Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-03
A CIVIL ENGINEER WANTED.
BY NJ. Quad.

Copyright, 1901 by C. B. Lewis)
One morning in my bachelor apart
ments in London L read the following adj
/ vertisement in my newspapers
THE undersigned desires the services
of a competent civil engineer for several
| days in a rather strange enterprise and
| promises most Hberalreward. He must
be a man who can keep a secret Ad-
| dress "
l was competent civil engineer and just
then out of employment. l was a man
who could keep a secret. 1 was therefore
| naturally interested in the advertiser emit
| 1t might possibly be some JOB which
would get me into trouble with the law,
but if so l had only to decline to take
hold of it after an interview. / was in
| cined to believe that some land or mine
owner wanted private and secret sur
vey made for his own satisfaction, as is
| often the case. 1t is sometimes the case
| that where two neighbors quarrel one of
! them builds house or barn on what he
| believes to be his line, but which is
! found to tresDass by a few inches. 1
could see a dozen good reasons why the
| person should advertise as he did and |
FASTENED TO answer him and post the let
| ter. He gave his address as the office of
the newspaper, but after four or five days
l received a call from him in person. He
gave me his name as James Bennett and
| his address as London and left me TO
infer that he was man of leisure.
l was not exactly pleased with Mr.
Benefits personal appearance. He was
| a tall. dark man of troubled counten-
ance. His eyes had a furtive look. and ne
was nervous and i'll at ease. Had I met
him while travelling 1 should have been
inclined TO look upon him with suspicion
He told straight enough story, how
ever, though a rather queer one. Being
left an orphan a the age of 10 years, he
had been brought up by an uncle living
in HEREFORD county, He had always been
given to understand that he would be his
uncle'S heir. and he was sure that a will
had been made to that effect. but three
years previous TO his call on me the uncle
had passed away, no will had been found.
and the property had gone to the next
of kin. While the uncle was rich. he was
also an eccentric. Being single man
and living almost alone, he had been al
most hermit. The house he had occu-
pied was a rambling old structure at best
and now that it had been untenanted for
several years was in a bad state What
Mr. Bennett had come TO believe was that
the will was concealed in the old house
He had searched and searched without
avail, and he wanted my assistance for
new search. There might be secret
closets he had passed over. If l would
give him my faithful services for three
days, he would pay me e25. If the will
| was found, he would present ME with
| 500 more. 1 was 10 say nothing OF my
quest, make my appearance at the old
house on acertain date. and he would
assist in the search.
| didn't like Bennetts personal appear
| ance and actions, as l have said, but
there was nothing out OF the way with
| his story, and 1 was glad to accept his
| offer. 1t would be combining romance
| with business TO come upon the hidden
| will and restore the ousted heir to his
! own. His caution to me to make my way
! alone from the nearest station without
/ asking or answering questions Nigh,
have seemed queer but for the fact tina,
we would both be trespassers while max
ing the search l had not single sus-
pieion. ] was to arrive by train which
would enable me after a walk of three