Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-16
The Argus Daily Story
The One Disinterested Gift-By Amelia Wright.
Copyrigh.ed. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

be wealthy had died and left no Will,
so far as had thus far been discovered.
He had left instructions that his house
hold effects be sold at auction and all
his relatives be hidden to the sale. An
army of these persons were there, be-
lieving that n legacy would be con-
tanned in some Of the articles sold. As
soon as the auctioneer mounted the
stand a spirited bidding commenced on
everything that was hollow. Crockery.
knives and forks that could not be used
to conceal n treasure went for moth
ing. Mrs. Spellmeyer regretted that
she had spent her SIS. for she could
have bought lots Of things she wanted
for a song But sofas, bureaus and
desks with locked drawers brought
fabulous prices. AS soon as an article
was knocked down to a bidder II was
torn to pieces In the hope of finding
sum of money, stocks, bonds or jew
elry.
Finally some kitchen stores were put
up and among other things a cake Of
maple sugar. Mrs Spellmeyer by this
time began to suspect that the de-
ceased had intended TO favor her, but
she could scrape together only cents
of the money provided to secure the
sugar She made the first bid on Il
she made on anything and, this at
tracing attention, the cake was soon
up to $40, so she lost 1t.
Meanwhile there was a smashing
and a tearing to pieces OF all sorts OF
articles as fast as they were bought.
The sale was over without any large
sum being discovered. though those
who had made purchases were stil
pulling to pieces what they had bought.
One old lady who had bought bed
had ripped the ticking of the mattress
and was throwing the contents aside
as a ship throws the waves from her
bow. A man who had purchased an
iron box locked and no key was drill
ing hole in it with view to insert
ing an explosive and blowing it open.
boy was chopping to piece bureau
the drawers of which could not be re-
moved in any other way. A young
! girl added to the din by trying to blow
bank bills out Of a comets piston. At
| the moment some one stove in the
/ head of a drum.
]
! form with bit of paper in his hand,
raped with his gavel. When he had
secured attention he began to speak.
Ladies and gentlemen, the intention
of the deceased in ordering this sale
has been discovered One Of the ar
ticles sold, a cake Of maple sugar, was
broken apart and this paper found
within: 4 give and bequeath all my
property, real and personal, to Laura
Spellmeyer, nee Maryweather'
There was hush for a moment, fol-
lowed by a howl of disappointed rage.
The auctioneer raped and cried above
the din, SIS Laura Spellmeyer pres
ent?'
| The widow, not knowing whether
she was on her heels or her head, stood
up aud said she was the party called
for. A sleek looking gentleman ad-
vanced toward her and stated that he
had been the deceased's attorney and
had the care of the property. He had
forwarded to her the mysterious letter
she had received. Ii had been left with
him by the teGtator some time before
his death.
A crowd gathered round the widow,
composed mostly of those who had ex-
pected little or nothing, to congratulate
her. To their questions as to her con-
nection to the deceased she replied that
she had never heard of him, whereupon
the attorney said that the testator had
told him the reason for willing his
property as he did.
In all his life he had received but one
offer of purely disinterested kindness.
When journeying to the city a penni-
less boy he had met girl who offered
him a five dollar bill she had just re-
ceived for birthday gift. That girl
he made his heir
Mrs. Spellmeyer tried to remember
the incident. but failed 1t had &C.
Cured many years before. when she
was a child, and 1t had passed out OF
her memory.
She was receiving congratulations.
her face wreathed in smiles. when the
lawyer asked her if she knew how
much money she had inherited
, La sakes," she exclaimed, Il never
thought of THAR
Guess"
"a thousand dollars"
"A thousand dollars. It's more than
a million"
j 'Oh, my goodness gracious! I won
3 der how | came 10 deserve such trea.
ment of my heavenly father"
"Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of
the least Of these yc did it unto the
, king"
/ In the collection plate in Mrs. Mary
! weather's congregation the next day
, was an Easter offering OF 100000 for
new church and another 100000 for
, an endowment This was only the be
+ ginning Of the widows gifts. She
seemed to take as much pleasure Ia
4 scattering her money as the man from
whom she inherited it had taken In
: boarding it. The only smart thing she
5 ever said was In this connection:
r THE Lord needs two people to dis
: pense benefactions-one to get money
r together. another to scatter it."