The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-01-29
CHAPTER VII.
CEOOtipue1 |

| There remain eight more for you to
show up in Philadelphia and prove
your identity. That done within a.
year from the date Of the old mans
death you fail heir to his vast estates"
"Well," with a steady ''puf-puff,"
Suppose l fail to show up-what
| them
"Why, man. there's cool million at
stake in this matter-think Of it,
enough to tic out expeditions to the
, North Pole--to the centre Of the earth
money to squ:nder in the most elab-
crate efforts to discover what even
q Livingstone or a Doctor Kane has
failed in
How artfuliy Mr.. Grimes puts this,
appealing TO what he knows is the
weak spot in the makeup Of his
strange companion. Was ever such
scene as this known before. when 4
man pleads with fellow human to
appear and claim fortune that
| awaits his coming?
Mynheer joe seems 10 be weighing
| the whole affair in the invisible scales
of his mind When lie speaks again 1t
is refectiveiy.
Eight months, you say. When did
he die?'
ION the 10th Of October last
Eight months-let me sce-frou
Cairo I so direct to IndIa-lt is impoS-
sible to give that journey up, for even
now / may be too late to accomplish
what I seek to do. Then, IL all goes
we'll there, I have made up my mind
to see something Of China in a region
foreigners have never yet been able
to penetrate, making my way through
to Persia and the Mediterranean.
! Eight months are a short time, but
then II everything goes well there is q
chance that I may turn up in Phila-
delphia before or on next October
10th. 1t all depends on how fortune
handles me. you know"
1t would be impossible to portray
the feelings that possess Mr.. Grimes
while he listens to these remarkable
words. He has seen many types Of
men in his life, and looks upon the
whole human ruce rs gold-worshipers.
vet here Is man who seems TO have
an honest scorn for the drOSS. 1t is
the most astonishing event Mr.. Grimes
has ever come across in all his life.
He holds his cigar between finger and
thumb and surveys Nynhecr Joe with
2maZement.
"You are the first man J. ever met
in my range, sir, who would snap his
fingers at n fortune which he could
have by putting out his hand and
graspinS it," he mutterS.
Perhaps So Mr.. Grimes. l know
my own mind best, and as you per-
haps are aware possess enough means
for all the purposes OF my business.
A little money goes 4 long way when
in the bush, and l don't travel like
Stanley with from one to five hundred
porters and fighting mon. BY the way,
supposing fail to turn up by the time
specified, does the property go to char
ity:'
Mr.. Grimes has been expecting this.
and yet he twists uneasily in his chair.
as though hardly willing to answer.
"No. 1t goes to the other side of the
house"
"Ah. The Bunncrs:'
"a descendant of theirs. daughter
Of the last Hiss Bunner She married
and vas lost sight Of Tor long time.
but her family turned Up cut West
somewhere"
do YOU know the nar. Of this heir
ess, Mr.. Crimes"
well, yes. s:r, l have heard H. he
replies.
LET me have it. please" remarks
Mynheer Joe, taking out his note
book. "a man is bound 10 feel some
interest in the party who Will come
into million or not, according to his
whim. If you have seen this parry
By the way. is she Il spinster or mar
ried woman:"
1.-The former. by all means" with 4
grin that Mynheer Joe takes note OF
and presrDles is caused by the fact
that the party referred to IL an anti
quated old maid, with queer little
curls. blue glasses and pet cas-oh,
he can see her in imagination, just as
he pictured the Hon. Demosthencs
Tanner-and rs truly.
II trust she'll make good use OF the
money IL through my failure to appear
it falls to her. pursues Joe, taorght-
fully.
"No doubt of that, Sir, no doubt Of
that" says the other, with something
of a chuckle. According to my Idea
of thinking that money is bound to 50
the same way whether you get 1t or
the other
That's an enigma. Mr.. Grimes
explain"
"Well, lou see, she's uHcommonly
fond Of travel-has been up Mount
Blanc, partly scaled tie AlatterAorn'
cruicod alonf tle whole coast OF Al