Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 19, Number 14, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 22 September 1888 — Page 2

Si#

CHAPTER

ACGC6TA AITD HEB PCTXISHEa. Everybody who has any connection with Birmingham will be acquainted with the vast publisl-irj establishment still known by the short title of "Meeson's," which la perhaps the most remarkable lnstitntiou of the sort in Europe. There are—or rather there were, at the date of the beginning of this t! ory—tVr partners & Meeson's—ra bin If, the managing partner Mr. Addison and Mr. Boscoo—and people in B'r ing*. used to say that there were o:L rs srested in the affair, for Meeson's was a "company" (limited).

However this may be, Meeson

Salatiol

hulia of Mossrs. Mooaon, Addison ttosooc? One day King Meeson sat In his counting house counting out his money, or, at least, looking over the books of tho firm. Hu was in a very bad temper, and his heavy brows wero wrinklod up in a way calculated to make the counting house clerks shake on their stools. Meeson's had a branch establishment at Sydney, in Australia, which establishment had, until lately, been paying—it is true not as well as tho English ona, but still 15 or 20 per cent. But now a wonder had come to pass. A great London publishing com-

MR.'MEESOM S WILL.

)ony had started an opposition house in and their "outeness" was more than tho "cuteness" of Moeson. Did Meeson's publish an odJtion of tho works of any standard author at threepence j)or volume, tho opposition company brought out the samo work at twopenco halfpenny did Meosoii's subsidizo a newspaper to puff their undertakings, tho opposition firm subsidised two to cry them down, and so on. And now the result.' of all this woro becoming apparent: for the financial year just ended tho Australian branch had barely earned a beggarly net dividend of 7 por cent.

!tfclbourne,

No wonder Mr. Moeson was furious, and no wonder that tho clerks shook upon their stools. "Tills must be seen into. No. 8." said Mr. Mooeou, bringing his fiat down with a bang on to tho balauco sheet.

BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.

& Co.

was undoubtedly a commercial marvelIt employed more than 2,000 hands and its works, lighted throughout with the electric light, cover two acres and a quarter of land. One hundred commercial travelers, at £3 a week and a commission, went forth east and west, and north and south, to sell the books of Meeson (which were largely religious in their nature) in all lauds and fivo-and-twenty tame authors (who were illustrated by thirteen tame artists) sat—at salaries ranging from £100 to

£500 a

year—in vault-

llko hutches i.i the basement, and "..eek by week poured out that hat work for which Meeson's was justly famous. Then there v. ere editors and vice editors, and heads of the various departments, and sub-heads. and 0::ancial secretaries, and readers, and many managers but what their names were no man know, because at Meeson's all tho employes of tho great house were known by numbers, personalities and personal responsibility being the abomination of tho firm. Nor was it allowed to any one having dealings with these items over to see tho same number twice, presumably for fear lest the number should remember that bo was a man and a brother, and his heart sh-r.ild uielt toward the unfortunato, and the financial interests of Meeson's should suffer. Iu short, Moeson's was an establishment created for and devoted to money making, and the fact was kept studiously and even insolently before the cyc3 of everybody connected with it— which was, of course, as It should bo, in this happy land of commerce. After all that has been written, the reader will not bo surprised to learn that tho partners in Meeson's were rich beyond the dreams of avarieo. Their palaces would have been a wonder oven undent Babylon, and would have cxcited admiration iu tho corruptest aud most luxurious days of llomo. Where could one see such horses, such carriages, such galleries of sculpture, or such collections of costly goms as at tho

No. 8 was ono of the editors—o mild eyed little man with blue spectacles. Ho had onoo been a writer or promise, but somehow Meeson's had got him for its own and turned him into a publisher's hack. "Quite so, sir," ho said, humbly. "It is very bad—it 1* dreadful to tfflnk of Mo&sou's coming down to 7 per cent.—7 per centl" and he held up his hands. "Dou't stand there like a stuck pig, No. 8," said Mr. Meeson. fiercely, "but suggest something." "Well, sir," said No. 3, more humbly than ever, for ho was terribly afraid of his employer. "I think, perhaps, that somebody had better to Australia, and see what can be done. "I know ouo thing that can bo done," said Mr. Moeson, with a auiorl "all those fools out there can bo sacked, and sacked they shall be and, what's more. 111 go and sack them myself. That will do. No. 8, that will do and No. 8 deported, and glad enough he was to go.

