Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-01-02

when they may hear Of something to their
advantage.
H ICHARD AiNSwORTH read
X the paragraph over again at
- Ntentively by the not too brilliant
light Of tallow candle. fixed In beer
bottle.
ut is probably hoax. Most things
are; but once again. why not?"
"Hcads I go; tails don't" solilo-
quized Ainsworth. tossing up coin.
Tails. Umph, bad toss! Try again.
"Tails again! The fatcs are against
my having day In the country evil.
IDENTIFY. Well. once more for luck"
The sovereign turned and twisted In
the air and bounced on the table.
Heads. That decides It," said Aims.
worth, pocketing the coin. II shall CO."
The next day found him seated in a
thlrd-class smoking carriage Of the
1926 to Hazclwor,h.
In his pocket his birth certificate. his
mothers marriage certificate. some
odd.and.cnd letters of reference, and
the paragraph In question. torn from
the agony column of the Times.
Arrived at his destina ton. he In.
Quired for "A. H." ut the local postof.
fee, and was referred to Mr.. Battye,
No. 1 Aston villas. Mr.. Battyc proved
TO be u country solicitor Of the old
school.
"Your name. you say, Is Richard
Ainsworth?" quericd Mr.. Battye.
Ainsworth answered In the afiirma.
tive. ana handed over his certificate Of
birth and other documents. The law
yer pcruscd them carefully.
'Thcse. Of course, can be verified
later on he said. "Now. tell me. have
you any living relations or connections
Of any sort"
"l've got sort OF cousin somewhere"
said Alnsworth; ''but he never asks mo
to dine. and so I've cut him."
II mean" snid Mr.. Battye. "you have
no ties Of any sort7 No one who takes
an interest In your
"Only my landlady." said Ainsworth
chcerfully. II owe her $3.50"
Don't be so filppant. young man.
This may be serious matter for you.
An eccentric client Of mine wishes to
adopt some one Of your age"
"If." said Ainsworth. ANY one Il
yearnlng for my youthful affections.
they are to be had In exchange for q
comfortable home. Please 60 on. sir:
I am oil attention."
"Well. tho case stands like this" said
Mr.. Battye. clearing his throat. II have
Q very eccentric client Of the same
name as y0urself-an old man and a
bachelor.
"Vor long time a nephew Of his (of
che same name. Alnsworth, and Of OK
actly your age lived with him. He Ind
tho boy educated and treated him as II
he was his own son. Much to poor old
Mr.. Ainsworth's disappointment, how
ever, the boy turned out badly. Tho
climax came when. one flne day. young
Arthur, that was tho boys name. forg.
ed his uncle's signature on check for
. fairly large amount.
'rhe forgery was detected and the
bank sent the check down to my client.
He authorized them to pay the money.
$500. and turned him out Of the house
the same day.
my client. who IL now an old man.
and In q very feeble state OF health, Ii
fanclful. us all invalids are. and took Il
into Ills head that he wanted to adopt
some one OF the same name and age M
his nephew. He said he was lonely,
and wanted somebody to talk to and
cheer him up.
"The upshot OF II all II that he insist,
ed upon putting that advertisement ID
the papers against my advice. AZ q 70
suit, ! have been plagued with some
hundreds Of letters and visits from
Ainsworths, real and imaginary.
"Y0u may be able to Ill the situa ton
Of course that II not for me to decide
strongly disapprove of the whole idea
and know no reason why I shouldn't
dlsapprOve OF you. You seem to be abb,
to fulfil the conditions, however. 70,
are educated, and apparently o gentle
man."
The discussion was long-Richart
Ainsworth difiiclle. and Battys sus
piclOus But the old gentleman seemet
to take great liking to Dick, 40 h,
called him; and, In spite Of Mr.. Battyet
grumbling, persuaded him to stay To-
three months to see how he liked II.
Dick tried II. liked It, and finally &C
copied the post permanently. He 60
genuinely attached to old Uncle Aims
worth, and after n time managed tn
estate for him. and made himself gen
orally useful. So II came about tina
Dick clothed himself In purple and I'm
linen and called himself lucky dog.
1t was about two years after Dicl
became nephew by adoption, thai
walking home one evening. with GU
over His arm. he was aware Of an In
dividual sitting on q stile and glarin
at him. As he wanted to get on quick
~. he asked the man II he had b0ugll
the whole stile or only part Of It.
"How do you like nursing. eh? NJ
respectable uncle IL not yet dead.
hear"
10" said Dick. "your name 10 Arthu
Charles Hartman Ainsworth. ! SUI
poser"
ut used to be-" said the individus
on the stile; Its Henry Miles nov
The other was-er-too long. foun
Il inconvenient."
EYES," said Dick. "it's . long nam
Are you coming up to the houssr
mo; curse you" said the man sa'
assly.
WAs vou rlssne ssiA nlck. "0nlv