The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-06-27
THE LOST VIRGIL.

THE LOST VIRGIL.
The trainboy entered the car New
monthly magazinesl This weeks comic
papers-Puck. Judge. OWL
The boy was just passing on when his
glance fell on worn. dog cared copy
Of Virgil. which the schoolboy in the
seat in front of me was busily studying.
The trainboy stopped. "Say, young
Teller, will you let me see that Virgil a
minute2'
The schoolboy looked up with some
surprise, but silently handed over the
book The trainboy turned the leaves
quickly till he came to the last few
pages. which he looked at more care
fully; then he passed the book to its
owner with a disappointed air.
Thanks, faint the one He went on
his way through the car New month
ly magazinesl This weeks comic pa
pers-Puck, Judge
At the next station the schoolboy left
the train. A few minutes later the boy
with the papers entered the car again.
AS he was passing my seat I stopped
him. 'Will you tell me why you want
ed to look at the VirgilG' l asked
81 thought it looked like second
hand copy, said the trainboy, land l
never can see copy of Virgil without
wanting to know if it could be the one
| used to have. I'd give a good deal to
get ID Of one lost f"
Wv is that2" asked.
The boy hestitated "Well, it's 10
minutes to the next station. shall
have time to tell you about it if you
care to hear it. >
He sat down beside me- ''If l could
get my old Virgil, he said slowly, Sin
the same condition it was when lost
it, it would be worth $50, 900 to me. I"
He paused a moment to note the eff
feet Of his words The commercial trav-
eler in the seat across the aisle laid
down his magazine and began to listen.
/ silently offered the boy a cigar.
Thanks he said: ''I'n smoke it
later .
Then he began his story:
"Three years ago was at boarding
school in Connecticut, and Uncle Sand
ham was paying the bills He WASH t
really my uncle-wasn' any relation
at all, in fact. worse luck-hut ever
since my father and mother died he
had sent me to school, paid all the bills
and given me plenty of pocket money.
Uncle Sandman. as he liked to have me
call him, was rich old bachelor, who
spent most Of his time travelling.
guess he must have been kind of
queer chap He told me once that he
was bachelor because my mother had
said No to him 90 years before
swell, one day in March three years
ago Uncle Sandman turned up at my
boarding school, told me he was going
to be in Boston for a few days, and /
might have weeks vacation and come
up with him l had been getting very
low marks in my studies for some time,
and the principal of the school made it
condition of my being allowed the
vacation that should work out num-
Der of problems in algebra and do a GER
tain number of pages Of Virgil during
the week
''Well, coming up in the train, IN
Gle Sandman talked with me for awhile
and then went into the smoking car.
got out my Virgil and began to work
at it / had promised to do certain
number of pages, and l knew that my
uncle would insist on my doing it, SO /
thought I'd get some Of it done on the
train and SO have more time to myself
in Boston. After half an hour or SO
got tired of it and went into the smok-
ing car to find my uncle He was swap
ping yarns with two drummers Pretty
soon they began to talk of great will
case that was in tn papers that day
Some disappointed heirs of million
aire had contested his will. and it had
been set aside
Il tell you, said my uncle, putting
at his cigar. there isn't much use now
adays in mans making his will If
any of his relatives or step relatives
are dissatisfied with their share, all
they have to do is to break the will
Any respectable lawyer ought to be able
to draw up will that no one could
break
Ny uncle went on smoking. I've
never made a will, he said-'there's
plenty of time for that yet-but when
do think | shall be able to do it with
out calling in any fool of lawyer 1t
won't take long to write my will l
mean to leave all have to that boy
there. nodding at me; that is-if he
behaves himself
He pulled at his cigar for few mo-
ments in silence and then said, Just to
show how easy it is. I'll write a will
now. He took a fountain pen from his
pocket Let me have your book. San
dy.
II handed over the Virgil, and my
uncle. turning over to one Of the back
fly leaves, wrote a'few lines. 'ThereI
he said I think that will would stand.
He read it aloud AS nearly as re-
member it. it was worded like this:
March II, ls9-.
Il hereby give, devise and bequeath every.
thing of which die possessed, both real estate
and personal. to Alexander Sandman Schwar-
senberg, son Of the late John and Rachel
5ehwarzenberg. ALEXANDER SANDMAN.
Therel' said my uncle. passing the
book to one of the drummers. do you
see anything the matter with thatf'
"'That's no goodI' said the drum
mer.
att isn'tH' said Uncle Sandman
I'D like to know why it isn'tl'
" 1T isn't witnessed replied the
commercial traveller
"'Oh' said my uncle. We'll, you
two fellows just put your names down
as witnesses.
''They did SO with some joking, and
then my uncle called brakeman who
was sitting near and who had heard the
talk. Just put your name down there.
Johnnie, he said. We might as well
do the thing in style and have three
witnesses
1.-The brakeman signed his name, and
then Uncle Sandman, closing the book,
handed it over to me- Take care Of
that, Sandy. my boy, he said. There's
your fortune in Virgil
''The drummers began swapping
yarns again. After awhile the smoke il
the car began to make me sick. wal
only kid then, you know. and wasn't
used to it. Well, got up to go in one
of the forward cars. The smoking cal
was the last on the train. It was snow
ing, raining and hailing by turns, and
the wind was blowing a gale. AS
crossed the platforms from one car t.
another my foot slipped on the icy
boards, and great gust of wind carried
away my hat and nearly made me los
my balance. threw up my arms to saw
myself and the Virgil slipped from m.
hand and disappeared beside the track
I was afraid of what my uncle woul'
90 n xpI,or, &oId hin, ~ INV eora1oseneaa