As ho went a clerk arrived and gave a card to tho great man. "Miss Augusta

Smlibers."

he read

then, with a grant: "Show Miss Augusta Smlther* In." Presently Miss August* Smithers arrived. She was a tall, well formed young If dy of about 20. with pretty golden hair, deep gray eyea. a fins forehead, and a delicate mouth just now. however, she looked very nerwnu. "Well. Mis* Seiither*, what la Itf* asked the publisher. "1 came, Mr. Meeson—I came about my book." "Your book. MissSmlihewf*—this w*a an affcctatkvn of forget fulness. "Let me soe. Forgive tae, but wo publish so many books. Oh, yes, I »an*omber Jemima's Vow.* Oh. weil, I believe it ia going on fairly." "I saw you advertised the sixteenth thousand the other day." put in Miss Smithers. apolc ically. •DM w*~-did Ah, then, you know more about it than I do," and no looked at hb visitor la a way t% conv -d clearly enough thai he ooot ared th1 interview was ended.

Miss Smithers rose, and then, with a spasmodic effort, sat down agate. "The fact ia, Mr Mee*on." sfc* «atd-"lba that I thought that, pcrhajw, as Me-

Kuau's Vow* feuwi been such a great ©est*, nm might. |wrhaj»—tn abort jw mU bt few ladtoed to give me twe® cam to auiii l»n to what I havo meh

Mr. Mwwm Imtaxi up. His forehead was mink!*! till the *haggr ei Wf» awiHv hid tho sharp littl© eyas. *'WjaiT ho "Wbatr

At OOa motauat the door erased and a eesliestan ca— tn. E» very nk» look! yo m«a, taU

•~m

I®

and well shaped, with a fair skin and lly blue eyes—In short, atypical young ilahman of the better sort, state suo 24. I have said that he came slowly in, but that scarcely conveys the £ay and degage air of independence which pervaded tfcj young man. and which would certainly have struck any observer as little short of shocking, when contrasted with the worm like attitude of those who crept around the feet of Meeson. This young niim had not, indeed, even taken the trouble to remove his hat, which was stuck upon the back of his head his hands were in his pockets, a sacrilegious whistle hovered on his lips, and ho opened the door of the sanctum sanctorum of the Meeson establishment with a kick! "How do, under* ho said to the commercial terror, who was sitting there behind his formidable books, addressing him even as though he were an ordinary man. "Why, what up?"

Just then, however, he caught sight of tho very handsome young lady who was seated in the office, and his whole demeanor underwent a most remarkable changc out came the hands from his pockets, off went the hat, and. turning, no bowed, really rather nicely, considering how impromptu the whole performance was. ,, "What is It, Eustace?" asked Mr. Meeson, sharply. -Oh, nothing, tmele nothing—it can biclo." and. without waiting for an invitation, ho took a chair and sat down in such a position that he could see Miss Smithers without being seen of his unde. "I was saying, Miss Smithers, or rather I was going to say," went on tho elder Meeson, "tnat, in short, I do not In the least understand what you can mean. You will remember that you were paid a sum of £50 for the copyright of 'Jemima's Vow.'" "Great heavens!" murmured Master Eustacc, behind "what a do?" "At tho tiino an alternative agreement, offering you 7 per cent, on the published price of tho book, was submitted to you, and hod you accepted it you would, doubtless, havo realized a larger sum," and Mr. Meeson contracted his hairy eyebrows and gazed at tho poor girl in away that was, to say the least, alarming. But Augusta, though sho felt sadly inclined to flee, still stood to her guns, for, to tell the truth, her need was very great. "I could not afford to wait for tho 7 per cent., Mr. Meeson," she said humbly. "Oh, yo gods! Sevon per ccnt., when ho makes about 45!" murmured Eustace, in tho background. "Possibly, Miss Smithers possibly, wont on tho groat man. "You-niust really forgivo mo if I am not acquainted with tho exact condition of your private affairs. I am, however, awaro from experience that tho money matters of most writing peoplo area little embarrassed."

