charles Ham.
mond, read it over and over again, as he re-
cllned in the large easy chair which had been ar
ranged for him In his sick 70 om-a pale, thin
worn-lOoking figure, wasted almost TO skin aud
bones, and euvrloped In the folds OF an en-
broidered dressing gown He had asked to be left
alone for While with his mornings letters, aud
tins appeal OF his eldest son touched HIM deeply,
for, in spite of tile young mau's wrong-doing, in
the fathers heart of hearts lie was the best be-
loved of all his children still. That Dick had
>
the past, was only too true, but his father now
only remembered him as frank handsome fell
low, who had BEEN led away by evil cOmpani0ns
INTO acts % pfo1lgaCy aud extravaganza, vel
VINO, had lie been ~ 10 himself, would doubt
less have developed iuio good and honest man.
NJ. Hammond. who was 60 years OF age, had
been twice married, aud HAD twice become
widowcf Twenty years had elapsed since the
death Of his second wife, and his children were
consequently all grown up, THEE OF them being
by the iL't anu tHo by the second We. lie was
man OF considerable wsaITh ana OF somewhat
eccentric h1b'is naving lived much alone of late.
lhitss- ihree daughters were all married and re-
sided IN different parts Of lie county; and his
only other son, Pau, the elder of the children by
tie second vile. was very little AT home. At the
present time. however, two OF his daughters, as
wei as his son Paul, and one OF his sOnsln-law
John Lay brock, were all staying with him, Tor II
was feared tuat the Old gentleman was dying.
His SISTER, toe, Miss Hammond. also III con-
slant attendance Ou her sick brother.
As The Invalid laid down his sons letter he
took ~ aud began to read over viii which lie
had made only a few weeks previously. In this
VIII his son Richards name was not once men
TONED. He had left everything 10 his four re-
naming children. Mr.. hammond was fond Of
VIII making. lie had made several at Intervals
during The last twenty ars. And now lie felt
that lie would have to make still another before
he died for he recent of Richatu's letter had
filled hun with iorgtYlng thoughts.
Half an hour elapsed and wien Miss Ham
mond, kuoc- ing al The bedroom door, received
no answer, she walked hulTiety in and found
her brother SIN where size had lett him IN lis
chair, but strange change had come over his
face. Instinctiveiy she knew what had hap
pened. Her brother had had stroke. The doe
tor came and did what lie could The helpless
form OF tile raTalyzed man was lad upon The
bed restoTatives were administered. but the pa
tienI never rallied nor spoke again, and on that
night lie died
When morning dawned, and the household at
Ormsoy Grange were as;ir, The servants on ell
tering tie lower rooms were startled TO lud that
lgd hAeu
the night, and Quantity of pate aud other
property stolen. Among Oher places, a secret
cupboard in Mr. Hammond'S study, used by him
as safe, had been broken open aud rIlled.
burglary IS new, pleasant episode, but for a
house 10 be broken INTO and robbed While the
master Of IL lay dead In his bed, presented Itself
In sufficiently shocHlug llgbl 10 The mourning
Inmates OF the Grange. Beside the members
OF The family already alluded 10, and the dJmss-
ties, there were in The house at tie time The
doctor, the hOusekeepeT-WhO had been in
Mr. Hamm0nd'S service for twenty-five years
and Tie nephew ana niece Of the housekseper,
James and Eliza 1Ieice, who were staying with
lheir aunt on a visit. Not on, however, OF all
The inmates could AFFORD any ciew to the causes
or manner OF Tie burglary, ADD tie servants de-
CARED that all the doors aud windows had been
,atSiy secured as usual. An entry, nevertheless,
had Deeu effected by the burglar through The
study window, aud II WAS evidently the secret
cup board III that room on which they bad first
IaId hands. l, was SUI posed That considerable
quantity OF jrweliy, Which had belonged 10 the
second Mrs Hammond, had been kept by the
deceased IN this IeceIt"cie. There was also Tea-
son 10 believe that Mr. HammOnds will ID
b. en- deposited there. Tie family lawyer came
over on The second day, and be was fully OF The
opinion that the VIII had been deposited for
security in the study safe, ana had been stolen
along with the lewelry. AT all events, no VIII
was forthcoming. Tie most minute search of
The house failed 10 briug 10 light the missing
document. he lawyer stated that II had been
his laIr clients custom, when lie wanted TO make
fresh Will, 10 send 10 his solicitors for the last
one. He would then make alterations and add
lions to 1t in his own handwriting and send 1t
back 10 be put into legal form and
re- engrOsSed. The new will would then
be returned 10 him with the old one,
when lie would execute the former and destroy
tile latter with Ills own hand. On the last occa-
sion, however, MIR. Hammond seemed TO have de-
parted from his customary practice. He had, as
usual, sent for his last preceding VIII, and had
been seen by the butler making alterations and
ensures In The document, and, later on, lie mad
been seen making fair copy. On tile following
day lie had requested his doctor aud one of the
few nel gibbons with whom lie was On visiting
terms TO witness the eX cutOn or VIII. They
had duly done so, aud had both noticed that The
document which they had attest d was writ ten
In the testatops hahdWllllns- ms took place
about SIX weeks before Mi. HdmmODd's death.
