The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-13
Our Daily Short Stories
lie VERRIER'S RICH UNCLE.
BY EUsTAcE RoAUNE LIE FERRoNAYs
Copyright. 1901. by Authors Syndicate,

bland smile. you must know that i'm
pastures are frequently played. Tell
me all about yourself and myself, and
then ! will be sure you are the nephew
haven't seen for so long that l do
not remember him."
why mother said you had never
seen me-" said LeVerrier, and proceed
ed to give full account of every
thing and when he finished the strang-
er cried: You are indeed my nephew"
When 1t became known that the rich
uncle had come to buy the lumberyard
for LeVerrier, the Germans ceased
their efforts, and the uncle
himself. making the acquaintance of
people of all descriptions, became very
popular. Especially did he cultivate
the station agent and Mr.. Schlattmann,
proprietor of the little bank. A branch
road was going through the town, par
TALLY finished. and a great gang of
laborers was encamped north of the
village. Blue river being a junction
point, would grow and a larger bank
be necessary and he proposed partner
ship to Mr.. Schlattmann and as an
earnest of his intentions. deposited 3d.
600 IN the safe, and forthwith was
taught the combination. A week after
the uncle's arrival, three friends of his
came from Chicago. Messrs. Head,
Ford and Kenney, capitalists seeking
investment led by letters from him.
You do not know" said LaRousse
to his three friends, patting his nephew
on the back, what an advantage 1t
has been having a nephew here. The
people know him. he knows me. No
shade of distrust, complete business
understanding and knowledge of the
situation that is worth a great deal to
u.s.
AS Taua~r;1, ~-,n-4 A.. A. 40. -.
morning, his attention was attracted
by large crowd at the depot. A
most startling thing had happened.
During the night, the bank had been
robbed of all its money, and $40, 900
brought to the depot by the railway
paymaster to pay off the construc-
ton force had been taken, too. The
paymaster and his assistant had been
found bound and gagged in the depot
when the station agent went up to
the midnight train. Detectives had
been sent for and came on a special
train. Suspicion pointed clearly to
Messrs. Head, Ford and Kenney for
they had disappeared. and to La
Rousse. too. should he prove to have
disappeared. Uncle Jean had not been
at breakfast and LeVerrier turned to
go home to see what it meant.
among the fears in his mind was
not the fear that his uncle was a
criminal, only the fear lest circum-
stances seem to make him So AS he
neared his house, he saw slowly COM
ing up the road a most dilapidated
equipage. 1t was his own carriage
the rear wheel broken in two. the
horse with harness twisted awry
Like flash it came over him. Uncle
Jean had gone for a morning drive
There had been runaway and he had
been injured. His absence might be
construed as completely with the rob-
berry. He must be gotten home before
anyone discovered his absence.
AS LeVerrier fastened down the
road, he never once cast a glance be-
hind him to see a little, 1.-THE man
who trotted as he trotted, walked as
he walked, keeping him ever in view
A mile was traversed before he ar
rived at the scene of the accident.
On the right side of the earthen en-
bankment that formed the approach to
the bridge over the Blue river, were
the marks where the carriage had
slipped, together with bits of the brok-
en- wheel. and from the midst of some
bushes at the river SIDE he heard some
one groaning.
Uncle jean" he called Instantly
the groans ceased. A young fellow
rode to the bank of a little down
stream on the opposite side, hitched
his horse and stripping, plunged in
and swan away down stream.
Uncle JEAN" called LeVerrier. Still
there was no answer and now the dis
lance from the swimmer to the horse
was greater than the distance from
the horse to the bridge. There was a
splash. kerchug, and there was Uncle
Jean in the river, trying to drown
himself on account of the pain he was
in. With a swift leap down the bank.
LeVerrier was in the water and after
him. while voice from the road
shouted:
Catch him before he gets to the
horse, or he'll escape"
Uncle Jean was no swimmer COM
pared to LeVerrier and the latter soon
seized him and dragged him ashore,
in spite of a strenuous resistance, and
presently carried him up the bank, for
one leg, terribly sprained, bent under
the uncle as he essayed to walk. A
little, 1.-THE man scrambled down to
them and Uncle Jean INTERESTINGLY
held forth his hands to receive a pair
of handouts. while LeVerrier looked
on, too much surprised to speak.
you have won $500 by capturing
this man." said the detective. He is
verbeckmoes, the Belgian forger and
thief, wanted in three countries. Bel
gium has a price of $1,000 on him and
the railroad offers five hundred"
So this was the way the rich uncle
turned out The real uncle never an
swered LeVerrier's letter, but the flf-
teen hundred and the one hundred he
got helping four others capture Kenney
was accepted by Mortenson as a salts
factory first payment, and lie Verrier
led Olga to the altar.