Augusta winced, and Mr. Moeson, rising heavily from his chair, went to a large safe wnich stood near and extracted from It a bundlo of agreements. These ho glanced at one by one till ho found what ho was looking

for.

"Iloro is tho agreement," ho said. "Let mo see? Ah, I thought so—copyright £50, half proceeds of rights of translation, and a clause binding you to offer env futuro work you may proauce during the next five years to our house on the 7 per cent, agreement, or a sum not exceeding £100 for tho copyright. Now, Miss Smithers, what havo you to say? You sigued this paper of your own freo will. It so happens that we have made a large profit on your book indeed I don't mind telling you that we have got as much aa wo gavo you back from America for tho salo of the American rights but that is no ground for your coming to ask for moro money than you agreed to accept. I never heard of such a thing in the whole courso of my professional experience nover!" and ho paused and once moro eyed her sternly. "At any rate, there ought to bo something to como to mo from tho rights of translation—I saw In tho paper that tho book was to bo translated into French and German." said Auguota, faintly. "Oh! yes, no doubt—Eustace, oblige me by touching the bell."

Tho young gentleman did so, and a tall* melancholy looking dcrk appeared. "No. 13," snarled Mr. Meeson, in tho tono of peculiar amiability that ho reserved for his employes, "mako out the translation account of 'Jemima's Vow,' and fill up a check of balance duo to the author."

No. 18 vanished like a thin, unhappy ghost, and Mr. Meeson once moro addressed the girl before liira. "If you want money, Miaa Smithers," ho said, "you had better write us nuother book. I am not going to deny that your work Is good work—a little too deep and not ouite orthodox enough, perhaps but still good. I tested it myselr when it came to hand— which is athing I don't often do—and saw it was good selling quality, and you see I didn't make a mistake. I believe 'Jemima's Vow' will sell 20,000 without stopping—hero's the account."

As ho spoke, the specter like dork put down a neatly ruled bit of paper and an unsigned check on the desk before his emor. cad then smiled a shadowy smite vanished.

Mr. Meeson glanccd through the account. signed tho check and liar. 1 it, together with the account, to Augusta, who proceeded to read it. It ran thus: 4LCOCSE* iOOOCXT WITH 8XSKKC CCU £. a d. TosaJeot rtghtof translation of "Joint mt\i Vow" Into French 7 To «ate of right of translation of "Jemi-

M\iVovHtauQraaa— —..

Total .....

Less amount do* to Mo hip one half of eta..

0 0

Mania, b»

tbtal. £10 0

Balaam duo to author, as per chock herewith.... -JO Augusta looked* and tl slowly crumpled up tho check in her ht..^. "If I understand. Mr. Moeooa," ab» said, "you havo sold th© v- ri.

trannlation ot my book, w-.Ji y— persuaded me to leave ia ymr hands, far £14 out of which I am to rwsetv® £3 If* "Y«a, Mlas Smithers. Will you be ao •The kind as to sign the that I have a gooddaftlof tend to." "No, Mr. Meeson." add Au gust*, rising to her test and looking ex eet-^'iffiy haodsots rail t-jxwdag in fc** ait,.-. I wi. .fit}• the roe 1» and I will sot take tMs di^ek.

Is 5«!. I will ©a*

T.ta«rf

vr*tte

bat— You toato «. fear* takaa advaaiag« and I

yor rays re

an*

rERRE HATJTE SATURDAY EVENING MAIL.

a slave to yolx. anC although am now ono of tho ooet popular writers in the country, be ool^ed to accept a sum tor my books upon which I cannot live. Do you know that yesterday I was offered £1,000 for the copyright of a book like

Jemima's VowT—ifs a large sum. but I have the «etter. Yes, and Ihavo the book in manuscript now and if I could publish it I should be lifted out of poverty, together with my poor little sister!" and she gave a sob. "But,** she went on. "I cannot pnolish it. and I will not let you have it and be treated like this I had rather starve. I will publish nothing for five years, and I will write to the papers and say why— because 1 have been cheated. Mr. Meeson." "Cheated!** thundered the great man.

Bo careful, young lady mind what you aro saying. 1 have a witness Eustace, you hear, 'cheated!' Eustace, 'cheatedi* 1 hear," said Eustace, grimly.

