The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-19

under q bushel Buddington senior
held on to every cent he had and only
arranged for the disposition Of his for
tune after his death because he could
not take it with him.
But for this reason and because 1t
had absorbed his whole life he was
much concerned as to its going where
he wished TO have it go when he could
no longer use 1t himself.
One evening he sent for Tom to come
and see him. Tom was away from
home and had told his wife that he
was going TO a meeting Of household
ers OF his ward to select a candidate
for councilman. Bess sent word to
Mr.. Buddington to that effect, giving
the place of the committee meeting.
He telephoned there and was told that
Tom had just left for his club. Mr..
Buddington had not been aware that
his nephew was member of q club.
He had never considered that he could
AFFORD such luxury himself and could
not see how Tom with his limited In
come and family could do so. The
old gentleman did not send to the club
for Tom, but he did send to his home
after IL o'clock for him. to learn that
his nephew had not yet returned.
When Tom came in at o'clock In
the morning and learned that his uncle
had sent for him he was troubled He
knew the old gentleman's proclivities
well and had not Informed him Of any
expense that he incurred that his uncle
would consider he should avoid He
went to see his uncle the next evening,
but the old man merely said that he
had wanted him to witness an impOr-
tant document and, not reaching him,
had called in some one else.
This lulled Toms fears, and ne did
not know that the willy old man,
through parties unknown to him or
Bess, had made inquiries which had
put him in possession Of the situation
Of affairs in their household. He also
by similar indirect means learned that
Tom wRs inclined to take an interest
in Improbable affairs and spent very
little of his time at home. But the I'M
Gle made no mention to any one of his
discoveries. He did a Job of thinking
over the matter and came to some con-
illusions that would have caused his
nephew to open his eyes had he been
aware of the fact.
For awhile after his uncle had sent
for him-not to find hinton was I'M
easy about going out. But his uneasi-
ness did not last long. His uncle's
manner was the same that it had been,
and there was no indication that there
had been any unfavorable turn. But
Bess, who had been for a long while
striving to make ends meet. had been
unable to do so, and the family
financial affairs were on the ragged
edge. Bess had been Ill on several &C.
casions, and doctors bill to con-
siderable amount had accumulated.
Perhaps IL they had applied to Mr..
Buddington he might have helped
them out. Perhaps he might have told
them that If they had lived within
their income they would have provided
for the doctors bills as they occurred.
But they did not dare inform the old
man of their condition. He was get
ting feeble and might drop OF any
day. If they could worry along tsll he
had passed away they could pay all
their bills a hundred times over. So
they concluded to endure the situation.
But Tom as his uncle's feebleness In
creased rather increased than dimin-
ished his personal expenditures, bank.
Ing on his soon possessing fortune.
When Mr.. Buddington passed from
earth he did so without warning. He
died so suddenly that his nephew did
not have time to reach him to bid him
goodby and receive his blessing. When
he reached the house where the rich
man lay he received something that he
did not appreciate as he would have
appreciated a blessing. The house
keeper handed him a note written by
the deceased shortly before his death,
which read as follows:
My Dear Nephew-I have led you to be-
iieve that at my death you would inherit
what have been a lifetime In accumuiat-
ing. During the last few years / have
concluded that you are not a safe person
to be Entrusted with a fortune. l have
therefore decided to place my estate in
other hands Don't feel hard toward me
for this. have always been very fond of
you and am fond of you still. Goodby.
Your afrectionate UNCLE.
Tom staggered under the blow. His
wife, who was with him and read the
letter over his shoulder, took him in
her arms. She was too disappointed
to speak encoura gingly to him, but
spoke no word OF reproach. Sadly
they left the house. the wife looking
the future in the face resoIutely, the
husband limp as cloth.
When the will was opened Tom and
his wife were present more out of
curiosity than anything else, though
they thought that some memento
might be left them. The will was
very short. reading as follows:
II give and bequeath to Elizabeth
Buddington, wife Of my nephew,
Thomas r. Buddington. all my proper.
ty, real and personal"
Tom looked at Bess, and Bess looked
at Tom. Then the woman took the
mans hand in hers. and what she felt
was indicated by pressure.
1t was evident that Mr.. Buddington
had noted the difference between the
two-that the wife was fitted to dis
pense an income and that the husband
was not During the years that they
enjoyed their Inheritance Bess consci-
entiously carried out the intent of the
will and resisted all attempts of her
husband to induce her to turn the for
tune over to him or to permit him to
have anything to say in its manage