Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-05-31
CHAPTER V.

II was still early morning when Fred
Musgrave reached Oxford, and walked
up from the station to the venerable
college in which for so many years his
uncle had been more feared than loved.
The ancient buildings looked grim and
I1ournful under the leadeH March sky;
the soft stone Of which. like all except
the most modern Oxford edifices, they
had been constructed, was peeling and
crumbling away, and to fanciful spec
tatof they might have worn an ON
inously suggestive aspect of death and
decay. Fred Musgrave. however, was
not at all fanciful person. and he only
though. tlat 1t was a horrid raw
morning, and that he would be glad to
warm himself before the dining-r room
fire. Nor did he dray any gloomy de-
euction from the circumstance that al
the blinds in the Deans residence were
drawn down: most peoples blinds are
down before o'clock on wintry
morning.
1t was. therefore. a great shock TO
him when Williams. the butler, appear
ed with very long face. and, in an
swer to his inquiry said: Its all over.
str, l am sorry to tell you. The Dean
expired peacefully shortly after IL
O'Clock last night, sir"
The housekeeper followed, with con-
nrmatory signs and shakings Of the
head. AS for Fred, his distress was
genuine, though he could not for The
moment find any words in which to
express IT,
How awfully student" he exclaim-
ed
Well, 1 don't know as we can call
1t that, sir" answered the housekeep-
er, twisting her capstrings between her
fingers For three days past avent
'ad no 'opes myself, and when the doc
tor come yesterday he give me to un-
derstand as nothing more could be
done"
And yet you never sent for wei"
We dursn't do it, sir. without orders
Day before yesterday / says to Mr.
Wtlliams-whichh he can bear me out IN
that-'Didn't somebody ought to tele-
graph for Mr.. Frederick? | says: and
Mr. Williams he quite agree. But l
couldn't take upon me to mention it,
you see, sir; and when Mr. Breffit was
here yesterday l spoke to him; but he
couldn't give me no authority to hact"
IL doesn't much signify what Mr.
Brefht said.' interrupted Fred, who
perhaps was not particularly anxious
70 hear the circumstances IN question
oliated upon; "the upshot of it is that.
among you, you have managed to pre-
vent me from saying good-by to my
uncle"
Later in the morning Fred went up
stairs and looked for the last time up
on the stern, calm features which had
never been quite so terrible to him as
they had been to the rest of the world.
His uncle had not been his friend. nor
anything approaching to his friend; no
condolences had ever been exchanged
between them, nor had the severity
meted out to him been even tempered
by Justice. Yet he could not but re-
member. and had no wish to forget,
tnat he owed everything to his I'M
Gle He we'll recollected the day when,
as boy Of is, he had been sent to
oxford, had been introduced into the
presence of his alarming relative. and
mad been coldly informed that hence
Forth he would be provided for and
educated In the manner customary
amongst English gentlemen"-always
supposing that he did not grossly mis-
cohduct himself He had since often |
wondered what would have become OF |
him II he had not been adopted by the |
old Dean. He had at that time been
an orphan, absolutely alone in the
world. and absolutely without means |
OF subsistence. His father. after hav-
ing amassed large fortune as a Chi
ma merchant. had lost everything |
through some unfortunate specula- |
tons. and had dropped down dead on |
the very day that his bankruptcy was |
announced. Then the Dean of st. |
Cyprian's. who had broken off all rela- |
lions with his brother from the mo-
ment that the latter had engaged in |
trade Ian avocation which, according |
to The Deans ideas. was utterly dis !
graceful and degrading to a Mus
gravel, thought fit to take charge OF |
bis brothers only child; and it is but |
fair to add that he behaved quite as |
generously to Fred as he would have |
done TO son of his own. He was not |
tender; he made no allowances for the |
young fellow Except. In due season, a |
pecuniary one, which was sufficiently |
iiberaD; he took very little interest |
In his pursuits or tastes; but he toler- |
ated him, and that was more than he |
had been able to accomplish in the |
case of any other living mortal, with |
the solitary exception of the Master OF |
All Saints.
Fred had not distinguished himself |
at the University. save in the matter
OF athletics; but he had been steady |
and sensible, and had not run up bills |
Such differences as he had with his |
uncle, until that rather serious one |
arose about the question of his career,
had for the most part had their origin |
In mere trifles, and the younger man
had always given in-or at any rate |
appeared to give in-with a grace and |
good humor which the elder had BEEN |
unable TO resist. To Fred these need |
less Quarrels and reconciliations had |
seemed more comical than provoking; |
be had taken very indulgent view OF |
the perversity which had brought |
them about: probably he had to some |
extent understood his uncle. though II |
Is doubtful whether his uncle had ever |
understood him.
Well, II was all over now; and |
henceforth this once destitute orphan |
would not only De his own master but |
the master OF considerable wealth. He |
could not help thinking a little about |
that. though he was rather ashamed |
Of admitting the thought at such a /
time That he would be the sole In |
heritor of his uncle's fortune he did not |
aoubt for a moment; who else was |
there to Inherit it9
CHAPTER VI
The moment that the breath is out |
OF the body OF a king his successor |