Yes, Mr. Meeeon, 1 said 'cheated,'and I will repeat it, whether 1 am locked up for it or not. Good morning, Mr. Meeson," and she courtesied to him, and then suddenly burst into a dood of tears.

In a minute Eustace was by her side. "Don't cry. Miss Smithers for Heavens sake, don't! 1 can't bear to see it," he saiL

She looked up, her beautiful gray eyes full of tears, and tried to smile. Thank you." she said "I am very silly, but 1 am so disappointed. If you only knew— There. 1 will go. Thank you." and ill another instant she had drawn herself up and left the room.

Well." said Mr. Meeson, senior, who had been sitting at his desk with his great mouth open, apparently too much astonished to speak. "Well, there is"a vixen for you. But she'll come round I've known them to do that sort of thing before—there are one or two down there," nnd he jerked his thumb in tho direction where the twenty-and-five tame authors sat each 'like a rabbit in his little hutch and did hat work by tho yard, "who carried on like that. But they are quiet enough now—they don't show much spirit now. I know how to deal with that sort of thing—half pay and a double bale of copy—that's the ticket. Why, that girl will bo worth fifteen hundred a year to the house. What do you think of it, young man, eh?" "I think," answered his nephew, on whose good tempered face a curious look of contempt and anger had gathered, "I think that yot ought to be ashamed of yourself."

CHAPTER II.

HOW EUSTACE WAS DISINHERITED.

There was a pause—a dreadful pause. Tho flash had left tho cloud, but the answering thunder had not burst upon the car. Mr. Meeson gasped. Then he took up tlic check which Augusta had thrown upon the table and slowly crumpled it.

What did you say, young man?" be said at last, in a cold, nard voico. I Bfdd that you ought to bo ashamed of yourself," answered his nephew, standing his ground bravely "and, what is more, I meant it."

Oil! Now will you be so kind as to explain exactly why you said that, and if you meant it?" "I mean it," answered his nephew, speaking in a full, strong voice, "because that girl was right when she said that you had cheated her, and you know that she was right. I have seon the accounts of "Jemima's Vow'—I saw thom this morning—and you have already made moro than a thousand pounds clear profit on tho book. And then, when she comes to ask you for something ovor the beggarly £50 which you doled out to her, you refuse, and offer her £8 as her share of tho translation rights—£3 as against your cloven!"

Go on," interrupted his uncle. "Pray go on." "All right I am going. That is not all you actually avail yourself of a disgraceful trick to entrap this unfortunate girl into an agreement whereby sho bocomes a literary bond slave for five years. As soon as you see that she has genius you toll her that the expense of bringing out lior book and of advertising up her name, etc., will be very great—so great, indeed, that you cannot undertake it unless, indeed, she agrees to let you havo the first offer of everything she writes for five years to come at somewhere about a fourth of the usual rate of a successful author's pay—though, of course, you don't toll lier that. You take advantage of her inexperience to bind her by this iniquitous contract, knowing that tho end of it will bo that you will advance her a littlo money and got her into your power, and then will send her down there to tho Hutches, where all tho spirit and originality and genius will be crushed out of her work,firw^ she will become a hat writer UK-a the rest of them—for Moeson's is strictly a commercial undertaking, you know, and Meeson's public don liko lins they liko their literature dull and y—and it's an infernal shame) that's what it is, uncle!" and the young man, whose blue eyes wero by this time flashing fire, for he had worked himself up as ho went along, brought his fist down with a Wig upon tho writing table by way of emphasizing his words. "Havo you done!" said his unde. "Yes, Tvo done and 1 hope that I have pat it plain."

Vary well and now might I ask you, supposing that you should ever come to manage tlds business, if your sentiments accurately represent the system upon which you would proceed?" "Of course {hey do. I am not going to turn cheat for anybody." '"Thank you. They seem to have taught you the art of plain speaking up at Oxford though it appears," with a sneer, "they taught you very little else. Well, then now~ it is my turn to speak andl tell you what it is. young man, you will either instantly beg my pardon for what you have said, qr you will leave Meeson's for good and ell"I wont beg your pardon for speaking the truth," said Eustace, hotly. "The fact is that here you never near tho truth all thaw j^ devils creep and crawl about you, ami darant call their souls their own. 1 shall be devilish glad to get out of this place, I can tell you. Alfth! cV-V.-y and pokery me sick. 'XL- .-/.inks and reek -. .-f larp and money —money mak-

