San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-29

went back and found he had had stroke.
In my opinion, sir, he put the will int9 he
inner pocket Of the dressing gown hg as
wearing, and no doubt it is lying re
still. What became of that dressing gov n,
MIR. Paul?"
1.-The dressing gown exclaimed Mr..
Paul, with a look of CONSERVATION, why,
my father was buried in it! IT, was his
shrOud. The garment, which was very
uncommon one of silk embroidery, was
worked for him by my mother shortly be-
fore her death, and he had always told my
sister that he wished to be buried in it
when he died. That wish was, of course,
respected and carried out"
Then the will, sir" said Tierce solemn
ly, lis now lying in the coffin along with
the dead man. am sure of it."
But, if true, what terrible position
for me to be placed in," murmured Paul.
Il must have time to reflect what is to be
done. In the meanwhile l will not forget
you, James. | will do all l can to prove
your innocence, for now firmly believe
you to be innocent"
Indeed, indeed, | am, Ny. Paul! The
few trinkets that have been found were
either given 10 my sister or myself by your
father at different times during his life
time. God knows they were never stolen
Being in want of mOney-my sister and /
"a short time ago, we pawned a gold
watch chain which your father gave Eliza
on her twenty-frst birthday, and that has
been the cause of all this trouble"
Il fully believe all you have told me-"
said Paul. Everything shall be put right
at the trial if only we can secure the real
culprits or get some clew of them" and he
shook the prisoner warmly by the hand,
promising to see him again in a day or
two.
While this interview was proceeding in
the Jail another of a different character
was taking place at Ormsby grange. A
man had called, asking to see Mr.. Richard
Hammond on particular business, and was
shown in. When Richard entered the
room he was startled to find that his WISH
tor was none other than a disreputable
little money-lending Jew from the neigh
boring town, called Myers, with whom he
had had dealings in the past.
"You wish to see me?" said Richard in
terrogatively.
Il do, badly" mumbled the old man,
with a diabOiCal smile. IL need not intro
duce myself, think"
"No; you are Myers, the Jew, the money
lender, the rascal, the thief! Yes, | re-
member you we'll enough"
Take care! take care" he yelled. do
you see this" And he drew from his
pocket document written on large white
paper and folded. at is your fathers last
Will and testament. Never mind how I
got it. | have got it; and unless you pay
me all that you owe me on the bond I
L. II.
The Greenhill estate is left to him. Your
name is not mentioned. So, my fine fellow,
choose! Pay me or take the consequences"
Dick Hammond, although considerably
taken aback, was fully equal to the oc-
casion.
"If that is my fathers will, villain, you
have stolen it, You, then, were the thief
who robbed his house the very night he
diedw
II was. do not deny ito you. felt
sure the old man had disinherited you.
was told he was dying, and | knew if
could make away with the will in time
you would come into your estate and
should get my money. Do you still refuse
to pay me?"
81 do You have been paid already"
And you will give me nothing furtheri"
Nothing"
Then take the will to your brother"
and he prepared to leave the room. But
Dick was too quick for him. Selling Myers
with one hand, he rang the bell with the
other, and when assistance came he had
the wretchcd jew tied and secured, while
he himself rode off on horseback to the
nearest magistrate for a warrant to arrest
the real burglar, who had thus been safely
caught at last.
There is not much more to tell. Need
less to say that the will in the jews pos
session was the old one, full of alterations
and corrections, with the signature torn
off and valucleSs. Myers had known this
well enough, but had not scrupled to use
the document for the purpose of threat,
which, unhappiIy fOc him, had had a far
different result from what he had expected.
The innocence of James Tierce was speedi-
ly established, most Of the stolen valuables
were recovered, while Myers, together with
an aCcOmpiice, who turned out to be a pro-
fcssiOnal burglar, wastOund guilty and SEN
fenced to penal scrvitude
Some weeks later Paul Hammond, after
no little delay and difficulty, succeeded in
obtaining Il faculty for the reopening of
his fathers vault in Ormsby church yard
and an examination Ofthe coffin. And there,
as James fierce had foretold in the inside
breast pocket of the faded silk dressing
gown, which still chung around the decay
ing corpse was found the dead mans will
that last will which he himself had writ
ten ont in his own handwriting, and which
had been signed and witnessed six weeks
before his death; that same will-now dis
colorcd, nut still legible enough-which
James Tic"cc had fetched for him, and in
which Richard Hammond's name did not