The record-union., 1897-07-06
ONLY A MISSING "M.'

end came last evening.
II write to you because I think it
desirable that you, as the leading fam
lily adviser, should come down here al
once to arrange for the funeral and
also to go into other matters connected
with my poor uncles estate. Yours
faithfully, MARK REDWOOD"
"Aha!" said 1 to myself, as 1 con-
cluded the reading of the letter, "the
other matters which Mr.. Mark refers
to are closely connected to himself.
He is the next Of kin. Douglass died
unmarried. This means 100000 a
year to my young friend"
l then proceeded to continue my work
OF opening the morning letters, and,
finding that there was nothing of ur-
gent Importance therein, 1 determined
to act on Mark Renwood's suggestion
and go down to Staines without delay.
l sent for my head clerk and told
him of my intention, bidding him also
to find out when there was a train
from Paddington. He soon returned
with the information that I could
catch a good one at 1890 and I ac-
eordingly drove to Kensington and COL
lected what l required for my journey.
and an hour later was seated in first
class carriage on my way to Staines.
L mad announced my coming by tele-
graph from Paddington, and 1 was
therefore not surprised to find young
RenWood waiting for me when I
alighted
He was tall, thin young man. with
strong aquiline features and small gray
eyes. [ had known him since he was
at Elton, and he held out his hand to
me with a cordial smile.
Il am delighted to see you come so
soon, Mr.. Geary" he said, speaking
IN hearty tone, "but I wish you had
come on more joyous business. This
is a sad affair, indeed
SAD enough" l rejoined, "and vet
we must all die some day or other
else where would the young ones come
imp"
The cottage was about half mile
from the station, and our journey took
US along the river bank. AS we passed
the poat-house on the slope, he said
in low voice:
This is the spot where my poor nm
Gle contracted the chill which caused
MS end. He and I were walking along
'iils pain one evening, when we heard
cry Ior help, and the next moment a
chliu mead appeared above the wat
el' l. OF course, would have plunged
H. out, as you have perhaps noticed
am suHering from a temporary sprafn
anu could not swim in inch. NV
uhcie' knowing this, threw off his coat
ana, swimming to the spot where the
chlld was fast sinking, rescued il inst
as the youngSter came up for the third
time" 'Aii u
An heroic action, indeed. considering
his time of life,' I said.
IL was an heroic action, but if cost
MN MS life. l begged him directly we
reached home to go to bed. but he ra-
FUSED, saying that he would sinnIv
chahge his clothes and have a bath and
then be as fit as possible. Alasl he was
mistaken. Next morning he said he had
caught cold, and in the evening he was
so shaky that I went for the doctor
Iheh followed Inflammation of the .luno,s
and then-death." I"
This Dr. Holmes" I queried. ".was he
2 really good man?'
L believe he is the best doctor in +boso
parts. Had 1 known things We're so car
ious would have wired to town fo,. ON.
own man, but l never dreamed that sucb
was the case"
Poor old gentleman" I said. "And
ne was 10 nave been married soon, was
he not?"
Yes. That is the oldest part of the
business. He looked forward so much
TO giving up the state of bachelordom in
Which he had lived, and now-well. it's
no use talking of the past"
"All the same" I could not helm ra-
marking dryly, cit is not such a terrible
thing for you that this marriage did not
take place. Had it done so there might
have been an heir to the estate. who
would have cut you out most complete
ly"
He looked up with a hasty glance.
"Oh, Mr.. Geary," he said, 'T cannot
think of things like that at a time like
this. My uncle was father to me. and
better than many fathers. I am well
nigh stunned by the blow-money mat
ters just now seem to me very small.
indeed
We'll, well" / said, somewhat testify.
we cannot do without money, whether
We think of it or not But here we are
at - cottage, for, suppose this is the
place"
This is the place" he answered.
"Come in
1 followed him into the cottage and m
the stairs, until we came to the room
where the dead baronet lay
l went slowly to the bed on which NV
poor old friend and client rested, and.
drawing aside the sheet which covered
the dead face, took a last long look on
the features I knew so well.
I was aroused from my reflections by
the entrance of young Renwood, who
came up to the bedside and pulled out
mis- cigar case, several papers dropping
from his pocket at the time
Have cigar he said, as 1 stopped
to pick up the papers, and then, seeing
shade of annoyance that / could not
conceal cross my face at the thought of
smoking at such time, and in such a
place, he said hastily: Perhaps we'd
better not smoke, though: it's hardly
decent in a room with death in it,"
His sudden glow of proper feeling did
not impress me, and I merely handed
him the papers he had dropped in sill
ence.
One of these he handed back to me.
You'd better look at that, Mr.. Geary.''
he said, abruptly that is Mr.. Holmes
certificate of DEATH
glanced at the document. Yes it was
all in order. Douglas Kenneth Rem
wood, aged g." and so on, but when I
came to the heading, Cause of Death
gave a violent start.
Good heavens." l said to myself,
can this be possible-can this be pos