Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-07-12
CHAPTER vi. (contInued).

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leather trunk a battered black
japanned tin box, which, upon ex-
ploration, proved to contain little that
might not have been anticipated. A
handbook issued by the house of Roth
schild Freres, Paris, showed a bal
ance to the credit of H. d. Rutton of
something slightly under a million
francs. There was American money,
chiefly in gold certificates of large
denominations, to the value of, round
ly, $4,000, together with a handful of
French, German and English bank
notes which might have brought in
exchange about $780, In addition to
these there was merely a single en-
velope, superscribed: ITO be opened
In event Of my death only. H. ID. R"
Amber broke the seal and read the
enclosures once to himself and a sec
ond time aloud to Doggott The date
was barely year old.
For reasons personal to myself
and sufficient" Rutton had written, Il
choose not to make a formal will. I
shall die, probably in the near future,
by my own hand, of poison. wish
to emphasize this statement in event
the circumstances surrounding my de-
mise should appear to attach suspic
ion of murder upon any person or per-
sons whatever. l am a widower and
childless. What relations may sur
vive me are distant and will never
appear to claim what estate | may
leave-this know. therefore desire
that my body servant Henry Doggott,
an English citizen, shall inherit and
appropriate to his own use all my
property and effects, providing he be
in my service at the time of my death.
To facilitate his entering into pos
session Of my means, whatever they
may be, without the necessity of legal
procedure of any kind, enclose a
cheQue to his order upon my bankers,
signed by myself and bearing the date
of this memorandum. He is to fill 1t
in with the amount remaining to my
credit upon my handbook. Should he
have died or left me, however, the dis
position of my effects Is a matter
about which l am wholly careless"
The signature was Enthusiastically
genuine-the formal III. D. Rutton"
with which Amber was familiar. It
was unwitnessed.
The Virginian put aside the paper
and offered Doggott the blank cheque
on Rothschilds' This" he said.
makes you pretty nearly independent
~ rich. Doggott."
Yes; sir" Doggott took the slip of
paper in hand that trembled even as
his voice, and eyed it incredulously.
I've never 'ad anything like this be-
fore, sir; 'ardly know what it
means"
1T MEANS" explained Amber, that,
when you've filled in that blank and
had the money collected from the
Rothschilds, you'n be worth-with
what cash is herein the neighbor-
hood of forty-fve thousand pounds
sterling"
Doggott gasped. temporarily mar
ticulate. "F'orty-five thousands poundsi
Mr. Amber" he declared earn
estly, Il never looked for nothin' like
this. IL never-I-" Quite without
warning he was quiet and composed
again. Might l ask 1t of you as a
favor. sir, to look after this"-he Of
fered to return the cheque-''for a
while, till l can myke up my mind
what to do with It."
Certainly" Amber took the paper.
folded it and placed 1t in his card
case. I'D suggest that you deposit
1t as soon as possible in New York
bank for collection. In the meantime,
these bills are yours; you'd better
take care of them yourself until you
open the banking account"
It'll keep as well in ere as any
where's" Doggott considered. relock-
ing the box. Il 'aven't 'ardly any use
for money. except, of course, to tide
me over till I find another position"
What" exclaimed Amber in
amaze.
Yes, sir" affirmed Doggott respect
fully. I'm bit too old to chynge
my w'ys; a valet I've been ali my
life and valet I'll die, sir. It's too
lyte to think of anything else"
But with this money, Doggott-''
Beg pardon, sir, but I know; l
could live easy like gentleman If I
nked-but l wouldn't be a gentleman,
SO what's the use of that? So the Wye
look at 1t, there's naught for me but