Ulr *oaL eldu u» till now. at all eveata to outward a. iriuace, k- t. his ten, 1 IV* lad of En^i-.-iii psthc." mn wb. the p^c^ett.if tw much mc-r.r-y .rs t-Y -v I fr- L'.aciag

n'sface grew a devilV. Lis tt.M

TOR

you to starve—which was all that you were fit for—I picked you out of the gutter for this, tnat you* should havo the insolence to come end tell me how to con-

Sone

Now. young man. IU 10

duct my business? Just tell you what it is. You can be off and conduct a business of your own on whatever principles you choose. Get out of Meeson s. sir. and never dare to show your nose here again, or HI give the porters orders to hustle you off tho

remises 1 And now, that isn't all. I've with you never you look to me for another sixpence! I'm not going to support you any longer, I can tell you. And whata more, do you know what I am going to do just now? I'm going off to old Todd—that's my lawyer—and I'm going to tell him to make another will and to leave every farthing I have—and that isn't much short of £3,000,000, ouo way and another—to Addison and Roscoe. They don't want it. but that dont matter. You shan't havo it—no, not a farthing of it and I won't have a pile liko that frittered away in charities and mismanagement. There now, my fine young gentleman, just be off and see if your new business principles will get you a living." "All right, uncle. I'm going." said th© young man, quietly. "I quite understand what our quarrel means for me, and. to tell you tho truth, I am not sorry. I have never wished to be dependent on you, or to have anything to do with a business carried on as Meeson's i3. I havo a hundred year my mother left mo. and with tho help of that and my education I hope to make a living. Still. I don't want to part from you in anger, because .you have been very kind to me at times, aud, as you remind me. you picked me out of the gutter when 1 was orphaned, or not far from it. So I hope you will shake hands before I go." "Ah!" snarled his uncle "you want to pipe down now, do youY But that won't do. Off you go! and mind you don't set foot Pompadour Hall" (Mr. Meeson's seat) "unless it Is to got your dothos. Come, cut I" "You misunderstand me," said Eustaco, with a touch of native dignity, which bocame him very well. "P?obably we shall not meet again, aud I did not wish to part in anger, that was all. Good morning." And ho "bowed and left the otSce. "Confound him!" muttered his undo as tho door closed, "he's a good pluckod one —showed spirit. But I'll show spirit, too Meeson is a man of his word. Cut him off with a shilling? not I cut him off with nothing at all. And yet, curse it, 1 like the lad. Well. I've aone with him, thanks to that minx of a Smithers girl. Perhaps ho's sweet on her then they can go and starve together, and be hangod to them! She had better keep oift of my way, for sho shall smart for this so suro as my name is Jonathan Meeson, I'll keep her up to tho letter of that agreement, and, if she tries to publish a book insido of this country or out of it, I'll crush her —yes, I'll crush her. if it costs mo fivo thousand to do it!" and with a snarl ho dropped his fist heavily upon the table before nim.

Then he rose, put poor Augusta's agreement carcfully back into the safe, which he shut with a savage suap, and proceeded to visit the various departments of his vast establishment, and to mako sudi hay therein as had never before been dreamed of in the classic halls of Meeson's.

To this hour the clerks of the great house talk of that dreadful day with bated breath—for as bloody Hector raged through tho Greeks, so did the great Meeson rage through his hundred departments. In the very first office ho caught a wretched clerk eatiug sardine sandwiches. Without a moment's] hesitation he took tho sandwiches and throw them through the window. "Do you suppose I pay you to come and eat your filthy sandwiches here?" he asked, savagely. "There, now you can go and look for them and see you here, you needn't trouble to como back, you idle, worthless fellow. Off you go! and remember you need not send to mo for a character. Now, then—double quick!"

Tho unfortunate departed, feebly remonstrating, aud Meeson, having glared around at the other clerks and warned them that unless they wero careful—very careful—they would soon follow in his tracks, continued his courso of devastation.

