Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-05-21
FIRE EDOM.

- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ w.
manage it, form confidence, Dick
do yon hear?'
nodded.
"You may charge for it, if you
like; [ mean to make that boy my
heir, but don't tell him.
II don't tell what my clients say tc
me-" I said.
"No, you dry, old wooden box" he
said, chuckling; 81 never met will
such a snutiy, reticent old humbug as
you've grown"
"Well, if l had not, You wouldn't
have made me your solicitor" said
grimly.
perhaps not, Dick; perhaps not
old fellow: bnt we should have beer
friends all the same; but don't give
Phil the slightest hint of what
mean to do for him. Let him work
and get to be II clever, shrewd man OF
business. l hate an empty dandy
Let him learn the worth of money be-
fore he gets it. God bless him! he's
exactly IKE poor Jenny.
"And how about Sam?" T said in
my gruff, repelent way.
''Let him stop where he is, and sell
tea and tea-dust, and make his money
out of the Chests he said, in hard,
harsh manner that l did not like.
"Bnt you'll leave him as much as
you leave his brother?" said.
''That won't, Dick. He's my sis
ter's boy, but L don't like him. He's
his father over again-the father who
behaved badly to poor Jenny, and broke
her heart. He was a gambler, and
thought only of himself. Poor girl!
she made sad mistake, but let that
rest"
"Well, T don't know,"I said. 81
think you are misjudging Sam. + be-
lieve him to he a very frank, honest
fellow"
''Bosh Don't tell me, sir. can
read character. / haven't lived to
sixty-eight for nothing, sir. The fell
low never shows me bit of Difference.
He's rough aud independent, and bull
lies his brother just as that scoundrel,
his father, did my poor sister Jenny.
l don't like him."
Now l, too, had studied character n
little, and | knew enough of John
Hendricks to see that l should be
doing no good Ivy fighting on Samuel's
behalf, but / made it my business a
few days later to ask him to call upon
me: aud during the interview the
opinion L had already formed was
strengthened.
"No, Mr.. Brown" he said warmly,
ST can't do it. don't say but what
if my uncle left me some money /
should be glad OF it, for-for I am
thinking of getting married, sir; but
my uncle does not like me. He has
taken prejudice against me because
he says ] nm exactly like my dead
father, and / can't help that, of course. u
''But yon might try to humor him n
little, and let him see that you don't
deserve hist am sure--wrong opin
ion"
"Thank you for that, Mr.. Brown
he exclaimed, and his eyes looked soft
and snbduel; "but ! could not do it,
sir I never would tondy to any one
for the sake of the money lat might
come, and if were to go there trying
to please my uncle, he would only de-
spise me for it. My poor mother
taught me, Mr.. Brown, and l have
never forgotten her teachings"
found before long that John Hen
bricks was tIoroughIyin earnest, for
he sent for me one day to take instruc-
tons to make his will; but could not
help laying down my pen when I
found that he intended to leave the
whole of his property, save some
triAing legacies to servants and others,
to his younger nephew, Philip HENS
ley.
"Now," I said, ''is this fair?"
"Sir," he said. ''you are now my
professional man..
"Adviser," I said, correcting him;
"and + advise you to do your duty by
yonr nephews by leaving them equal
shares
"I'll do nothing of the kind" he
said. "I'll leave it all to Philip"
argued and fought, and the result
was that he let me put down two thou
sand pounds for Sam; but the great
property of a hundred and odd thou
sand pounds, we'll invested, was left
to Phil.
"Now, Dick" said the old fellow
chuckling, chose boys will be sure to
ask You if you have any will of mine, and
l want to humbug them; so we'll de-
post this at the bankers, and then if
they ask you if you have my will, you
can say NO.
Everything was done as he wished,
and the will placed at the bankers
and though, during the next five years
L tried hard to get the old man to make
a fresh one, he grew more obstinate
than ever, shutting his eyes blindly to
the character of his nephews; and all |
could do was to let matters take their
course.
1t was bad course for Philip Hens
ley, who was, in quiet, secretive way,
a regular scamp-his father over
again. He was very clever and shrewd
as lawyer, and got on we'll when he
stuck to it, and this pleased the old
man, to whom he was devotedly atten-
tive; while poor Sam seemed to be.
come more and more estranged, though
n better and uer-hearted fellow never
married pure, sweet little woman
like an angel, who poured out tea for
q grim old fellow.
was often at his snug little home,
and, after trying i'll vain to make
things better for him with his rich
uncle, came to the conclusion that
they would be no happier for the
money, so let matters slide.
1.-TWO thousand will be nice nest.
egg for them" thought, $50 per-
haps all is for the best"
As have said, Phil became n
shrewdish fellow in the law, and
passed his examination pretty well, so
that he knew what he was about in
legal matters: and one day he proved
the truth of his uncle's prophecy by
A.. IL