The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-25

pose o. having hsaa testify before q cours.
IL need te. that he had been an eye Wit
rsss 10 Tnorndyke's sigring % re viii.
and had Seer Donaldson Ard ryssl. al
test II With our signatures As
u proved Afterwards. this vas a
vsrT lacky idea o. rine. for
otherwise Miss Benton would p4-haus
OF her uncie's vast amount CT wealth,
ara. ~ for nysels-weIl. wouiA noe now
be master and sole owner OF this hand
some craft: but word about that later
on. my friend. 70 return to my narrative.
When the time came Fer my leaving the
good people Of Tahuro. found I. a hard
task 70 persuade young Kameaioa 10
leave his native isle ard kindred. ard en-
bark with me. a stranger. FOR . foreign
shore. from whence. perchance. be might
never return His parents were 10th TO
give their consent 10 tire venture. but
finally, however. By holding forth tempt
fng promises OF reward. I prevailed and
kameaIoA was permitted 10 60. the cap
tain OF the steamer granting hirn q pas.
sage 20 Auckland. On our arrival there,
/ hAd no difficulty. being q shipwrscked
mariner. IN procuring passage 20 Sydney.
but had q hard sob In obtaining trans
portaticn for the Kanska In the steamer
o. the Union lire. Kanealoa. who had
never done stroke OF work IN all his life
on his native isle. WA unable, OF course.
TO work his passage
Arrived here In Sydney. both OF us Jared
wen. ] took the KanAka to the sailors
home with me. where he was kindly
cared for and soon forgot what hardships
he had endured on the voyage I sought
an interview with the editor OF the sgd
ney Morning Herald. and gave that gentle
man fun and minute details concerning
the wreck OF the Parzmatta. and the sad
fate OF Thorndyke and the crew. On thu
following morning q lengthy account Of
the whole affair appeared In the columns
OF the paper. and much interest was felt
In the event especially among shipown-
ers. 10 which class Thorndykes brothers
belonged. Aeagre news OF the accident
had long since reached Sydney from
Hawaii. but when II became known that
the sole survivor Of the catastrophe had
arrived, bringing further details OF the IN
fortunate incident. fresh manifestations
OF curiosity were evinced IS to what dis
position would be made OF Edward Thorn
dykes vast properties. The dead mans
brothers were on the qui vive. thinking
no doubt. that poor T'horndyks had died
practically intestate. and that they could
quietly divide the property among them
selves. When they learned that / was
stopping at the sailors home they sent me-
a hasty summons TO call az their business
Office
had wisely rsfrained from stating TO
anybody that was the bearer OF Edward
Thorndyke's last win and testament. and
Instructed Kasnealoa not 10 tell for what
reason he had accompanied me to Sydney.
Instead OF obeying the summons OF the
Thorndyke brothers ] FASTENED TO make
myself presentable and started out TO call
on Miss Benton. The young lady and her
mother lived In comparative ease and
comfort in q handsome residence on
Castlereaxh street. where they had been
installed during Thorndyks's absence
abroad. When / rang the door bell was
admitted by a female servant, who went
to announce the strange caller to her
mistress. Pretty soon q young girl OF APP
parsntly two and twenty made her appear
ance. She was daintly pretty In her
plain black frock. Bestowlng upon me .
most kindly greeting she inquired about
my arrand. Without unnecessary prelirn:-
rariss proceeded to state that my mama
was James Dickson. former second off,
Ger OF the yacht Pararnatta. wrecked at
Manihiki. and that had received from
thu dying owner OF the vessel. her uncle,
his last will and testament. with urgent
instructions to convey II 10 sydney. II
survived. and never 20 part with IL Ill I
gave IL to one Maud Benton Of that city.
residing at Clifton Villas. Casilersagh
street
with that handed TO the as.onishe ed
girl the pocketbook containing the will
IL was still sewed up In the piece cf
cloth. With trembling hands she ripped
open the parcel and. taking from the
musty book the dlscolored document. be-
gan TO read 1t As she took II Ia gradu-
ally. the color came and went In her
cheeks convulsiveiy. '-ohr' she sxelairl-
ed. then he has remembered me after
all, On his dying dayl Hs hasn't for
gotten me and motheri The dear, good
unclsl" She read again aloud. ITO my
wffe's niece. Maud Benton. gentiewoman.
absolutely. ana for her own sole use and
benefit"
In her Joy that he hadn't forgotten her
she turned and took both my hands in
hers. and I was almost az pleased as her.
self for being the hsrbanger Of such
Joyous news. / was greatly surprised
when a moment later she enxsously In
CURED about the signatures to the viii. /
having told her that Donaldson aud
had affixed cur names TO the document as
witnesses. and that / had brought young
native from Manihik who had seen US do
so.
Imagine my CONSERVATION, when. on
taking from her hands the will. for the
signatures, / saw nothing but a blank
space at the foot of the document. where
the attestation should appear, and. where
I could swear IL had originally been when
l placed the paper inside OF the pocket
book at Tshuno.
To say wss utterly dumfounded would
express 10 mildly indeed. The girl scarcely
realised the gravity OF the perplexing ait
ustion; to me the whole thing was a
sof, 4 ehAFsQhf h@ENnA human
power 10 solve. suddenly she burst into
tears. 1t isn't so much tho money.
mamma" she cried 20 her mother. who
had made her appearance; 'and / am
sure Uncle Edward didn't mean 10 slight
Us. there must be some other dreadful
mistake somewhere"
Wen. 20 he. a. brief "a possible with my
story. this Ia the course OF proceedings
% which, upon my advice, Mrs. Benton
and her daughter rcsorted.
4 rising young lawyer. ar intimate
friend OF theirs, vas hastily summoned.
and IN due time came TO render his opinion
in the puKzling case. This IL no VII 81
aiii ia only an unsigned draft" was
bis aisheartsning reply, after scrut!nizins
the document for some time. You cant
get anythingi Don't you see there are no
names TO II. either tasfator's or wit
nessesT'' The reyulsion was terrible. The
poor girl was once more penntless. The
young attorney. however. promised 20
probe the matter further. and study thu
case thoroughly. he declared thar IL
might BE- possible after all 10 pyopouna the
testament
Gradually this iiea must have taken 20
sesslen OF him more and more. for about
A week later I received summons 20
can a, his Office. Upon presenting myself.
the lawyer Informed me that he hsd sue
hate court ana that II would lie heard
h..fnre ItlsIlcsa Sfnrhanaon on TIE nl0rrow.