Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-31

great-great uncle. and the most famous
preacher in the land. But aristocracy
and ancestry don't count when you're
IS and amt got no money"
The old man disappeared around the
corner of the street. Hapgood, with
curious light in his eyes, went quickly
across the roadway and entered the
ramshackle old mansion which Edgars
had just left. He went straight to the
upstairs room, where he had seen the
open trunk. Entering. he took curl.
ously shaped key from his pocket and
sprung the clasp Of the paddock, throw
ing back the lid of the trunk. Wita
nervous haste he picked out letter.
1t was the one which the old man had
been reading the day before. Hapgood
read the letter through, and smile Of
satisfaction came into his face. Then
he locked the trunk and went away.
That night Jim Hapgood scraped to-
gether all the money he could and left
for New York City. Thence he went
to Newport. In three days time he
was back at his home with the light Of
an almost fierce joy in his eyes.
The day after Jim Hapgood's depart
ure Hezekiah Edgars missed the daily
visit which this rough fellow had been
In the habit Of paying. He liked Hap
good, despite his roughness and his
drunkenness, for the fellow in his way
had been kind to the old man. Edgars
in his loneliness turned to the trunk.
He unlocked it and took out several
of the letters. He did not detect the
absence of one. He went over them
ole at time. while the stern face in
him.
The great part Of the letters were
addressed to Aaron Burrage. the
grandson Of the man who was looking
down from the frame on the wall and
the cousin Of the father of the old man
who was bending over the trunk.
Hezekiah Edgars knew the names that
We're signed to these letters. They
were the names Of women, famous
women in their day century agone
and names still borne by people whom
the world knew for their wealth and
their position. Hezekiah Edgars half
shuddered as he read the letters and
thought of the power for evil Of his
long dead kinsman.
"Why were these never destroyed"
he asked himself, "before they came
into my hands?" Then he closed the
trunk and locked it.
Three days later Jim Hapgood en-
tered the old mans apartment. "Mr
Edgars," he said, IL did something
mean. but l guess you won't be sorry
when you know what come Of 1t.
took a letter out of that horsehair
trunk the other day. and I've been to
New York and Newport, and l showed
it where it did the most good. The
descendants. l seen a few of 'em
while l was away. That trunk, with
what's in it, delivered in New York
City Monday of next week, is worth
$4,000 cold cash. There's $4,000 Of
it for me and $4,000 Of 1t for you, and
you won't go to no poorhouse yet
awhile. Now. don't you look like that,
for the letters won't hurt nobody and
won't get published. They're goln' to
the descendants of the writer's, and
they'll burn 'em up quick. You just
think over it till tomorrow, and III
come again"
The old mans hands were trembling.
When Hapgood left lie rose unsteadily
and looked about him. The room seem
ingly was barer than ever. The words
forty thousand dollars went buzzing
through his brain. Then he put the
thought Of the money from him, and
quickly came the vision Of that awful
place on the outskirts Of the town
where the aged paupers went.
Hezekiah Edgars' eyes went to the
face in the picture. With all Its Sc
verify it was noble face that looked
down upon him. The old man studied
1t and thought of his father and his
fathers father. "They were honor
able men," came the thought, land
have been an honorable man to this
day"
He dragged the trunk from the cor
ner to the fireplace. He unlocked it
and took out the letters in armfuls
with sort of delight in his face and
threw them OH the hearth.
He had emptied the trunk. He light
ed match and touched the flame to
the pile Of paper. He watched the
flames lick up the letters. In mo-
ment or two there was nothing but
gray ashes on the hearth.
The old man turned and looked
squarely and proudly into the eyes of
the face on the wall
Jim HapgCod went to that room the
next day. The old man was on his
bed with smile lighting up his dead
face.-ChicagO Record-Herald.