Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-11-09
Gotrid0e's Will
By E. a. Halliday.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

AsTNARRAR, we have been commits
stoned to raise the Sunfower,
so you must take Waters and Burke
aboard the tug and set sail. Go down
as soon as you arrive at The place where
she sank and make report as to what
will be required. Send it on to me and
then await further instructions"
So spals the manager Of the salvage
company to which had been foreman
diver for many years. The. Sunfower
was a twin-screw steamer of about 1900
tons, and she had traded between Lon
don and Valparaiso before she struck
q rock in the channel and went down
with nearly all her passengers and
crew. The owners thought she would
be worth bringing to the surface again
and, having given our company the job,
l, as usual, was deputed to make the
preparatory descents.
Having sent the two men on board
the tug with all my tackling, the same
night 1 attempted TO follow, but in
the maze of streets and alleys l got
lost, and after several futile attempts
to find the way went to ramshackle
dwelling in order TO ask. But as l
was descending the stone stairs leading
10 the basement angry voices smote
upon my ears. Involuntarily I-stopped
and listened.
I'll have money-me, yer mother,
an not a penny to go on with"
woman was shouting. Eyer bonny
sort O. son to 'eve! Goes 'obnobbing
with the ighby-skies and never giles
KS mother q bloomin' quidl"
81 tell you I'm broke at present" eX-
postulated man. Cant you believe
me? Wait till the g5th-it's only u
week hence-and I shall be worth
100000! I won't forget my own
mother then!'
eyer would If yer dared-but yer
daren't!" replied the woman, In calm
er tones. "No, Bryan-that's yer own
name, an yer needn't; be ashamed OF
it'll let yer know yer ave mother
when yer comes into the brass! But
yer never told me 'ow yer worked the
camel"
well, I'll tell you now, but can't
afford to take long about it," said the
man, burriedly. ~ ingratiated myself
into the rich old FOOLS affections to a
certain. extent, but his own son nat
urallv had the preference. Still, he was
wild young beggar, and after half
turning his father against him by get
ting sent down from Oxford, he came
home supposedly repentant.
HE hadn't been at home a week be-
fore he fell desperately in love with
the village parsons daughter, and
when he told his father about it-well,
I've never seen row to equal the one
that ensued. He was kicked out of the
house-by me, at his fathers request
and ordered never to darken the door
again. He swore he wouldn't, and
within week he married the girl and
went to live in Birmingham, earning
his own living there as clerk.
This was my opportunity, for de-
termined that father and son should
remain at variance for ever, of course
to my own benefit. 1t does not need
q detailed account Of how 1 got the
old man to make a will in my favor,
nor as to how l found out that he made
another in favor of his son just be-
fore he died in Valparaiso. Suffice 1t
to say that this was The case. This
last will was being brought to Eng
III land by the man to whom it had been
intrusted, when the ship sank and he
and the will went to the bottom. Of
the sea. Rather unlucky for the son,
Ell? But very lucky for me.
The son had an idea that his IA
Their had made later will than the one
l produced and sought to restrain me
from entering into the property. But
the Judge declared that if he could not
produce the will by the 25th was to do
So Now, l don't think he is aware that
the will is at the bottom of the sea-
but there's no telling how soon the
detectives he is employing will ferret
1t out"
Eyer ave a rare 'ead on yer shoul-
ders," the old woman said, but the
words were spoken SO family that
scarcely heard them, and I left the
doorway without asking the question
/ had intended.
Soon after, I came across lad who
piloted me to the tug, and l went aboard
just before she was swung out Of the
dock. The captain told me as we
dropped down the river that my mer
were both drunk, and, extremely an,
noyed, went into the cabin to SEE
them.
'sFiYe thousand pounds-fve thou
sand poundsI" said one, with drunken
gravity. 'Good reward-]hic!-fol
finding a will-old Gotridge's WILL
what do you say, guv'nor%
"What are you talking aboutY"
said. sharply.
"Ain't you heard?" Continued Wa
tiers, leering at me. "Ain't you seen the
advertisement for-for missing will
Ia! hal" and the man Jingled lew
coppers in his pocket. when IL fine
it-and the will, I'll treat you-hic!-tt
auything you'll takel"
I left the men in disgust, and, owing
to press of work, his words slipped from
my memory. In due time we anchored
over the spot where the Sunfower hae
/ gone down.
A wen-known electrician being II
the neighborhood, he asked and re
] ceived my permission to place on boarf
!. wireless telegraph transmitter, th'
receiver being at the coastguard sta
ton on the cliff. AS possessed fan
knowledge of the Morse alphabet
spent some of my spare time convers
/ ing with those on shore, and by tn
end of the week had become tolerably
proficient.