Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-04-20

the uuik OF us imIuCuSc luFtuut WOuiu
20 TO the Budapest a~lmshouse, but that
every relative who should appear at
the funeral would receive q respecta-
BILE bequcst. And. as q matter Of fact,
on the day after the old mans death
l received n formal invitation TO the
funeral from his confidential factotrm,
who added a hint that my future anan.
cial welfare would depend largely up
on my presence or absence.
OF course | went. II was my first
visit to the capital. but | had no diff
Guilty In finding my late cousins town
residence. which was In n large apart
mcnt house.
A hcarse and carriage stood before
the door when | arrived, anu a great
crowd OF oilers had collected TO SEQ
what they could OF the distinguished
mans funeral. | saw none of my rela-
tiyes among the few people who were
entering, aud | blamed myself for be-
ing the last TO arrive.
.-gst then two ladies entered. They
wcle richly dressed. but entirely In
black. and they held handserchiefs to
their eyes. from which tears were
streaming. | followed ticm to an
apartment on the second floor, where
we fouud n goodiy company OF ladies
and gentlemen. many Of whom seemed
as deeply affected as the two aides
who hal Just arrived.
There could be no doubt OF the genu-
inencss Of their grief. Their eyes
were red and swollen. as II from pro-
lonced weeping. and their handlEer-
chiefs we're used Consistently.
Still | saw roAc CT my numerous rel
atlvcs. Evidently they were all In the
Inner room. where the funeral 70
doubt vas already in progress, while
I was cooling my heels with the out
siders In the antoroom.
a sad faced domestic, clad wholly In
black. stood at the door leadicg to the
inner room. | approached him and en-
deavorcd to explain my connection
with the dead nan. but he cut NE
short al the nrst word.
Not yet lie said. at is not yet
time. You Must wait"
| waited. After n time one Of my
companions rose and approached the
inner door. which was opened obsc-
~qulously by the funky. In a little
while another did the same. When
three or -four thus had passed behind
the mysterious door. l made the at
tempt myself. but was waved back
lmperiCusly by the sad faced servant.
l continued to wait, repeating the at
tempt at Intervals without success.
After | had waited some hours l dis
covered that each person before he left
his seat received an almost imperceptl-
bic sign Of invitation from the servant.
! waited until nightfall. but no such
invitation came to Ec. Then my wrath
rose, and | went to the door again.
at Is not yet your turn, Sir" said
the mar of mystery.
Turn! What sort Of funeral was my
distinguished cousin having. | won
dered.
"See here, my man." l said, "do you
know who amT'
81 do not. sir. but It can make no.
81 am Franz Teleky. your deceased
masters cousin!" l Numbered.
The mans face relaxed into 4 grin.
Deceased master?" he said. Tel
eky? Ho, no! la, ha! The Teleky
funeral, my dear sir. was on The loor
below. II has been over for hours
now. This Is the ocullst's officer
went back TO the university, ours
ing myself for a fool and bitterly envy
ing my fortunate ~relatives-to say
nothing OF the almshouse.
The next days papers had a full ac-
count OF tho funeral and the reading OF
the will. Franz Teleky. a cousin Of
the deceased" they said. was the on
~ relative absent"
The will was found to agree with
the forecast of It's contents. which had
been printed and which had been given
to the papers Il learned a~fterwardl by
the old mans order. About a quarter
of the estate was divided equally
among the relatives who attended tho
funeral, and the remainder went to the
a%lmshousc.
But then the lawyer read n colicil
of recent date and In the handwriting
of the deceased man. 1t ran as fol.
lows:
"As ! am well acquainted with the
graSplng character OF my relatives !
feel certain that not one Of them will
ran to attend my funeraI II he thinks
he cen make anything thereby. Never
theless It is my within to order that II
any one OF said relatives shall absent
himself from said funeral said rela.
tive. In consideration Of the independ-
nee OF character manifested In such
action, shall become my ~residuary
legatce instead of the a%lmshouse. and
he Is hereby constituted such reslduary
legatee, and my executors are hereby
directed to give. make over and deliver
unto him, the said ~reslduary legatee,
all the rest, remainder and residue OF
my property that may be left after the
sums bequeathed to my relatives pres
ent at said funeral shall have been
paid."-Translated From the Hunga.
rian For the New York Press.
The Reporter.
The average reDorter asks. "What do