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vs ence many along. day ago, andnothiug but ',
Q foolish and sinful pride has kept me from
taking him back to my heart and home.
‘You know that small iron-bound box in my
closet?” .
"Yes, sir.”
“That, with its contents, ' .
There is a paper in it which will explain
everything. If you value my dying bless-
ing send it to him as soon as I am dead. The
keys to both closet and box are under my
pillow. but I donot wish the box opened
before it is placed in Horace’s hands." ‘
. “ Elverything shall be done .as you de-
sire.’ ’ .
,‘,‘.,I have left everything to you in my will.
Be kind to your brother, Charles, and aid
...J2.iP3,..i,f, he should get into trouble. He has -
not st‘. good a head for business as you have.”
“ I will, sir. If ever he needs my advice
.or pecuniary assistance he shall have them
-freely.” ’ ‘
- A look of satisfaction passed over the dy-
’) -ing man's face; he gasped for breath; there
was a rattling noise in his throat, and with
scarcely a struggle he died. . ’
. Shoe ed by the suddenness of his father s
dissolution, Charles left the room to spread
the intelligence through the house. and met
his wife almost’ on the threshold of the’
chamber, and together they came back into
.1 the room. ’
'. Charles‘ Campbell was a cold-blooded,
calculating, avaricious man, but as far as
. penuriousness and greed for money were con-
cerned, he was no match -for his wife. She
had all the bad traits of a regular nuse-r.
m" So1he'fs gonefatthlastl," sihe said, looilciiig at
9 a e ace 0 6 ea man. . re you
surephe did not change his will ?”g
"Yes. He said just before he died that he
had left me everything, but he told me to
send the iron-bound box to Horace without
so much as looking into it.”
“You will not be such a fool as to send it ‘
without examining its contents?”
“ The wishes of a dying father should be
respected.”
, “You talk like an idiot! What difference
can itmake to your father now? Nota
particle.
past he has been selling stocks and bonds,
A and likely asnot that boxcontains half of
his fortunein money.”
‘”That is impossible, for his property con-
sisted principally of real estate, and I am
confident none of that has been sold.”
“No matter. The box may contain all "of
the ready money and convertible securities,
and I am determined that it shall not be
sent to that beggar Horace until it is ex-
amined. and not at all if it contains money to
any considerable amount." a
:‘ I don't like to open it.”
‘Well, I suppose you have no objections
v$'EzVT,21D)?[F2-I" .. I
is for Horace.
I know that for several months.
x
Charles Campbell was-thoroughly under
the control of his wife, and was inclined
from the first to adopt the course she ad-
vised, so hevhesitated :no longer, but ad-
vanced to the bed to get the keys, butjust:
as he reached it he started back pale with
terror and stammered out:
“ I heard somethingmovein the bed. Per- ,
' haps hephad only swooned, and is not dead.”
..“Nonsense!" said his wife ‘angrily.
'“Womam as I am, 1 would be ashamed of"
myself if I were such a’ coward as you are.
Get out of the way. ‘I will take the keys." .
. 63 = ‘
to moving it? Carryfthe box up to our 3
room, and .since your conscience is so very ; '
’ I tender I,,w1ll open it.”
But Just at this moment the doctor tapped‘,
ou the door, and she said: -
“Never migd, now. I'll get them after
awhile.” ‘ ‘ '
The doctor was admitted, and after a. few
minutes’ conversation the three left the room
together.
Charles hadinot been the victim of super-
stitious fears. There was a. rustling noise in
the bed when he approached it, and as soon
as he left the room it was explained b the
appearance of an intelligent-looking colored
man from behind the bed.
It was Peter, the bod -servant of Angus. > V‘
Campbell, upon whom e had been in at-
tendance ever since he was a boy. When
Mr. Campbell was sick Peter habitually re-
mained in his room all the time. He had,
been sitting in a chair on the opposite side
of the couch from the door. and concealed -i
by the hangings of the bed, had been an at-
, tentive and interested listener to the conver-
sations which Charles had with his father
and wife. a
Peter was very much attached to Horace.
and when he learned the plan to rob himyof '
his father’s gift, he had upon the impulse of
the moment slipped his hand under the pil-
low and secured the keys.
During the conversation that ensued with '
the doctor, Peter had time to reflect and de-
termine what course to pursue. a
As soon as he was alone he unlocked the
closet, took the ‘box-which was only about
ten inches long by six deep, and as many
wide-wrapped it in a traveling-rug, put it
under his arm. and made his way out of the
house and to the stable without attracting
any unusual attention. . I
The hostler. who knew of the confidential
position which he occupied, obeyed without
question his order to saddle and bridle a.
‘ magnificent bay which had been Mr. Camp-
bell's favorite riding-horse and Peter
1 7
tlon. ,
But he had made a serious mistake in leav-
ing the key in the closet-door, where it was
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. mounting with his precious bundle, departed .
without saying anything about his destina- ,‘
semi... mn.n..7.,";,..