Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-25

Of man was. In other words, he peered
at me somewhat rudely.
sit is simply the small matter of wit
Messing the signature to a will" he said.
IF might trespass on your kindness TO
step in next door for that purpose
should be greatly obliged. My uncle Is
| i'll, and though trust he is in no inn
mediate danger he is anxious to affix his
signature tonight"
''I shall be most happy" said, taking
up my hat, 81 will come with you at
once"
81 must introduce myself" said the
stranger, as he led the way downstairs
my name Is CASTOR Pierrepont; my
uncle whom you are about to see is Gen
eral Maitland, of Godney Park, North
ampshire. l brought him here in the
hopes that he might derive benefit from
the sea air."
"With good results, trust" was the
reply which politeness drew from me,
though the frequent visits of that ominous
brougham led me to expect a negative
answer.
To my surprise Mr.. Pierrepoint replied
in the affirmative,
eyes" he said, "my uncle is better,
though still dangerously ILL.,"
BY this time we were out in the street
at the door of No. ID. He had already
inserted his latch key in the lock, when
he paused and looked ut me.
"There is one thing / must prepare
you for" he said, blinking his weak
eyes at me in the gloom; my uncle is
unable to speak. His complaint is nerv-
ous paralysis, you understand Other
wise he is in full possession of his facul-
ties. The doctor is with him now, and
certifies to his fitness to sign"
| l merely bowed and followed him into
the house. No. Is was fac-simile of
No. IA, with the exception of some slight
differences in the furniture which
stamped it as what it was-a second rate
seaside lodging house. Mr.. Pierrepont
conducted me upstairs to the first floor,
and stopping outside door on the land
ing knocked three times. There was a
slight pause and movement inside the
CHAMBER, and then voice said, ''Come
in"
Grasping the door handle, Mr.. Pierre
pont turned to me hurriedly as if he had
! forgotten something.
II think" he said, sit might be as
well if knew who was going to per-
form this service for us. Might ask"
stopped him by acceding to his very
reasonable request. took out my pock-
etbook and gave him one of my visiting
cards with my name--Angus Macdonald
and the address of my studio in St.
Johns Wood engraved thereon. He put
it close to his eyes, blinked at it, and said
in tone which somehow or other sug-
gested relief:
"Ah! you live in London--not here
see."
He opened the door, and followed
him into the room. There was dim
light from a shaded lamp which stood
on a small table at the head of the bed,
but so disposed that the curtains pre-
vented its rays from falling on the sick
man. On the bed, half reclining, half
supported by young man, with fair
hair and wearing spectacles, was an old
man whom, even in that dim light, saw
to be of stately presence and dignified
mien.
His scanty locks were snow white, as
were the bushy eyebrows, which he kept
bent down toward the paper lying on the
bed before him. But what surprised me
most was the ruddy glow of health in
General Maitland's cheeks. The latter
were sunken, il is true, but the faint
lamp light was strong enough to show me
a pink and white color that would have
done no discredit to maiden of six
teen.
NY conductor introduced me briefly.
The general merely acknowledged my
presence by courteous inclination of the
| head-a movement which he repeated
when Mr.. Pierrepoint asked him affec-
tionately if he was ready to go through
the usual formalities.
every we'll, then, I will fetch Mrs.
Buffers as a second Witness" said the
nephew. "The doctor there would do.
but his attention must not be taken from
his patient"
"The doctor y" l thought, wondering
why the portly individual whose brough-
am had watched so often, should have
given place to the faxen-haired young
man whose right arm encircled the
general so carefully. The parsonage
with the brougham did not cure quick
enough, I suppose.
Mr.. Pierrepoint returned with a snu-
fling, tremulous female, whose vacuous
countenance at once relieved my own
landlady from charge of libelling her
neighbor and rival which had mentally
preferred against her.
'Stop there by the door till you are
wanted; we must not crowd the general, I"
said Pierrepont, and Mrs. Buffers halted
obediently, paying good deal more at
tention to the pattern of her own carpet
than to the proceedings around her.
''Here is the will" Pierrepont went on,
holding up the paper, with the place for
the signatures of the testator and wit
nesses as vet blank. Then he replaced it
reverently before his uncle who bent over
the document, and, supported by the
ever careful doctor, slowly affixed his
name: civilian Joseph Maitland" at
the foot. AS soon as his pen had made
the last feeble scratch, Mr.. PieTepont
brought the will over to me before the
ink was dry, and 1 added my name, using
the dressing table as writing desk.
The vacuous landlady followed, and in
her trcmulous scrawl General Maitland's
last will and testament received its fin
ishing touch.
/ Immediately prepared to leave the
room and Pierrepont made no attempt to
detain me.
/ said Goodnight" to the general,
adding some commonplace remark about
hopes for his recovery compliment
which he again acknowledged with one
of his grave bows. That is my last
recollection of the scene-the venerable
| old man sitting up among pillows with