The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-06-11

time, | dispatch "A wire TO Tommy tell
| ing him 10 expect me the following
morning.
A trap meets me nj the little country
| station, and a short drive brings HE
| to the house of mourning. Tommy
greets me with silent handclasp.
The last sad Offices over we returned
to the house-Tommy and myself a
| ferret-eyed little man whom | am cer-
tain was the family solicitor. and one
or two others who, from their display
of grief, ! took to be some distant rel
atIves who have expectations. Squire
Compton. who had come TO see the
last of his old friend and neighbor,
follows in his carriage. Reaching the
house Tommy, after few whispered
words with the legal man of business.
draws me aside into an unoccupied
room.
Frank" he says. rs soon rs the
door is closed Il feel in an awful
funk; do YOU know" he goes on be-
fore | can put in aword, the poor old
boy found out all about my going TO
the money lenders just before he was
taken i'll; in fact. | believe the knowl-
edge FASTENED his end"
What nonsense. | reply, but Tom
my goes on. Yes" he SAYS the
1ight before he was taken jill he said
lie wanted TO have Il long talk with me
about business matters. and then and
here asked me if it was true. |
acknowledged it, of course. when he
inquired why | did not come to him if
[ was in want of funds. To this |
could make no adequate reply, where
upon he desired me to leave him, as
ne wished to be alone. I'm afraid he's
altered his will. for the next day ne
complained of not feeling well, and
telcgraphed for old Pounceby. the
solicitor TO come down. and they
were closeted together the best part of
the afternoon, and | noticed Pounceby
looking very curiously at me to-day
but they're waiting for Us" as a knock
came to the door.
We'll. | will remain here" | say
have no right to be present on IN occa-
sion of this sort"
Il wish you would come with me-"
SAYS Tommy, plaintively, but l am
resolute and remain where am.
| have not long to wait. In less
than a quarter of an hour Tommy re-
turns, exhibiting an expression of
countenance that is at once puzzled
and crcstfallen.
OF all the extraordinary Wills" he
bursts forth; 'the old chap has cut me
off with I beggarly thousand pounds,
and after Il lot left to different chari-
ties the balance. nearly twenty thou
sand pounds. is to 20 TO some fellow
who once picked him out of the gutter
in town. or some thing of that sort"
But the estate, what about that?n
| interpose, gently.
''Oh, that is vested in trustees-old
Pounceby and the squire, the income
to go to paying off my debts. and |
am not to touch a penny until every
claim is discharged-w whenever that
will be-" he adds, ruefully.
'Oh, well, it's not so bad, after all, B."
] say, when he bursts forth again.
The worst of it all is 4 pot of money
going to an entire stranger whose
name is not even mentioned, and
whose only claim on his sympathy APP
pears to be that he once helped him
over Il crossing"
An uncomfortable agitation seized
me. Tommy" say n length, have
you-is therc-any portrait or photo
graph of your uucle?'
Yes, yes, there is portrait in the
library and Il photograph somewhere,
but why?"
Let me see the photo" | answered
huskily.
He leaves me for few minutes dur
ing which | endeayored to regain my
composurc. Presently he returns and
hands ne cabinet photo, faded, it is
true, but an exact likeness of the old
man / conducted over the crossing
eight years before!
Tommy" | say. after Il pause, Il
believe | am the Individual alluded to
in Your nncle's will.
Nonsense, man; you must be TAX
ing leave of your senses"
BE that IT'S it may, the fact remains
that on the 1st OF October, eight years
ago, | distinctly recollect assisting an
old gentleman over the crossing at
Hyde Park corner who resembled this
likeness in a most remarkable degree"
''Oa, that settles it, then; | know
it's the 1St of October" Tommy re-
spends. You had better come into
the library"
| follow him, aud find the various
individuals before mentioned seated in
silence round the table. Mr.. Pounce-
by, the solicitor, raises his eyes from
the documents lie is now poring over
rs we enter. Tommy is The first to
speak.
My friend here, Frank Hobson,
seems TO think he is the individual
referred to in the will Mr.. Pouncebv,"
and so saying he drops into the near
est chair.
Take n seat, Mr.. Hobson.n says the
man of law. In Mr.. Jenkins cX-
cited state he must have given you. |
fear. but Il very imperfect outline of
the testator's intentions. As you are
not one of the family it is unnecessary
that | should do more than read that
portion of the will TO which Mr. Jen-
kins has alluded. HIM! ha. here it is:
And all the residue of my funded
property l give and bequeath TO the
person who on the first day of October.
1880. assisted me over the crossing at
HYDE Park corner, if he can be found
and have placed in the hands of my
solicitor. Jorum Pounceby, Esq, III
Lincolns' u-iields. sealed envelope.
he contents of which will, | believe,
be sufficient to lead to his identihca-
ion. if living. and in case the said in
iividual, after due inquiry made. shall
not be discovered, or be found to be
dead, then l give and bequeath such
residue to the aforementioned chari-
ties, to be divided among them in like
manner and in the same proportion rs
The other moneys hereinbefore men-
toned | may add" continued Mr..
Pounceby, looking up from the parch-
ment, that the testator framed that
clause himself and would hear of no
alteration. Now Mr.. Hobsou. what
have YOU to say?"
Only that on that very date l did
assist a gentleman over the crossing at
that particular spot who bore strik-
ing resemblance TO this photograph,
which | understand TO be that of the
late Mr. jenkins"
II