Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-02-02
CHAPTER /.


Naples early in October. John
Marshall Glenarm had died in June,
leaving will which gave me his prop
erty conditionally Pickering wrote,
and II was necessary for me to return
Immediately TO qualify as legatee 1t
was by the merest luck that the letter
came to my hands at all, for 1t had
been sent to Constantinople, in care
OF the consul general instead OF my
banker there, and ii was not Picker
ing's fault that the consul was friend
of mine who kept track of my wander
ings and was able to hurry the execu-
tors letter after me TO Italy, where
/ had gone TO meet an English finan-
cier who had. | was advised, unlimited
money 10 spend on African railways.
I am an engineer, a graduate OF an
American institution familiarly known
as THE Tech" and as my funds were
running low | naturally turned to my
profession for employment.
But this letter changed my plans
and the following day | cabled Pick.
ering of my departure and was out
ward bound on a steamer for New
York Fourteen days later | sat in
Pickerings Office in the Alexis Build
ing and listened intently while he
read, with much ponderous emphasis
the provisions of my grandfathers
will. When he concluded ! laughed
Pickering was serious man. and !
was glad to see that my levity panied
him. / had. for that matter, always
been source of annoyance to him
and his look of distrust and rebuke
did not trouble me in the least.
/ reached across the table for the
paper. and he gave the sealed and be
ribboned copy of John Marshall Glen
arms will into my hands. | read it
through for myself feeling conscious
meanwhile that Pickering's cool gaze
was bent inquringly upon me. These
are the paragraphs that interested me
most:
Il give and devise unto my said
grandson. John Glenarm, sometime a
resident of the city and state of New
York and later a vagabond of parts
unknown, a certain property known as
Glenarm House, with the lands and
hereditaments thereunto pertaining
and hereinafter more particularly de
scribed, and all personal effects, goods
and other property that may be
located in the premises and on the
land herein described said realty
lying in the county of Wabana in the
state of Indiana, upon this condition
faithfully and honestly performed
THAT said John Glenarm shall re
main an occupant of said Glenarm
House and OF my lands appurtepen'
thereto, demeaning himself meanwhile
In an orderly and temperate manner
Should he fail at any time during said
year to comply III this provision.
said property shall at once revert to
my general estate, shall become, with
out reservation and without necessity
for any process of law the property,
absolutely. of Marian DevereuX. Of the
county and state of New York"
We'll" he demanded. striking his
hands upon the arms of hts chair,
what do you think of ito"
For the life of me | could not help
laughing again. There was, in the
first place, a delicious irony in the
fact that I should learn through him
OF my grandfa,her's wishes With re,
spect to myself Pickering and had
grown up in the same town In Yer
mont; we had attended the same pre-
paratory school, but there had been
from boyhood a certain antagonism
between us He had always succeeded
where | failed, which is to say, / must
admit, that he had succeeded pretty
frequently. When | refused to settle
down to my profession, but chose to
see something of the world first, Pick
ering gave himself seriously to the
law. and there was, knew from the
beginning. no manner of chance that
he would fail
am not more or less than human.
and l remembered with Joy that once
] had thrashed him soundly at the
prep school for bullying a smaller boy,
but our score from school days was
not without tallies on his side. He
was easily the better scholar grant
him that; and he was shrewd and
plausible. You never quite knew the
extent OF his powers and resources,
and he had, | always maintained, the
most amazing good luck,-as witness
the fact that John Marshall Glenarm
had taken friendly interest in him
It was wholly like my grandfather
who was a man of many whims, to
give his affairs into chickering's keep
ing; and | could not complain for |
had missed my own chance with him,
II was, ! knew readily enough, part OF
my punishment for having succeeded
so signally in incurring my grand
fathers displeasure that he had made
It necessary for me to treat with
Arthur Pickering in this matter of the
will; and Pickerine was enjoying the
situation to the fGl
But there was something not wholly
honest in my mirth, for my conduct