St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-05-03
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
minute?"
The schoclboy 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 magazines 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 l stopped
him. Twill you tell me why you want
I ed to look at the Virgil?" I 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
I used to have. I'd give good deal to
get hold of one lost p"
GLOW is that?" I asked.
The boy hestitated. "Well, it's Is
minutes to the next station. / shall
have time to tell you about it if you
care to hear it. y
He sat down beside me. eff I 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. "
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.
l silently offered the boy cigar.
"Thanks. he said; "I'l 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-but 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. l
guess he must have been a kind of
queer chap. He told me once that he
was bachelor because my mother had
said No to him 20 years before
"Well, 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 few days, and !
might have a weeks vacation and come
up with him. had been getting very
> low marks in my studies for some time,
and the principal Of the school made ii
condition of my being allowed the
8 vacation that should work out mum
0 Der of problems in algebra and do GER
b tain number of pages Of Virgil during
t the week
: "Well, coming up in the train, Un
! Gle Sandman talked with me for awhile
o and then went into the smoking car.
0 got out my Virgil and began to worl
: at it. / had promised to do certain
v number of pages, and knew that my
r uncle would insist on my doing it, SO
s thought I'd get some of it done on thu
= 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
o ing car to find my uncle. He was swap
!, ping yarns with two drummers. Pretty
soon they began to talk of a great viii
= case that was in the papers that day
Some disappointed heirs of million
aire had contested his will, and it ha(
been set aside.
"'I tell you, said my uncle, putting
i at his cigar. there ism much use now
9 adays in mans making his will. L
r any Of his relatives or step relatives
= are dissatisfied with their share, al
Q they have to do is to break the will
: Any respectable lawyer ought to be abl
s to draw up will that no one coult
y break.
n "My uncle went on smoking. Nv
: never made a will, he said-'there'
i plenty Of time for that yet-but whel
r do think shall be able to do it with
j out calling in any fool of lawyer. l
/, won't take long to write my will.
Q mean to leave all l have to that DO.
o there, nodding at me; that is-if h
= behaves himself
: HE pulled at his cigar for few mo
: ments in silence and then said, Just t.
show how easy it is, I'll write will
= now He took fountain pen from hi
d pocket Let me have your book. San
v dy.'
8 ~ handed over the Virgil, and m,
: uncle. turning over to one Of the bac
t fly leaves, wrote few lines. There
= he said. 4 think that will would stand.
Q He read it aloud. AS nearly as re
Q member it. it was worded like this:
: March II, lS9-.
u II hereby give, devise and bequeath every
4 thing Of which die possessed, both real estat
and personal to Alexander Sandman Schwal
zenberg, son of the late Jonn and Rach
: Schwarzenberg. ALEXANDER SANDMAN.
"'Therep said my uncle, passing th
book to one Of the drummers DO 70