The Press., 1918-01-10

Evorv one Knows that metal Is re. auired to defect the magnetic needle. Rut I was sure that my desk had been mortised together and that there was not n nail in it. I removed every aru- cle from the pigeonhole and put back the compass The needle was stM de- fected.
 Now. I take very little interest in what I know, but great deal or n- tarest in what don't know. didn't know what deflected that needle, anu was bound to find out If l had to pull the desk to pieces in order 10 oO so moved the compass about as near as possible to the desk, and tne needle always pointed in the same dl- raction-that Is, to the upper left hahu corner A careful examination or thls mart of the desk told me there was snace tbere that had been left unused bv a drawer or pigeonhoie. rappeu on it. and the sound given out lllul- cated that it was hollow. NeVertne- less my compass told me that mere was metal there.
 Resolved to get into that space though I regretted to inJure my uesN' hogan to take off the WOODWORK aC the fore part. This revealed clrcu- Ior steel plate about half an inch Tn diameter. | pressed my thumb upon it and out popped q steel drawer There was but one article III uie drawer-a paper. .s. Something told me that my -"lle was the person to examine that paper called her, and she came into tue room On seeing that had mutilateu tha desk we both prized so highly she uttered an exclamation of rebuKe. | showed her that 1 had discovered q secret drawer and there was paper in it. It was for her, as the nearest per- son to her late uncle, to see what that paper contained. She took it out, open cd if and read words written In her uncle's handwriting and signed by him
 and two witnesses:
 I give and bequeath all my property,
 real and personal, to my peioNeo 'i'S~S
 Margaret Girard
 could not resist the temptation to
 look over my wife's shoulder and knew
 what she read as soon as herself. Sne
 turned and threw her arms around my neck and we remained locked together
 without speaking. don't know which
 of the two was the happier. l doubt if either surpassed the other.
 That was a joyful evening both Tor
 my wife and myself. Not the least
 source of pleasure to me was that the
 will had not been discovered sooner
 I had married my wife when she was
 poor and partly that might take care
 of her. A long while had elapsed be
 fore fortune came to her like sum
 mer shower in the midst of drought
 But we could not dismiss from oul minds the one chance out of thousands
 of finding the will. Had not been . sportsman 1 would not have needed
 pocket compass. Had the secret draWe
 containing 1t been made of wood stll | would the important bit of paper hav'
 been hidden. It was the unerrmi
 finger of science that pointed to tn I key to wealth.
 Q Well" said my wife when our ITS
 transports had passed, you began b q being my attorney when l put in ,. claim for nursing my uncle; you ma ;- as well continue in my service an t present the will to the proper author r ties" ?. And there will be no need for m N to return the fee in fruits or flowers r, was my reply.
 " Great was the astonishment of bot e officials and heirs expectant when moI d than two years after Mir. Girard E. death A will was produced giving h e property to the person it was presume <. he intended to give 1t and cutting O 7- A host of distant relatives. Some d these. who would not have receive
 more than q few hundred dollars ha d there been no will, had been Ion " counting on a rich legacy.
 re The inheritance turned out to | Ill much larger than had been expecte IN Some investments Mir. Girard ha Iu made shortly before his death durir
 the long period that the chancery a 'S thorities were hunting up his relative 'G had increased tenfold in value. Co
 sidering the disappointment suffert
 by so many persons, my wife calt .e for a list of those who would ha' ,a been benefited except for the will III ~ set aside fund for the relief of { st that were needful, That fund is ill ,d istence today and many are bell V. benefited by 1t.
 ~ There is an important moral to ,d story. t:shows plainly that perso rr who hope to prosper should not ad down and wait, like MT. Micawber, f od something to turn up. A stone in t m bottom of river. may lie there f V. centuries. That which is endowed wi a, life-motion under another name as meets opportunities.