The Elbert County tribune., 1907-05-16

up. He felt he owed an apology to
| the relations Of the deceased. gather
| ed in old Toomey's parlor after the
funeral. for its phraseology.
There were quite two dozen anx-
ious eyes upon the little lawyer at
that moment. There was Shaun kel-
ly and old Regan. Susan Mullen.
Frank Murtagh. Tom Gaynor and as
many more again. all expectant of
something out of the pile Toomey was
known to have received some years
before, under the will of an American
uncle. Some said it was 100000.
some 100000 Toomey had spent
very little OF It,
His nearest relation was Tom Gay
nor. whose it was said-expected to
come in for the bulk of the American
hoard. He was proud. hard old
man. with a large farm of land,
wealthy. as wealth goes in Ireland,
but as grasping of the penny as II he
had nothing. His pride was signif-
cantly displayed in the way he treat
ed the suitors for the hand of his
pretty daughter Kitty.
Kitty GayDor shad fixed her affec-
tions on the poorest of her suitors,
Frank Murtagh. He also was a rela-
ton of the dead man. On the death
of his parents Toomey had taken him
into his house out of charity, and had
never ceased to remind him of 1t.
But all suspense would soon be at
an end. for the lawyer had commenced
to read the will.
Various bequests were made until
Frank Murtagh and Tom Gaynor were
the only persons left unmentioned.
Gaynor was the man, all felt sure.
The lawyer had paused to cough
and take little water. Then he con-
tinued:
And to that sorra-may-care black
guard, Frank Murtagh, / bequeath
the house and land about it on condi-
ton that he never sells 1t for less
than 9200 for the far field. 500 for
the near one and the house. which is
five times more than any man in his
senses would think of giving. My old
clothes can go to that stingy niggard
Tom Gaynor. I'll make him remem-
ber that he treated me like a dog
when / was poor and fawned on me
when he thought l was rich. And
there's my old bamboo stick in the
corner that I leave to Frank Murtagh.
the lazy rogue. to belt the mean old
fellow off these premises any time he
dare show his nose here house or
land. make this duty a condition
of Frank Murtaghs enjoying what |
leave him."
When the lawyer and mourners had
departed, Frank was left in the sole
possession of his newly-acuuired
property and his thoughts. His mind
naturally reverted to Kitty. Would
this little stroke of fortune bring her
nearer to him? He was forced to ad-
init that it would not. He was still
very far from the standard of compe-
tency required by old Tom. His eyes
suddenly fell upon the bamboo stick
which leaned against the wall in a
corner of the room and he could not
restrain smile as he thought of it's
association with old Tom in the will.
"Begar," said Frank. as he took it
up and lashed the air. "that'll come
down heavy on ould Toms back If he
dares show his nose in here"
But neither Frank nor the rest of
old Tomeys relations would have
thought Toms demeanor at all
strange had they known what was
passing in the old gentlemans mind
at that moment
Il can laugh at the whole of them,
Toomey and ALL" he said to himself
Lord have mercy on the ould ruff
ans soul, but ! can see him as plain
now as | saw him month ago in the
dusk of the evening, dragging across
the iron pot and digging hole near
that tree on the hill and burying it
there, thinking that no one would
over get his money. Ha, ha. Pat
Toomey, the very man ye hate the
most will get it."
Forgetting the dead mans warning
he crossed the gate and entered the
field. Frank perceived the move
iuent from the kitchen window, and
mindful of his testamentary obliga-
tions, he snatched up the bamboo
| stick and charged down on old Tom,
| making wild shouts as he ran.
The whirling bamboo recalled GER
| tain terms of old Toomey's will to
| Toms mind. He turned tail, scram-
| bled over the gate and was outside
the zone of danger in no time.
"Ye deserve the greatest credit"
cried he gaily, when Frank had reach
ed the gate. "Ye do yer jooty like
| man."
"Begar. it's terrible hard way to
have to trate neighbor,' said Frank
with an air of apology. "Ould Toom-
ey was a very queer man"
| Tom dismissed the matter with a
CHEEKY laugh, and they parted
After supper Tom sat by the fire
scheming as to the best means of be-
coming possessed of the buried treas
ure. The only course left was to buy
L ha land pava hin, nbtII t<, tl,fnI,