NFither the will so executed nor tie previous
" III had been returned To the solicitors. Two
days before the death, tile husband Of Mr.. Ham
mOud's second daughter, Mr.. LaybroOk, was en-
trusted by the sick man wiIB lie keys OF the cup
board, IN order 10 fetch cash-bOx which was
kept iheIe. He noticed at THIS time, Immediately
al the front o! the cupboard, document, ill.,
dOrsed in the decsased's handwriting, with his
name and the words, " Last Will and testa-
meut"
EaiIy on the morning of the day appointed for
the funeral, four days, in fact, after Mr.. Ham
mand's death, his eldest son, Richard, arrived
al OIWSDy Grange. None OF lie rest OF tile
family knew that lie had returned 10 England,
and that he had been residing for month or Two
IN one OF the northern counties; waiting. In fact,
for his fathers summons before he VtntuTed to
return to his Old home. The news OF the death
had reached him through the announcement IN
the Times, and he then started iOr home Without
delay. One Of his sisters sUrIOwluIly welcomed
him, aud let him into lie chamber OF DEATH to
gaze Tor the last time on his fathers face-alaS
SO changed SO calm, so still ! What host OF
crowded IN upon him as lie stood there
beside the bed Memories of cndhOod's happy
hours, watched over by this fond fathers loving
care; memories OF schOOdays and holidays,
when pleasures had been Plentiful aud punish
men;s probably too few; memories of later
youth and sense Of chaiing at restraint
from the mildest of paIernal discipline;
lien the start in life ana the dislike
Ing for amusement; and then The occasional
quarrels and final rupture with that good father
who wished only Tor the welfare OF his Child.
All, yes; Richard knew Ouly too we'll what a bad
son lie had been. lie had, indeed, brought down
those gray hairs with sorrow TO the grave. His
repentance had come too late.
They boIe Charles Hammond to his last rest.
Ing place In Ornlsby church-yard. When The
m0uruers returned TO the house The lawyer in
formed The family that no Will had been dis
)
be found.
After the lapse OF two or three months without
the finding of will, Richard Hammond aud
Paul Hammond took out letters Of admnislra-
tion OF their fathers estate. Certain property
bad been settled upon the children OF the re-
spectiye marriages under the marriage settle
ments. There was small real estate called
" Greenhill +" at The fathers disposal, which now
passed TO Richard as eldest son and beirat-law
The remainder OF the estate was distributed
among the children In accordance with the legal
iuteStlcy
Between the two half-brOthers Richard and
Paul, there had never been much affection or
sympathy, and now Paul. who for the last three
years, since Richards rupture with his father,
hau considered himself the old mans heir, could
not endure, Without much cbagrin ana jealousy,
Richard thus stepping into his shoes, aud taxing
possession Of the freehold property which lie
(PauD had long regarded as bis ftghiul inher-
itance. That Mr.. Hammond had made a Will in
his favor, leaving him The properly, Paul was
convinced, for his father had told him so in so
many words not many weeks before he died.
What, then, had become OF this missing will? To
solve this problem. Paul felt that lie must in the
first place get on the track Of Tie burglars who
had broken iRo The Grange on the night when
his father died, and who had stolen everything
from tie study safe, Including. no doubt, the
precious document which was lost. Immediately
after The discovery OF the burglary, Paul had
caused detective TO lie sent down from London,
who had beer occupied for some days In conduct.
ing Investigations on the spot. Some fragments
OF circumstantial evidence were obtained. but
not sufficlentto direct suspicion TO any known