Presently ho met an editor, No. 7 It was. who was bringing him an agreement to sign. He snatched it from him and glanced through it. "What do you mean by bringing me a thing liko this?" he said "it's all wrong." "It is exactly as you dictated it to me yesterday, sir," said tho editor, indignantly. "WTiat, do you mean to contradict no?" roared Meeson. "Look here, No. 7, you and I had better part. Now, r.o words your KrJary will be paid to you till tho end of the month, and, if you would liko to bring en action for wrongful dismisal, why, I'm your man. Good morning, No. 7 good morning."

Next ho crossed a court ynrd where, by slipping stealthily, round a corner, ho came upon a jolly little errand boy, who was enjoying a solitary game of marbles.

Whack came his cane across tho seat of that errand boy's trousers, and in another minuto he had followed the editor and the sandwich devouring derk.

And so the merry game went on for half an hour or more, till at last Mr. Meeson was fain to cease his troubling, being too exhausted to continue his destroying course. But next morning there was promotion going on in the great publishing house eleven vacandes had to be filled.

A couple of glasses of brown sherry and a few sandwiches, which he hastily swallowed at a neighboring restaurant, quickly restored him, however, and, jumping into a cab. ho drove post haste to lus lawyers, Messrs. Todd & James. "Is Mr. Todd in?" ho said to the managing clerk, who came forward bowing obsequiously to the richest man in Birmingham. "Mr. Todd will be disengaged in a few minute, rir," he said, "May I offer you ThoTi N "Damn The Tlmi was the polito answer. "I don't come here to read newspapers. Tell Mr. Todd that I must see him at once, or else I shall go cl .rhere." "1 cm much afraid, sir*—began the managing clerk.

Mr. lie joir.Tx up and grabbed t. -Now, then, what is it to bo?"

cert-irjy.

&ns-

Tke

be seated," -at alarr hiiuar 9

sea Mr. 1Vdd in*

,j- wRli d«t*rt-

of tb# ofiico v- sj PC

too much for her. In another mircute Mr. Meeson was being warmly, even enthusiastically, greeted by Mr. Todd himself. Mr. Todd was a little man, who spoke in jerks and gushes tn such a as to remind one of a fiio hoso tl which water was ^ng pumped ini teatly. $y«a "How do JOT do, my dear sir? Delighted to have this pleasure." he began with a suden gush, and then suddenly dried up as he noticed the ominous expression on the great man's brow. "I am. sure 1 am very sorry that you were kept waiting, my dear sir but 1 was at the moment engaged with an excellent and most Christian testator"

I5sre he suddeuly jumped and dried up again, for Mr. Meeson. without tho slightest warning, ejaculated: "Curse your Christian testator! And, look here, Todd, just you see that it does uot happen again. I'm a Christian testator, too and Christians of my cut aren't accustomed to be kept standing about just like office boys or authors. See that it don't happen again, Todd." "I am sure I am exceedingly grieved. Circumstances" "Oh, never mind all that—I want my will." "Will—wilL Forgive me—a little confused, that's all. Your manner Is so full of hearty old middle ago's kind of vigor"

Hero ho stopped, more suddenly even than usual, for Mr. Meeson fixed him with his savage eye, and then jerked himself out of tho room to look for the document In question. "Little idiotl" muttered Meeson "I'll givo him tho sack, too, if he isn't moro careful. By Jove! why should I not have my own resident solicitor? I could get a sharp hand with a damaged character for about £300 a year, and I pay that old Todd quite £2,000. There Is a vacant place In tn« Hutches that I could turn Into an office. Hang me if 1 don't do it. 1 will make that little chirping grasshopper jump to somo purpose, I'll ^arrant," and lie chuckled at the Idea.

Just then Mr. Todd returned with tho will, and before he could begin to mako any explanations his employer cut him short with a sharp order to read tho gist of it.

This tho lawyer proceeded to do. It was very short, and, with tho exception of a fow legades, amounting In all to about £20,000, bequeathed all the testator's vast fortune aud estates. Including his (by far the largest) interest in the great publishing house, and his palace, with the paintings and other valuable contents, known as Pompadour Hall, to his nephew, Eustaco II. Meeson.

