The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-01-07

had but Few fr1endS, anu Stern GU
Squire Mardingham had been good to
her in his blur way.
Mr.. Peckham read out the preamble
Of the will in his sharp. high pitched
voice., Mr.. Lennox nodded approval
the while, and the, room was filled
with an atmosphere of GREATNESS
silence as he neared the important
words, for which all listened so in
tently.
81 Godfrey Mardingham, do give
and bequeath the whole of my fortune
and estate, real and personal. for the
founding, erection and endowment OF
an asylum for fools, idiots and insane,
that my name may be remembered
and honored after my bones have turn
ed to DUST" the lawyer read out,
slowly and impressively.
Mrs Foxley fell back in her chair,
utteripg a hysterical, gasping sound;
there was a sudden babel Of voices,
bursting into discOrd.
"Oh! oh! OH" shrieked Mrs. Fox
ley. Not to remember me, that Al
ways did so much for him."
Fools and idiots, indeed! He was
one himself" cried Mr.. Foxley, grow
ing purple in the face.
II always knew he was an old
blockhead," cried Mr.. Lennox, jump
ing around the room as if he had the
st. Vitas dance.
IAN unregenerate sinner" groaned
the pious young man; think how the
sweet utterances of Nehemiah NOsey
would hare been completely thrown
away on him.
'Old fool" cried Mrs. Foxley, sud-
denly emerging from the tide Of her
Mysteries. "Oh, Foxley, Foxley, you
always told me he hadn't any brains,
but never gave credence to you"
The maiden lady tossed her head in
the air.
Il wish now 1 hadn't worked those
slippers for him." said she; IAN I'm.
grateful, unprincipled, hoary repro
bate who"
But Noami Bruce rose up among
them, slender and pale, yet instinct
with womanly dignity.
'Hushv she CALCULATED, uplifting
her slender finger. How dare you
speak so Of the dead? Uncle Godfrey
was good and generous to all Of You.
as he was to me. What right have
you to expect aught else? His money
was his own to do as he pleased with.
and for one, shall not sit mutely by
and hear his name decried."
There was an instant of astonished
silence, and then Mr.. Peckham, Of the
firm of Peckham & Marble, jumped
briskly up, tore the bandage away
from his mouth and chin, pulled off
the red wig, false beard and goggles,
and rising to his full height, confront
ed the astonished audience-old Geof-
frey Mardingham's self, alive and
we'll!
well met, We hypocrites," he said
slowly and distinctly, Il can scarcely
express my gratitude for this oppor-
tunity, which has given me such n
clear insight into the characters of ev-
cry one Of you. l am not dead and
buried; no, nor likely to be at pres
ent, but have learned a lesson for
the future. Come here to me, Naomi"
he said, his face softening as he held
out his hand. You, who were the
only one to defend the dead old man,
shall be his adopted child for the
present, his heiress for the future. AS
for the rest of you, 1 only want to
have my house cleared of your odious
presence"
There was no gainsaying his stern
words and sneering lips. One by one
the expectant relations, now, alas! SO
woefully disappointed, sneaked out Of
the room and house-Mr. and Mrs.
Foxley, the lawyer, the old maid, and
the degenerate" youth, together with
the lesser satellites.
For they had no more hopes from
Godfrey Mardingham's will, and the
little Naomi Bruce was now an
iress-Indianapo Sun.