The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-12-12

" Sary," remarked Aunt Elise
as 1 appeared at 1870 on the
night of the third Christ
mas, for we do not sit in the work
room for at least fifteen minutes. and
1 feel sure that you will not find the
hiding place, and if it is not found you
cannot marry Elsie, and if you are not
to marry Elsie it is not wise for you
to see so much of each other And
Elsie's welcoming kiss was strongly
tinctured with reproach Not liking
the reproachful flavor, l Immediately
kissed Elsie to dissipate the taste.
Then l displayed the gift | had
brought, and Aunt Elise shook her
head reprovingly, even as she gloated
over the solitaire that slipped on FL
sizes white hand.
You would better have saved your
money. Remember, this is the third
Christmas. and l don't believe you will
find the hiding place"
Then we will be married right
away" l said please bear in mind |
now have a salary with which to
propitiate the wolf when he howls at
our door"
And so have 1, thanks to dear old
uncler cried Elsie.
Aunt Elise. by the way, is neither
Elsies aunt nor mine, Elsie. and
are. or, rather, were, the wards of
Aunt Elise's brother Judge Breen. who
died more than three years ago. leav
ing the old Breen home to Aunt Elise.
who had a modest income of her own,
and the remainder to Elsie and me con
ditionaIly, the conditions being set
forth in the letter which Lawyer Pat
terson, Judge Breens lifelong friend.
whom he had appointed executor of
his will. handed to us during the week
following his death The letter ran:
NY Dear, irresponsible Children-I have.
as Mr. Patterson will tell you, converted
my entire estate, with the exception of tAe
old home. into money, which | wish you.
Gilbert and Elsie to share equally
have this money put away for you lt be-
comes yours at the moment that you
find it.
Now, | will remind you that l have al
ways earnestly deplored the idle, frivo-
lous pursuits which have occupied you
and desired you both to master some use
and fribbled away the time. and thue l
have allowed you to grow up without the
ability to earn penny.
Elsie. your artistic daubs and. Gilbert,
your long winded poems all very we'll
for a harmless pastime, but you can nei-
ther eat drink nor wear them. Moreover.
It is a disgrace for any ablebodied per-
son to be without the knowledge of some
useful vocation
I suppose that l am to blame for not
training the artistic tommyrot out of you.
but loved you both far too well to exact
obedience from you. l now am deter
mined to atone for my weakness as far
as lies within my power. have decided
that you must both acquire a vocation
and have chosen my own, telegraphy. for
you. My best and happiest days were
spent in lonely little station in Arizona
You are to master this thoroughly. NO
mere smattering will answer. You are to
prove your ability by securing and accept
ably filling positions You are to begin
your studies at once
Then in memory of me | ask you both
to join your Aunt Elise in a quarter of
an hours vigil in my workroom on Christ
mas night. l wish my inventions TO re-
main there untouched l also wish you
to wind and start the big clock which
have just finished. 1t will run for the
brief time that l ask you to keep tryst
with my memory in the workroom where
have spent so many many happy hours
If after following my instructions you
do not find your inheritance which IN
tend to come to you as a Christmas glft
come again for the vigil on the second
Christmas. and if you have not found it
then return again on the third. If you
have not found it on the third Christmas
YOU will have forfeited your legacy and
will find your knowledge of telegraphy
most useful to provide bread and res-
sonable amount of butter.
Do not under any circumstances tamper
with the contents OF my workroom, which
1 wish to remain just as it is during the
lifetime of your Aunt Elise.
You failed to obey me in life. but
your disobedience after my death Will be
fraught with graver consequence. for un-
less Won meet the requirements set forth
here YOU will never know the whereabouts
ok your legacy. This letter is written
with heart full of love for my spoiled
children. From UNCLE AMBROSE.
And now the time of the vigil OF the
third Christmas had arrived. and we
knew no more about the hiding place
of our Inheritance than on the day
that we received the letter. True. we
had not followed his instructions IN re-
gard to telegraphy until very recently
1T seemed so preposterous that merely
mastering vocation would aid in the
unearthing of our legacies. So Elsie
and I optimistically painted and poet
lied through the first year, serenely
confident that the money would turn up
without strenuous effort on our part
On the first Christmas we wound the
clock and sat expectantly through the
fifteen minutes. Nothing happened
We were slightly disappointed. but not
at all uneasy Then during the next
ho4xz no into als of niofurQS