The Press., 1891-08-13

The south land warm and kind.
 The bitter north.
 Richard E. Burton in Harper's Weekly.
 THE HIDDEN WILL.
 On North Broad street, just below where the tracks of the Philadelphia and Germantown railroad cross that thoroughfare, stands a ruined mansion house that half century ago was brave with pillarsd porticos and quaintly carved doors and window frames. It is today cheap tenement house, inhabited by half dozen families, and the work of improvement has left the entrance door several feet below the sidewalk. In it's halcyon days this old mansion was as many feet above it's surrounding garden street. It was the home of Jabez Fields, a hard, stern old man, proud as prince and as reserved and unsocial as he was naughty. His only living relatives were a grandniece, Alice Fields, and grand nephew, John Wilcox.
 John Wilcox was prosperous Arch street merchant, with a comfortable bank account and 8 landed and bend and stock estate tlASt made him stne of the Quaker City's richest men, He was not on good terms with his aristo- cratic old granduncle, who despised trade and everybody who labored for a living. It is therefore not strange that the latter totally ignored his grandniece, pretty Alice Fields, who was as poor as a church mouse and a school teacher by occupation. John Wilcox was as avari- cious as he was wealthy, and when word was sent to hiA one day that old Jabez Fields had died suddenly he hastened at once to the dead mans picturesque man. sion and locking himself in the library began to search for his granduncle's will. To his joy, in a tin box in which old Jabez used to keep valuable papers, he found the document for which he was hunting. With trembling hands he unfolded the crisp parchment, ran his eyes over the closely written lines and cry of joy escaped him. He had been made sole heir to the dead mans estate. Much chagrined was he, therefore, when letter from Jabez Fields lawyer, James Dunnet, addressed to Mary Smith, the old mans housekeeper, was shown him. There was later will, and on the day of the funeral the lawyer would come to the old mansion to read it. g.
 "He's probably left good slice to some charity" soliloquized Wilcox, after the housekeeper had left the room, and still confident that what was left would come to him he nodded pityingly to his school teacher cousin when they met at the funeral and mentally resolved to make her present of ten dollars to buy a new hat, gloves and shoes, all of which articles of apparel were very shabby. :.
 It was a misty, lowering day and. the old mansion seemed more than ordinari- ly dull and gloomy when the cousins re- turned to it after all that remained of their granduncle had been laid at rest In patience they awaited the coming of the lawyer, but when 10 o'clock arrived and he did not put in an appearance the housekeeper showed them to their rooms and proceeded, with the assistance of the butler, to lock up the house. These two were fixing the fastenings to the big front door when the sound of carriage wheels crunching the graveled drive was heard, and when Mary Smith opened the door Lawyer Dunnet confronted her.
 ''I have been detained, Mary Smith, |" he said, ''and won't read the will until tomorrow. Have fire lighted in my bedroom, for this mist has penetrated to the skin; and by the way, Mary, send me up some hot water and a bottle of the old mans whisky. I think punch will do me good"
 The housekeeper assured him that his wants should be attended to, and the in fuence of the warm punch and the fire speedily made the lawyer very drowsy. Before retiring he took the will from his pocket and laid it on the antique ma hogany table which stood in the middle of the room. He was an early riser, and when he leaped out of bed the next morn ing his eyes turned instinctively to the table. He started back with gasp of astonishment. The will was gone.
 "Haw he cried. rubbing his eyes "That's stranger And, without stop ping to dress, he examined the fastenings of the doors and windows. They were all secure, and, although he searched the room thoroughly, the missing will could not be found.
 After breakfast the servants, Mary Smith and the two cousins, assembled in the library and the lawyer took posi- tion in the center of the room.
 "When reached here last night" he began, with his eyes on John Wilcoxs face, ''I had the last will and testament of my old friend. Jabez Fields, in my pos session." and then he told of its mysteri- ous disappearance. He kept his eyes fixed on John Wilcox's face, and the lat ter shifted uneasily and changed color.
 Do you mean to say that had any thing to do with its disappearance?" he blurted out at last
 yer quietly, and then he asked for the will which had been found among the dead mans papers by his grandnephew. When Wilcox produced it the lawyer adjusted his spectacles, and with look of commiseration directed toward Alice Fields said: "Unfortunately the two wit nesses to the missing will are dead, but think we can prove it's existence and it's contents. If Miss Field wishes"--
 ''No, not" protested Alice quickly. 'Not for the world," and when Lawyer Dunnet began to read she slipped quietly from the room. There were tears in her eyes as she groped har way from the
 How TO SUoCEED,-This is the great problem of life which few satisfactorily solve. Some fail, because of poor health others want of luck, but the majority from deficient grit-want.a of nerve. They are