Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-05-16

The lawyer said it was the strang-
est will he had ever helped to draw
Up. He felt he owed an apology to
he relations of the deceased, gather
I'd in old Toomey's parlor after the
funeral, for its phraseology.
There were quite two dozen anx-
Gus eyes upon the little lawyer at
hat moment. There was Shaun KEEL
y and old Regain, 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
Incle. Some said 1t was 100000,
some 100000. Toomey had spent
very little Of it.
His nearest relation was Tom Gay.
aor, whose it was said-expected to
come in for the bulk of the American
hoard. He was proud, hard old
man, with n large farm Of land,
wealthy, as wealth goes in Ireland,
but as grasping of the penny as if he
had nothing. His pride was signifi-
cantly displayed in the way he treat
ed the suitors for the hand of his
pretty daughter Kitty.
Kitty Gaynor had fixed her affec-
lions on the poorest of her suitors,
Frank Murtagh. He also was 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 it.
But all suspense would soon be at
IN end, for the lawyer had commenced
TO read the will.
Various requests 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 1t on condi-
lion that he never sells it for less
than 9200 for the far field, $500 for
the near one and the house, which is
i've 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-
Der that he treated me like a dog
when I was poor and fawned on me
when he thought I 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. I make this duty a condition
Of Frank Murtagh's enjoying what l
leave him."
When the lawyer and mourners had
departed, Frank was left in the sole
possession of his newly-acquired
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.
NIT 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 a smile as he thought of its
association with old Tom in the will.
"Begar," said Frank, as he took 1t
up and dashed the air, "that'll come
down heavy on ould Toms back II he
dares show his nose in here"
But neither Frank nor the rest Of
old Tomey's relations would have
thought Toms demeanor at all
strange had they known what was
passing in the old gentleman's mind
at that moment.
II 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 a month ago in the
dusk of the evening, dragging across
the iron pot and digging hole near
that tree on the hill and burying II
there, thinking that no one would
ever get his money. Ha, ha, Pat
Toomey, the very man We, hate the
most will get it."
Forgetting the dead mans warning,
he crossed the gate and entered the
field. Frank perceived the move
ment from the kitchen window, and
mindful of his testamentary obliga.
lions, 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 q
man."
"Begar, it's terrible hard way To
have to trate a neighbor," said Frank
with an air of apology. "Ould Toom
ey was very queer man."
Tom dismissed the matter with o
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
the land. 1t gave him chill to think
of the prohibitive price old Toomey
had put upon 1t in the will. But after
oil what sienified II? IL would mere