The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-27
THE PURLOINED WILL.


people said that his practice had first re-
tired from him but his age and infirmites
alone justifcd--lf they had not compelled
his withdrawal from active life. He was
wealthy bachelor. residing in Albany where
he possessed cellar of port wine which
was the envy of his friends Hence. per-
haps. the origin of the govt which severely
afflicted him; but his tastes were luxurious
and self-indugent in other respects also. He
was an art patron of a very shrewd and
discriminating type; his pictures were val
ued at several thousand pounds, and his
collection of china was unique Neverthe-
less. he was extremely thrifty, not to say
stingy. with his money, and he had never
been known TO give away sxpence in his
life
In fact old Barker was thoroughly sell
fish, ill-conditioned old curmudgeon, whose
eholeric temper was emphasized by a. sort
OF savage humor which caused him to be
treated with awesome respect He had
wicked old squint cast in one of his
watery, Dale-blue eyes and he uttered his
most trenchant remarks with his defective
optic glazing in such manner as to COM
pete his victims discontinue. His nephew.
Charles Gascoigne, had frequently noticed
this unpleasant popularity for next to the
old mans valet-a crushed downtrodden
creature, who retained his post only from
the hope of a legacy-this young gentleman
was the subject of the Q. C.'s cruelest wit
ticisms.
1t must not be imagined from these cir
cUmstances that Gascoigne lacked manli-
ness or self-respect. On the contrary, he
was a very spirited young fellow, and this
was one of the main causes of his uncle's
displeasure.- But, after all, when one il
heir presumptive to hundred thousand
pounds-which was considered the most
modest estimate of the old mans wealth
1t is sheer folly not to exercise a little
patience and self-controL Gascoigne was.
by no means, averse to the prospect of
life of ease or luxury in the near future;
and in view of this agreeable contingency
he took things Very easily at the bar
though he suffered from occasional misgiv-
ings and twingeS of conscience on account
of his idleness-for he had brains enough
TO perceive that he was wasting his oppor-
tunities.
If he could only have felt reasonably sure
of his uncle's testamentary intentions re.
garding him, his conscientious scruples
would have troubled him very little But
the old man delighted to perplex him by
contradictory hints and threats, and con,
stantly reminded him that he had a cousin.
the wife of country parson, whose claims
were equal in point of kinship to his own.
1t was true that this young lady had NOR
tally offended old Barker by marrying with
out his consent, but this might not have
prevented him from making a will in her
Favor. Gascoigne was too high-minGed ana
generous to feel any resentment against his
cousin on this account, and he would have
been perfectly satisfied to know that he
would inherit equally with her. But what
perpetually worried him was the irritating
suspense which his uncle seemed purposely
to inf1ict; and there We're moments when
he felt strongly inclined to sacrifice his
future prospects for the luxury of giving
the old gentleman piece of his mind.
One eventful morning Gascoigne called at
his uncles chambers, and was ushered into
the old mans sitting ROOM a gloomy apart
ment, full of artistic treasures, but rem
dered obnoxious to the dutiful nephew by
association with its owner. 1t was tenant
less, however, al the moment; his uncle's
capacious armchair drawn up in front of
the blazing fire had evidently just been va
Gated; while upon adjacent table stood
a japanned tin box, inscribed with the old
mans name ia white letters. Gascoigne
stood for Il few moments on the hearthrug,
gazing 1mpa tiently around him and wonder
ing what sort of welcome he would re-
Ceive when his attention was attracted by
the edge of a piece of paper which pro-
truded from beneath the lid of the tin box
Absently, and acting upon q mere idle i'm
pulse, he stepped forward and endeaVored
to force back the paper into the box. Not
succeeding at his first attempt. he put out
his other hand in order to ease the pres
sure of the lid. when. to his surprise, it
yielded to his touch, and he then perceived
FOR the first time that the box was UNI
locked.
Up to that moment nothing had been fur
Their from his thoughts than to play the
spy: in fact he had scarcely been con-
doing. Nor. indeed
even when the uDlifted lid revealed the
contents of the box which consisted of a.
number of documents neatly docketed, did
he experience the least sensation of Gu
riosty. But, unluckly, just as he was
closing the lid again after releasing that
fatal slip of paper his eve was caught by
a prominent inscription:
VIII of William Barker, Esq, @. c."
Without making excuses for the young
recorded that it was entirely unpremedi-
tated. There. to his hand, lay the solution
of all his doubts and difficulties. If he was
ent negligent mode of life need trouble him
no more. But if he had only been left an
some other person-was destined to inherit
the fortune. then 1t behooved him at once
to set about making up for lost time by
applying himself assduously to his pro-
fession. This reflection passed like flash
through Gascogne's mind, and made the
opportunity for enlghtenment so irresistible
that he seemed to rush upon temptation
rather than yield to it. One second of anX-
lOuS listening, during winch the only SOUND
he heard was the tumultuous beating of
his heart, and then he had seized the mo-
mentous document and was eagerly scan
ming it's contents.
Though brief. it was unluckilys in his
uncle's grabbed handwriting. and Gas
coigne was compelled TO carry it away from
the box a little nearer to the light.
hasty glance was sufficient to convey to his
trained mind its full purDort A paltry
legacy to the long-suffering valet pic
ture or two to himself. all the rest of the
contents of the testatorS chambers, with
the cash at the bank, to the niece, Mrs.
Marsden:" and the residue Ito my nephew,
Charles Grant GaSco3gne. whom / appoint
sole executor to my will.
Cfascoigne gaSped he read the con-
Guiding words which meant that he
absolutely heir to his uncle's vast wealth.
lie was glad on his cousins account too,
for the art treasures beuueathed to her
were of considerable value. But to know
that he himself the posseSSor-prac-
tically the Dossessor-of the remainder of
the old mans fortune, was Il revelation
which caused his pulses to thrill with ex-
element and made the sunlight dazzling.
Perhaps because he was momentarily car
ried away by the pleasurable excitement OF
the discovery, the young mans vigilance
was relaxed: or perhaps old Barker inten-
tionaly burst in upon him undwares. AT
ali events without Il moments warning,
while he still held the will in his hand,
the door of the room was opened, and