The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-07-15
|0n|y a Missing " N"
%esgGeeGGsaSG&G G&GG&GGGGGG4


soce when came across letter which
conyeved to me news that considerably
.bocked me. My old friend and client,
Cir Donplas Renwood, was dead, and
the letter announcing the sad intclli
oence was from his nephew, and ran
thus:
- Cottage, Staines, June 1.-Dear Mr.
ceary: | have TO inform you of the sad
death of my uncle. He passed away at ten
o'clock last night, 1t was all terribly sud
don 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.
II write to you because l think 1t desira-
bIe that you. as the leading family adviser.
should come down here a once to arrange
for the funeral, and also to go into other
matters connected with my poor uncle's
estate. Yours faithfully,
'S'A'N' MARK RENWOOD"
f. "Aha." said | to myself, as | 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. Douglas died
unmarried. This means 100000 year
to my young friend.'
l then proceeded to continue my
work of opening the morning letters,
and, finding that there was nothing of
urgent Importance therein, | deter
mined to act on Mark Renwood's sug-
eestion and go down to Staines with
out delay.
| sent for my head clerk and told
him of my intention, bidding him also
10 find out when there was train from
raddington. He soon returned with the
information that | could catch good
one at 10: 30, and | accordingly drove to
Kensington and collected what | re-
quired for the journey, and an hour
later was seated in a tirst-class car
riage on my way to Staines.
had announced my coming by tele-
graph from Paddineton, and | was
therefore not surprised to find young
Renwood waiting for me when | alight-
ed.
He was tall, thin young man, with
strong aQuiline features and small, gray
eyes. | 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 l wish you had
come on more joyous business. This is
sad affair, indeed
"Sad enough" reioined, land yet we
must all die some day or other--else
where would the young ones come imp
The cottage was about half a mile
from the station, and our journey took
us along the river bank. AS we passed
the boathousc on the slope, he said, in
low voice:
This is the spot where my poor uncle
contracted the chill which caused his
end. He and were walking along this
path one evening, VIXEN we heard Il cry
for help, and the next moment a child's
head appeared above the water. |, OF
course, would have plunged in, but, as
you have perhaps Noticed, | am suffer
ing 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 young
ster came up for the third time"
"A heroic action, indeed, consider
ing his time of life" said
1T was a heroic action, but it cos1
him his life. begged him directly we
reached home to go to bed, but he re
fused, 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 saiC
he had caught cold and in the evening
ne was so shaky that | went for the doc
tor. Then followed inflammation o
the lungs-anl then-death."
This Dr.. Holiness" / queried, IVA!
be really good man?"
Il believe he is the best doctor il
these parts. Had known things were
80 serious would have wired to towr
lor our own man. but never dreamed
that such was the case"
Poor old gentleman," | said "Anc
he was to have been married soon, wa
be not?"
Yes. That is the oldest part of tn
business. He looked forward so mucl
70 giving up the state of bachelordon
IN which he had lived, and now-well
IT'S no use talking of the past"
All the same" | could not help re
marking, dryly, lit is not such ter
ro.e thing for you that this marriag
aid not take place. Had it done S,
'here might have been an heir to tn
estate who would have cut you out mos
completely"
ne ne looked up with hasty glance.
on Mr.. Geary," he said, Il canno
'nink OF things like that at a time lik
'nls' My uncle was a father to me
ana better than many fathers. ] ar
"eii-nigh stunned by the blow-mone
matters just now seem to me YER
small, indeed"
well, we'll" | said, somewhat testify
we cannot do without money, whethe
we think of it Or not. But here we ar
~ - cottage, for, I suppose, this i
the place"
Come in" -''S " - 0
followed him into the cottage an
fn4