Evening journal., 1907-12-27
Nephew and Niece.

Lcopyright. 1907. by c. II. sutcliffel
Old Peter Rhinehart, bachelor, was a
very rich man and very queer man.
He had two brothers and a sister and
three or four nephews and nieces, but
for the last thirty years of his life not
one Of them was permitted to step foot
across his threshold. When he reached
the age Of seventy and his health had
begun TO fail all his relatives and
friends besought him to change his
way Of living. There was fear that
he would die alone and unattended.
The old man refused to make any
change whatever. What was feared
came to pass within a year. After the
old man had not been seen for two
days the house was broken into, and
be was found dead.
Old Peter had made his will six
months before. He had given to char
ity, and he had been generous with all
his relatives, but the bulk Of his for.
tune had been left to a certain nephew
and niece. John Rhinehart was twen-
ty-four years old aud son Of the old
mans brother. Mary Davis was twen-
ty and a daughter of his sister. He
had not seen either one of them a
dozen times in his life. Though rela-
tives, they cordially disliked each 9TH
er They met but seldom and always
quarreied when they did meet. Nei-
ther was liked by the other relatives.
At the time Of the old mans death
both were engaged to be married to
others.
Had old Peter studied for years he
could not have wrought out a worse
plan than he put in practice The
money was left to this pair on condi-
ton that they marry. If they did not
marry, it was to be divided up among
the others; il they did. the one who
survived the other took all.
At first both nephew and niece de-
clared that they would not accept the
legacy under the terms. They houted
the idea. and they talked Of going to
law. After a bit they took a different
view of the case. The spirit Of avarice
predominated in both, and In their
selfshness they concluded to obey the
provision. 1t was stipulated that they
must live together for at least five
years unless death intervened and the
legacy was to be paid in FIVE annual
installments. Their engagements to
others were broken, and they were
married. They became man and wife.
but lived together as two strangers.
The feeling for each other was one Of
bitterest hatred.
Que day three months after marriage
they went riding together In a boat on
mill pond The husband hoped that
some accident would happen and the
wife be drowned While be was plan
ming to accidentally" lose an oar and
be swept over the dam she produced a
pistol and threatened to shoot him II
anything went wrong A month later
be got word that she had asked for
poison at the drug store and he charg-
ed her with an intention of killing him
and thereafter was suspicious Of his
food. 1t was shown after his death
that he bought a live rattlesnake and
let it loose In the orchard. 1t was
shown that she removed a ladder to
give him a fall from the roof Of the
house. She went rowing alone to find
that the oars had been tampered with
and but for a boy she would have been
swept over the dam and drowned. He
found that a gun he was cleaning and
carelessly handling was loaded instead
OF empty.
There was no doubt in the mind OF
any villager that the couple hated each
other SO bitterly that each had murder
at hart and that murder would have
been done but FOR the fesS Of The
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