The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-25
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
feller. will you let me see that Virgil a
minute
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. 'tain't 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 l stopped
him. ''Will you tell me why you want
ed to look at the Virgil?" asked.
81 thought it 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
I used to have. I'd give good deal to
| get hold of one l lost. -
| ssHow is that 9'' 7 asked
The boy hestitated. "Well. it's IL
minutes to the next station. I shall
have time to tell you about it if you
care to hear it. >
| He sat do yn beside me- eff could
get nay old Virgil" he said slowly, ''in
the same condition it was when lost
it, it would be worth $50, 900 to me. -
He paused a moment to note the ef-
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'll smoke il
later =
Then he began his story:
''Three years ago l was at a boarding
school in Connecticut and Uncle Sand
ham was paying the bills He wasn't
really my uncle-wasn' any relation
at all. in fact. worse luck-but evel
since my father and mother died ht
had sent me to school. paid all the bills
and given me plenty of pocket money
| Uncle Sandman, as he liked to have mt
call him, was rich old bachelor. wht
spent most of his time travelling.
guess he must have been a kind o1
queer chap. He told me once that b,
was bachelor because my mother hai
said No to him 30 years before.
'Well one day in March three year,
ago Uncle Sandman turned up at my
boarding school, told me he was goinf
to be in Boston for few days, and
might have week s vacation and com,
| up with him. had been getting very
low marks in my studies for some time
and the principal of the school made i
a condition of my being allowed tn,
vacation that should work out mum
Der Of problems in algebra and do a Ger
tain number of pages Of Virgil during
the week
swell, coming up in the train, Un
l
and then went into the smoking car.
got out my Virgil and began to worl
at it. l had promised to do 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 tn
train and SO have more time to mysel
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. Prett,
soon they began to talk of great will
case that was in the papers that day
Some disappointed heirs of a million
aire had contested his will, and it hat
been set aside.
"I tell you, said my uncle. putting
at his cigar. there ism t much use now
adays in mans making his will
any of his relatives OF step relative
are dissatisfied with their share, al
they have to do is to break the will
Any respectable lawyer ought to be abl
to draw up will that no one coul'
: break.
my uncle went on smoking. Nv
never made a will, he said-'there'
plenty of time for that yet-but whel
do think shall be able to do it with
out calling in any fool of lawyer. l
, won't take long to write my will
d mean to leave all ! have to that bo
:; there, nodding at me; that is-if h
behaves himself
"He puffed at his cigar for few mo
ments in silence and then said. Just t
l L L
now. He took fountain pen from hi
pocket Let me have your book, San
| dy.
81 handed over the Virgil. and m
uncle, turning over to one of the bac
fly leaves, wrote few lines There
he said 4 think that will would stand
: He read it aloud As nearly as re
= member it. it was worded like this:
March II, 189-.
a II hereby give, devise and bequeath every