The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-02

tered at the start. When the Dudley
will was taken out of the icebox and
read to the assembled members OF the
family. there were Mt least two shock
Ing surprises. Jasper hadn't been any
where near as rich as we had all been
thinking he was; that his modest
manner of living had been, perhaps, as
much matter of necessity as of
choice. Bad investments-of which
the family had never heard so much
as whisper-had cut his fortune
down to something less than half
million, all told. That was shock
Number One; and shock Number Two
was strictly personal to me: Grand
father Jasper had left me his love and
best wishes, and had willed the money
and property-all Of It, mind you---to
Cousin Percy, giving as his reason
that he thought Percy would make
better use of 1t.
OF course. had everybody's sympa-
thy and condolence--even Percy's, for
that matter. My mother wept; and,
as recall 1t, Lisette managed to com
pass tear or so when told her what
had happened; or rather what had SO
ignominiously failed to happen.
Whatever will you do?" she fall
tered. II suppose you will really have
to go TO work now. won't you, Stan
nIe?"
Perish the thoughtl" / told her;
then gave the good reasons why
there was no hope for us In that d.
rection. "a fat chance I'd have to
earn any real money. can navigate
yachta little.--drive motor, ride
polo pony, and play a fair hand at
bridge and the other great American
game. ! think these are the sum total
OF my shining accomplishments.
You needn't return the ring" I
grinned, seeing that she was looking
at 1t rather regretfully. You can wear
1t on some other finger, you know"
yes. suppose | could do that"
she agreed; and rm blest IL she didn't
shift II to finger of the other hand
right there and thenl
II was less than a week after this
little fade-out scene with Lisette that
Percy's letter came. This is what II
said:
Dear Stannie:
II know just about how you felt
last week when you heard Grandfa-
Their Jasper's win read. and It isn't
going to make you feel amy better now
when tell you that knew OF It's pro-
visions more than year ago. When
the win was drawn, grandfather
showed 1t TO me, and gave me sealed
envelope, which was 10 open after
his death, That envelope. as | knew
at the time. contained, among other
things, codicil to the will. BY its
provisions you are to receive legacy
under certain conditions which were
to be revealed to you at such time as
might think best.
"Your portion of Grandfather Jas
per's property was worth, at its latest
| valuation, something like $440,000. II
lies In perfectly safe repository, situ-
ated between the 105th and 10th de-
grees of longitude west from Green
witch. and the 35th and 10th degrees
north latitude. When you find 1t, you
viii be able TO Identify 1t by the pres
i ence of a girl with brown hair and
blue eyes and small mole on her left
shoulder, piebald horse which the
girl rides, and dog with split face
half black and half white. You will
!, be more than likely to find the three
together; and II you make the &C
quaintance of the girl, you'll be on the
trail Of your legacy.
$50 there you are. StannIe, old boy
there's your fortune. All you've go
to do Is to go TO work and find It, Per
haps by that time you will have nc
quired the working habit-whlch Il
what Grandfather Jasper hoped nigh
prove to be the case.
wishing you great Joy in you
search. am,
"Your affectionate cousin.
apERCY -