Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-07-14
! td UeeRIy Storyette.r


I client had come to see him on some I'M
| portant business, for he never visited
( the Office unless a matter in which he
was deeply and anxiously interested
impelled him to do so. His usual Gus
| tom was to send his carriage for my
| father when he desired to consult him
What the subject could be which in
duced Mr.. Tompkins to visit the Office
that morning neither my father nor
| could divine.
1--WE talked over the incident long
and carefully, and in the course Of the
conversation I mentioned to my father
some facts which it had not struck me
before were of sufficient Importance to
mention. 1t was not often that at that
time in my history visited New York.
In fact, up to the time of which. /
speak / had been to the city only twice.
It was a circumstance which occurred
IN my last visit that l mentioned to
my father. The business that took me
to the city vas in relation to some doc
uments affecting wooded lands up the
state in which client was interested.
met an old college friend, and one
day he and l went down to Long
Branch together. After taking in the
sights we were naturally hungry and
went to the best hotel we could select.
Seated at table near to us was par
ty consisting Of an elderly gentleman
and lady and several young people Of
both sexes, ranging from 5 to Is years
The gentleman was seated with his
back to me, and it struck me that
was familiar with the contour Of the
head tried hard to get sight Of the
face, but did not succeed until l was
leaving, when so managed as to pro
cure pretty good view of the gentle
mans countenance.
"'Why,' said 1 to my friend, that is
Mr.. Tompkins, an old client of my ia
ther'
81 faced round and looked the gen
leman square in the eye, but he never
WINGED or gave the slightest indication
of recognition. Then l went away
with my mind in a turmoil. If I had
been called upon to swear to the mans
identity in a court of law, l would have
done so without hesitation but for the
fact that, though returning my glance
with one as prolonged and steady as
my own, he had shown no sign of rec
ignition.
Now. l needn't tell you how my IA
Their and myself began to speculate or
what thoughts were exchanged. Suf-
fee to say that none OF our surmises
approached the truth.
"And now, to go back to Mr.. Temp
kins' sudden seizure and the events
which followed. Of course our inQui-
ries after the sick man were frequent
and my father called sever al times, but
Mr.. Tompkins did not for some time
recover consciousness. AT length he
began to evince some slight inte1li-
gence. and my father or myself was
thereafter with him Gay and night, SO
that if he recovered his senses we
might be ready to do anything for him
he might desire in relation to the ar
rangement of his affairs. He had no
relatives near at hand and, in fact,
none with whom he ever directly COM
municated. He had younger brother
who had disgraced himself and been a
convict and was occasionally helped
through us by Mr.. Tompkins, but al
ways in so indirect manner as to pre-
vent his discovering the whereabouts
of his benefactor. So far as we knew,
Mr.. Tompkins had made no will, and
vet we knew that he must be worth