Very well." he said, when tho reading was finished "now give it to me." Mr. Todd obeyed and handed the document to his patron, who deliberately rent it into fragments with his strong fingers, completed Its destruction by tearing it with nis big whito teeth. This done ho mixed tho little pieces up, threw them on tho lloor and stamped upon them with an air of malignity that almost frightened jerky littlo Mr. Todd. "Now, then," ho grimly said, "there's an end of tho old love so let's on with the now. Take your pen and receive my structlons for my will."

Mv. Todd did as he was bid. "I leavo all my property, real and personal, to Be divided in equal shares between my two partners, Alfred Tom Addison and Cecil Spooner Roscoo. There, that's short and sweet, and, ono way and another, it means a couple of millions."

Qood heavens! sir," jerked out Mr. Todd. "Why. do you mean to quite cut out your nephew—and the other legatees?" ho added, by way of an after thought.

Of courso I do that is, as regards my nephew. Tho legatees may stand as before.v

Well, all I havo to say." went on tho littlo man, astonished into honesty, "is that it Is tho most shameful thing I ever heard of!"

Indeed, Mr. Todd, is it? Well, now, may I ask you—am I leaving this property or aro you? Don't trouble yourself to answer that, however, but just attend. Either you draw up that will at once, whilo I wait, cr you say good-by to about two thousand pounds a year

what Meeson business

for that's

is worth, I

reckon. Nov/ you take your choice." Mr. Todd did take his choice. In under an hour tho will, which was very short, was drawn and engrossed. "Now then," said Meeson, addressing himself to Mr. Todd and tho managing clerk, as ho took tho quill between his fingers to sign, "do you two bear in mind that at tho moment I execute this will I am of sound mind, memory and understanding. There you aro cow do you two witness." __

It was night, and King Capital, In the shape of Mr. Meeson, sat alone at dinner in his palatial dinning-room at Pompadour. Dinner was over. Tho powdered footman hud departed with stalely tread, and the head butler was just platting the decanters of rlclily-colored wine before the solitary lord of all. The dinner had been a melancholy failure. Dish after dish, tho cost of any one of which would have fed a poor child a month, had been brought up and handed to tho master only to bo found fault with and sent away. On that night Mr. Mce*on had no appetite. "Johnson," he said to the butler when he was sure the footman could not hear him, "has Mr. Eustace been here?" "Yes, sir." "Has he gone!" "Yes, sir. He came to fetch his things and then went away in a cab." "Where to?" "I don't know, sir. He told the man to drive to Birmingham." "Did he leave any message?" "Yes, sir he bade me say that you should not be troubled with him again, but that he was sorry that you had parted from him in anger." "Why did you not giro n»® that massage before?' "Because Mr. Eustace said I was not to rive it unless you asked after him ay rery good. •Yes, sir."

Johnson!"

"You will give orders that r. Eustace's nnme is not to be men: ned in this house ngain. Any M^rvant mentioi I Mr. Eustace's name will be dismifc^u." "Very good, air, and John1

Mr. Mc pr-red around look I at ibe -ig array of M*.\-er, at the "'i'

-rrrs. Hi

v, .•!! work :l -y be, r*a* Jb* aiitl at !!." mar' i' maotelv.r.?f!. fr-'*-rit

of art, which, whatever ei#e 4 ft W-( I I.:!I! it-em

jt lux cave

ing house, directing the enterprises of his vast establishment, and adding sovereign bv sovereign to his enormous accumulation. That had been his joy for forty years, and it was still his joy.

Ana then he fell to thinking of his nephew, the only son of his Drother whom be had once loved, before he lost himself in publishing books and making money, and sighed. He had been attached to the lad in his own coarse way, and it was a blow to him to cut himself loose from him. But Eustace had defied him, and—what WHS worse—lie had told him tho truth, which he, of all men, could not bear. He had said that his system of business was dishouest, that he took more than his due, and it was so. He knew it, but he could not tolerate it should be told him, aud that his whole life should thereby be discredited, and even his accumulated gold tarnished —stamped as ill gotten least of all could he boar it from his dopemleut. Ho was not altogether a bad man nobody is. He is only a coarse, vulgar tradesman, hardened and defiled by along career of sharp dealing. At the bottom lie had his feelings like other men, but he could not tolerate exposure or even conterdiction there f. rd he had revenged hi mself. And yet, as he sat there in solitary glory, he realized that to revenge does not bring happiness, and could even find it in his heart to envv the steadfast honesty that had defied liim at tho cost of its own ruin.

