Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-07-05

little odds and ends, such as paper
clips, nail scissors and other such
articles.
Hard times came on, and my law
business became much reduced. NV
wife was good manager and we
lived economically. The few hundred
dollars she expected to get for her
share in her uncle's estate would have
been welcome. but month after month
passed and we heard nothing of a di-
vision. Either new relative had
turned up or piece of property must
be sold before the estate could be
closed.
/ have always been sportsman,
and in the season l often went duck
shooting. While ON the water | need
ed pocket compass and usually took
one with me on my outings. One day
when l returned from a hunt 1 threw
my compass into the pigeonhole where
/ kept odds and ends. When took 1t
out again l noticed vibration of the
needle. Being curious as to the cause,
| put it back into the pigeonhole, and,
bringing a light to bear ON it, l saw
that it was DETECTED from the pole.
Every one knows that metal is re-
quired to defect the magnetic needle.
But 1 was sure that my desk had been
mortised together and that there was
not a nail in it. l removed every arti-
Gle from the pigeonhole and put back
the compass. The needle was still de-
fected.
Now. | take very little interest in
what l know. but a great deal of in
terest in what don't know. l didn't
know what DETECTED that needle and
l was bound to find out If 1 had to
pull the desk to pieces in order to do
so. | moved the compass about as
near as possible to the desk, and the
needle always pointed in the same di-
rection-that is, to the upper left hand
corner. A careful examination of this
part of the desk told me there was
space there that had been left unused
by a drawer or pigeonho,e. | raped
on it, and the sound given out indi
Gated that it was hollow. Neverthe-
less my compass told me that there
was metal there.
Resolved to get into that space,
though l regretted to injure my desk,
| began TO take off the woodwork at
the fore part. This reveele1 a circu-
lar steel plate about half en- inch in
diameter. | pressed my thumb upon
it, and out popped a steel drawer.
Int 11a In
drawer-a paper.
Something tod me that my wife
was the person to examine that paper.
| called her. and she came into the
room. On seeing that I had mutilated
the desk we both priced so highly she
uttered an exclamation of rebuke |
showed her that | had discovered
secret drawer and there was a paper
in it. 1t was for her, as the nearest per-
son to her late uncle. to see what that
paper contained She took it out, open
ed it and read words written in her
uncle's handwriting and signed by him
and two witnesses:
1 give and bequeath all my property,
real and personal. to my beloved niece
HidISdIS blidIu.
1 could not resist the temptation to
look over my wife's shoulder and knew
what she read as soon as herself. She
turned and threw her arms around my
neck, and we remained locked together
without speaking I don't know which
Of the two was the happier. | doubt
II either surpassed the other.
That was joyful evening both for
my wife and myself Not the least
source of pleasure to me was that the
will had not been discovered sooner.
[ had married my wife when she was
poor and partly that 1 might take care
of her. A long while had elapsed be-
fore fortune came to her like q sum-
mer shower in the midst of a drought.
But we could not dismiss from our
minds the one chance out of thousands
Of finding the will. Had l not been
sportsman | would not have needed a
pocket compass. Had the secret drawer
containing it been made of wood still
would the important bit of paper have
been hidden. 1t was the unerring
finger of science that pointed to the
key to wealth.
"Well,'' said my wife when our first
transports had passed, you began by
being my attorney when 1 put in a
claim for nursing my uncle; you may
as well continue IN my service and
present the will to the proper authori-
ties''
And there will be no need for me
to return the fee in fruits or flowers"
was my reply.
Great was the establishment of both
officials and hers eXpectant when more
than two Yeas after Mr. Girard's
death a will was produced giving his
property to the person it was presumed
he intended to give it ard cutting off
host of distant relatives. Some of
these, who would not have received
more than few hundred dollars had
there been no win. had been long
counting on rich legacy.