Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-07-08
A MISSING "M."

at my desk opening my correspond
ence, when came across a letter which
conveyed to me news that considerably
shocked me. My old friend and client,
Sir Douglas Renwood, was dead, and
the letter announcing the sad intelfi-
gence was from his nephew, and ran
thus:
COTTAGE, STAINEs, June |.
DEAR Mr.. GEARY-I have to inform
you of the sad death of my uncle. He
passed away at 10 o'clock last night. 1t
was all terribly sudden. He caught a
violent chill last week, which developed
into inflammation of the lungs. We sent
for DR.. Holmes, the leading doctor here,
but he could do no good, and the end
came last evening.
Il write to you because think it de-
sirable that you, as the family adviser,
should come down here at once and ar
range for the funeral, and also to 90 in
TO other matters connected with my poor
uncle's estate. Yours faithfully,
MARK REDWOOD.
"Ah !" said | to myself, as | con-
cluded the reading of the letter. "The
other matters which Mr.. Mark refers
to are closely connected with himself.
He is the next of kin. Sir Douglas
died unmarried. This means 100000
a year for my young friend"
then proceeded to continue my
work of opening the mornings letters,
and finding that there was nothing OF
urgent Importance therein / deter
mined to act on Mark Renwood's s sug-
gestion and 60 down to Staines with
cut delay.
sent to my head clerk and told him
of my intention, bidding HIM also to
find out when there was a train from
Paddngton. He soon returned with
the information that | could catch a
good one at 1890, and | accordingly
drove to Kensington and collected
what I required for my journey, and
an hour later was seated in a frst-class
carriage on my way to Staines.
l had announced my coming by tel
egraph from Paddington, and | was,
therefore, not surprised to find young
Renwood waiting for me when l
ahghted.
He was tall, thin young man, with
strong, aquiline features and small,
gray eyes. l had known him since he
Was at Eton, and he held out his hand
to me with cordial smile,
Il am delighted to see you come so
soon, Mr.. Geary," he said, speaking in
a hearty tone, "but wish you had
come on more joyous business. This
is sad affair, indeed"
"Sad enough" l enjoined, land yet
we must all die some day or other
else where would the young ones come
in ?"
The cottage was about half mile
from the station, and our Journey took
us along the river bank. As we passed
the boat-house on the slope he said in
a low voice;
This is the spot where my poor
uncle contracted the chill which caused
his end. He and l were walking along
this path one evening, when we heard
a cry for help and the next moment a
child head appeared above the water.
l, of course, would have plunged in,
but as you have perhaps noticed | am
suffering from temporary sprain, and
could not swim an inch. My uncle,
knowing this, threw off his coat, and
swimming to the spot where the child
was fast sinking, rescued it just as the
youngster came up for the third time. "
"a heroic act, indeed, considering
his time of life" l said.
at was heroic action, but it cost
him his life. l begged him directly
we reached home to go to bed, but he
refused, saying that he would simply
change his clothes and have bath,
and then be as fit as possible. Alas,
he was mistaken. Next morning he
said he had caught a cold and in the
evening he was so shaky that | went
for the doctor. Then followed infam-
nation Of the lungs-and then-death, "
This DR.. Holmes queried, sis he
a really good man."
81 believe he is the best doctor in
these parts. Had l known things
were so serious l would have wired to
town for our own man, but | never
dreamed that such was the case.
Poor old gentleman" l said. "And