Not that he meant to relent or alter his determination. Mr. Meeson never relented and never changed his mind had he done so, he would not at that moment have been the master of two millions of money.

{To bt Continued.)

WAKNHR'S LOG CABIN RHMKIUKS. "NarsaparilIn," "Cough and Consumption ltemedy," 'Hops and Huchu,*'—'Extract,'— "Hair Tonic," "Liver Pills,''—1"Plasters {Porous-Electrical),-'Hoso

Creatn," for Catarrh. They, liko Warner's"Tippecanoe,"are tho simple, effective remedies of the old Log Cabin days,

Dyspepsia

Makes tho lives of many people miserable, causing distress after eating, sour stomach, sick headache, heartburn, loss of appetite, a faint, all gone" feeling, bad tasto, coated _. tongue, and Irregularity of

Distress

the bowels. Dyspepsia docs

After not got well of Itself. It requires careful attention, Eating

aU(j a remody

went.

1. He an and ctj^'y h',i ,u:

atwT the

•h -'-t,d'-\ :d •:.* they sk- and

!**t1

.» til'

in grew

uA U..'. 'y the truth, re. ta der.

not trom *pen

Hko Hood's

SarsapariUa, which acts goutly, yet efficiently. It tones tho stomach, regulates tho digestion, creates a good ap- ft Ink petite, banishes headache, and refreshes tho mind.

MOadacMO

I have been troubled Wth dyspepsia. 1 had but littlo appetite, ...U Wit..* il!d cat Uanr+H distressed mo, or did mo

1,1110

DUrn

After eating I

would have a faint or tired,

all-fone feeling, as though I had not oalcn anything. My troublo was aggravated by my business, painting. Last Sour spring I took Hood's Sar-

saparilla, which did mo an StOITiacn immense amount of good. It gavo me an appetite, and my food relished and satisfied tho craving I had previously experienced." (5KOHOK A. PAOK, Watortown, Mass.

Hood's SarsapariUa

Sold by nit druggists. 01 six for £3. Prepared only by C. T. IIOOD it CO., Apothocarlos, I.mvoll, Mats.

IOO Doses One Dollar

LADIES

Who Value a Refined Compltxlon MUST USE

POZZONI'S

MEDICATED

COMPLEXION POWDER.

to th* n«l

It Impart* torllllnnt transparency •Uln. Kemnve* nil |»lm|»l*», dlvcolot nllona, ami mnkr* the ly soft »ind bruiltlftit It foiit«lm white lend

iir»enlc. In tnre«

llofc or Scab, whli* mid brunette. FOB SAI.E BY All DrnggtaU and Fancy Woods Dealers Ererywhere.

BEWARE OF IMITATIONS,

GRATKFrr*—COM FORTINU.

Epps's Cocoa

imEAKFAST.

"By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of dlirwc tton and nutrition, and by a careful application of the flne propertleH of well-*eUsetM a, Mr. Epps has provided our brcakfairt ti.) ICS with a delicately Ilavored tavernM which may save us many heavy doctors' bill*. It Is by the judicious a«e of «uch ar« i,* of diet that a constitution may begradu*iiy built up until utrong enough to reals! even' tendency to disease. Hundred* of subtle maladies are floating around us wjdy

attack wherever ther? is a weak no Int. We may escape many a fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and nourished

frame.Hervioe

^Mad«?s!mply with boiling water or roll* Sold only In half pound tins bygwii, labeled thus! MCFrft Jfc C^O..

Homoeopathic CbettiUU. Loadon, Kn*

DTLINDSEYS

BLOOD

SEARCHER

•eiy uplextm.

Makes a

Is a

at 1

uret

Boils, Flm

.? sadall .r Drain

rfcl,l«Bdld

SeHen Medicine Co., Pittsburgh,

SELLERS' UVER PILLS

|0*e* I«0 KR*«Ml4 t7 lteT*BS«ra«| farcvHMT "k *Nt •. Mfttefe.

U*r Mat,

ru*« MM* •••«•. Tlisy Meverl Kail. fUHfttir*

Hfliw fa.,

rrtr*.

niiaun. fx