Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-08-08


 "l shall decline 10 serve. It's an impossible situation, Hare. In the first place. Skaggs was not an inti- mate friend of mine. I met him in Constantinople five years ago and aft erward handled some business for him in New York. He had no right to | impose upon me as if"-
 But why should you hesitate? You have only to wait for the year to roll by and then turn your troubles over to the natives. Young Browne cant marry Miss Ruthven inside of year simply because there Is no Miss Ruth ven She's dy-Lady-whats the name?"
 "Deppingham."
 And Browne already has one Mrs Browne to his credit. don't you see. Well. that settles it, I'd say. It's hard ly probable that Browne will murder or divorce his wife. nor Is it likely that her ladyship would have the courage to dispose of her incumbrance in either way on such short notice." | "But it means millions to them, | Hare"
 That's their unfortunate lookout. You are to act as an executor. not as a matrimonial agent"
 But. man, it's an outrage to give all of 1t to those wretched islanders. BOs- worth says that rubies and sapphires | grow there like mushrooms" "Bosworth also says that the island CTS are thrifty. intelligent and will fight for their rights. There are lawyers among them. he says. as well as jewel diggers and fishermen" "Skaggs and Lady Deppngham's grandfather were the only white men who ever lived there long enough to { find out what the island had stored up for civilization. That's why they bought 1t outright. but I'm hanged if can see why he wants to give 1t back to the natives"
 Perhaps he owes 1t to them. He doubtless bought it for song. and. contrary to all human belief. he may have resurrected conscience. Any how, there remains chance for the heirs to break the will"
 Tt can't be done. Hare; 1t can't be done. It's as clean an instrument as ever survived a man." | It is by this time safe for the reader to assume that Mir Taswell Skaggs had been rich man and therefore rprivileged to be eccentric. He came of sound old country family in upper England, but seems to have married bit above h's station. His wife was serv- ing as governcss in tue home of a cer- tain earl when Taswell won her heart and dragged her from the exalted posi- ton of minding other peoples children into the less conspicuous one of caring | for her own.
 Their only son was killed by run. away horse when he was twenty. and their daughter became the wife of an American named Browne when she was scarcely out of her teens. 1t was then that Mir. Skaggs. practically child less, determined to make himself wife less as well.
 He magnanimously deeded the un- entaled farm to his wife, turned his securities Into cash and then set forth upon voyage of exploration. It is common history that upon one dark, still night in December he said goodby forever to the farm and its mistress, but 1t is doubtful if either of them heard him.
 To be jolly well even" with him Mrs. Skaggs did most priggish thing, She died six months later. but before doing so she made n will In which she left the entire estate to her daughter, effectually depriving the absent hus- band of any chance to reclaim his own.
 | Tasweil SkaGgs was in Shanghai when he heard the news. It was on a Friday. His informant was that erst- while friend Jack Wyckholme. Nat urally Skuggs felt deeply aggrieved with the fate which permitted him to capitulate when unconditional surren- der was so close at hand. His lam | guage for one brief quarter of an hour did more to upset the progress of Chris tian endeavor in the far east than all the idols fla the Chinese empire.
 There's rawthin' in England for me. Jackie. Ny gals d bloomin' foreigner by this time. and she'll sell the bleedin' farm. of course. Shes an American. God bless er cart. l dare say if I'd go to 'er and say I'd like my farm back again she'd want to fork hover. but Ter 'usband wouldn't be for that sort of hextravagance. Ed boot me of the hisland
 "The United States isn't an island. | TaZzy." explained Mir Wyckholme. guping his brandy and soda.
 Mir. Wyckholme was the second son of Sir Somebody-or-other and had mar ried the vicar's daughter This put hlm into such bad odor with his fam fly that he hurried off to the dogs nd | goodly sized menagerie besides if the