The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-04-06
THE LOST VIRGIL.

The trainboy entered the car New
monthly magazines This week 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
minute 2
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 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 | stopped
him. 'Will you tell me why you want
ed to look at the Virgil2'' l asked.
81 thought ii looked like second
hand copy, said the trainboy. land |
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 hold of one lost =
How is that q | asked
The boy hestitated We'll, it's IS
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 | could
get my old Virgil he said slowly, "in
the same condition it was when lost
it, it would be worth $50, 900 to me.
He paused 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 cigar.
Thanks he said "T'll 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 a 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
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 week $ 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 il
condition of my being allowed the
vacation that | should work out num-
Der of problems in algebra and doa GER
tain number of pages of Virgil during
the week
"Well, coming up in the train Tn
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 a certain
number of pages, and 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
N Rnstnn ftpr half a hp111. prE n |
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 the papers that day
Some disappointed heirs of million
aire had contested his will and it had
been set aside