The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-04-11

Harriet" said her husband, solemn
ly, my cousin Tom must be dead.
Four days have passed and he has
not come back. The last fugitives who
have escaped have returned to camp
but he has not come in. Captain Nc
Lauchlin, of the 115th, and Mr.. Add
son, correspondent of the Daily Herald,
are still missing. There is no doubt,
I very much fear, that Tom is dead"
"Then who'll have all the money,
james,"
There may be q WILL" he replied,
fully aware that there was none. 1T
ought to be mine, by rights. But there
may be a will"
what other relations has he"
"He has cousins by his mothers side,
but the family all went to New Zealand
| long ago.. BY his fathers side l am
the only first cousin"
"Then-oh! Jem, won't you have it
all?"
1--WE must distinguish. Harriet" he
replied, in q legal tone; 1--WE must dis
tinguish. I certainly ought to have
it ALL"
"He,was engaged, you,told me-"
ayes" James was reminded by the
question of certain last words and a
promise. And again he winked with
both eyes. Eyes, he was engaged. l
shall look into his papers, Harriet, and
find his will, if he left one"
His heart leaped up within him and
| his pulse quickened, because be knew
very we'll there was no will.
The time was one of great tightness.
The rent was overdue, and the n
lord was pressing. James Rolfe's pri-
yate had well-nigh come to
an end, and his practice was meager
enough. 1t is not enough, as many
have discovered, to call yourself q sollc-
itor, if your language, your manners,
your appearance, and your general rep
utation fail to command the respect
and confidence which bring along the
| client. James appearance reminded
the observer of a swash-buckler in
private modern dress. Now, rightly or
wrongly, people like their solicitors
to exhibit a correct and sober tenor.
His. tastes led him to racing, and there
fore to billiards, the turf somehow be-
ing the first cousin of the billiard
table. Both are green, to begin with.
He was we'll set up; a big, handsome
fellow, with brown hair straight and
short, q smooth cheek, and a full mus
tache; the kind of a man who at forty
will have developed a figure and put
on a double chin. His wife, whom he
elevated to that proud position from a
stall in Soho Bazaar, was, like himself,
big-limbed, full Of figure, and comely
to look upon There was no Wom-
an anywhere, Jem proudly felt, Who
could compare with her. In fact, when
Harriet was we'll dressed and in a
good temper, she was q very handsome
creature indeed. She would make q
splendid stage queen with her masses
of brown hair rolled up under a gleam-
ing gold %coronet, q black or crimson
velvet dress showing her white arms
and setting off her regular features
and her ample rosy cheek, her broad
white shoulders and her great blue
eyes. Rubens would have painted
her with enthusiasm. She must have
come from the country, for in London
such women are not grown. In otner
things, besides loneliness, she was a
fitting partner for James Rolfe; like
him, she loved all the pomps and vanl-
ties of the world-every one-and es.'
pecially the vanity of rich and beautl-
full raiment. Next, she loved the vani-
ty of the theatre, which she regarded
as the proper place to show a good
dress. She also loved the vanity or
champagne. the festal drink; that or
good eating, and that of cheerful So
ciety, where the men did what they
pleased and the ladies were not stuck
up and stiff.
Harriet" said her husband, a few
DAYS later, "Tom is really dead. There
can no longer be any doubt about it."
"Is it really and truly certain?"
Everybody has given him up"
'Ou, Jelu-6llu xii luio "oiCJ
really ours? Ohw
Jem did not Immediately reply, hut
he shut both eyes hard. Then he
walked to the window, and looked out
into the back garden of the villa. Then
he returned to the fire place and played
with the things on the mantel shelf.
Harriet waited and watched him anX-
iously.
Harriet" he said, I am his cousin
and his solicitor. I have, therefore,
been to his lodgings this afternoon
and paid the rent, and carried away
his books and papers and clothes and
everything"
"Well?"
$50 far as I have gone-I have e1-
amined all the papers, which did not
take long-I have found no will"
"Then-oh, Jem"-Harriet sprung to
her feet-"everything is ours!"
(To be %continued.)