Show I 1 ADAN WILL I 1 deed of kindness and what camo of it adam holcomb was dead at last abad af after ter seve seventy aty years of moncy betting eting and the grave imd iliad closed over him bim lie had bad no children for ho he had led a single ingle life induced so no it was said rd though nothing was certainly knova cyan by nn c caily alev disappointment which had warped his nature and made him lead 4 solitary and selfish life given up to mammon alone i adam holcomb was dead and as yet ibo bo one knew what disposition ho he had made anade of liis his money three lays days after the funeral the ext of kin and possible heirs were collected in the office of the lawyer who was vas the custodian of the will vill and private c papers of the deceased they I 1 were few in numbers for the family was not a large one there were but three and three may be briefly described Cs bribed first came james jaines holcomb a nephew of the deceased a vain selfish worldly man all his thoughts centered iddon upon himself and his own family who had oever been known to give a ponny penny for my any charitable purpose next came harvey holcomb a cousin of f the last named and about the same game age lie ile was tall thin and angular lie ile belo belonged ne to the le legal leal al profession in which he be had managed to pick up considerable sid erable money though his reputation vas avas none of the best lie ile was considered I 1 Ci dered tricky willing to undertake my any cause however disreputable for noney money lie he was married and had a family for whom lie ho provi provided aed in a drudging manner lie he to too had nourished unshed lo sanguine hopes of finding himself much better off after his uncles death leath last came a young man presenting a strong contrast to the other two rile lie was vas of light complexion brown bron li hair air i clear blue eyes and an attractive faco face lie ie was vas barely twenty live years of agre very cry plainly dressed and with a modest manner which prepossessed one in his favor avor lie ile was the son of old adim adam youngest sister who alio had named married a poor pool and her son alfred fred graves vas studying U medicine mo dicine for or v hiell lie had a decided predilection but lie had bad been cramped by warrow narrow I 1 mu lails and was eve even 1 I now te teaching achin in in a country auntry school hoping to obtain cu enough Y tilis this means to pay for iiii hid college course gursc he had applied to each of III liis two wo relatives for a small temi teai horary orthy lonn loan to help him complete ills his rudies but without el lie ile had ken cn curtly refused by both belli ile he had come here loday to lo tod d day y as a matter of form forin without the slightest st expects J tion ion of benefiting by the will of ills his late i tc rola relative lie ile had known him but tightly slightly and lver never received any upon which lie could build a alp pe yet if lie he could but receive a leg 21 bof V of even three hundred dollars he phout lit it would help him materially hat was the amount which lie had aly sought nought to borrow of the iner hant lant la nt and lawyer now present with ith him at the reading of adam Itol combs last will and testament the merchant and lawyer conversed while waiting for squire brief af have yot yoi any idea cousin how much the ilie old gentleman had accumulated asked james holcomb 1 I havo bavo heard it estimated at two hundred and fifty thousand dollars dollar sl w waa as the reply that is a large sum I 1 hope lie he has not been unjust enough to squander any of it on charitable 0 societies 1 I hope not that would be a great piece of injustice to his bis relations lie ile never dropped anything to you about the llie disposition lie he intended to malce make of his property did lie lia not liel hel lie he was a close man very said the other 1 I once ti tiled led to worm something out of him but got get much satisfaction what did lic ho say lie ile said that lie he thought of endowing an asylum for fools na and lunatics and that I 1 could tell whether er I 1 was likely to bo be benefited by his so BO doin doing 11 llo iio ho lati laughed lied james jame shaking his capacious sides lie he got you there eh 1 I dont see sec it said the lawyer sourly you dont appreciate the jolce joke ell eh it was a foolish piece of imports nonce however everybody knows what the old man was and I 1 let it pass if it had been anyone vise else I 1 would have given them as good as they sent but you were afraid it would spoil your chances ell eh As to that I 1 have no idea there IS is no question that we ought to be joint heirs true returned james that would give one hundred and thousand apiece that would satisfy me ilow how about alfreds chances queried the lawyer glancing sharply to that part of the office where tho the young man was quietly seated oh hell get nothing said the merchant contemptuously ile he belongs belong a I 1 to a beggarly 0 stock and a beggar hell remain to the end of his days going to be a doctor I 1 hear bear 19 well I 1 wish him joy of his profession if he ever gets in it which is somewhat doubtful lie ile wanted to borrow three hundred dollars of me the other day and of me did you let him have it I 1 not 1 I ive enough to dewith do with my money without giving 0 it away of I 1 course held hed never have repaid it no I 1 suppose not the coolness of some people is refreshing well I 1 talce take it for gr granted anted old adam 1 was much too shrewd to lavish any of his money on such stich a follow fellow trust him for that the young man was en engaged r acred 01 in reading inra a volume volum lie he hid taken up and did not hear this conversation it was interrupted by the entrance of mr brief bot both lithe the mci inci cliant chant and the lawyer greeted him with deference and cordiality as a man whose words might bring them prosperity or disappointment alfred gra graves ves rose in a quiet i gentlemanly manner and bowed with the courtesy which was habitual to him gentlemen the attorney said 1 I hold in my hand the will of your late relative I 1 will at once proceed to read it t of course his words commanded instant attention all bent forward to listen after the usual formula came the following loin ing ca ite item m 4 1 I give and bequeath to my nephew james holcomb the sum of five thousand dollars to be bc held in trust for his children cli ildren to io my nep nephew liew holcomb I 1 likewise give the 11 ie hum of five t thousand dollar to bo be held in trust foi his children to whom sole ole use the abo income shall annually bo be applied to my iny only remaining nephew alfred giaves I 1 give the sum bum of two thousand dollars loll 1011 ars to be to his own us use its as lie he may see fit 1 I set ct aside the sum of two hundred thousand dollars to establish a public library in my native town one to be appropriated to the erection of a suitable uit ablo building and the remainder to constitute a fun fund 1 of which the income only hhall be employed forthe for the purchase of books here the notary made a pause the merchant ani and lawyer sat with looks of blank disappointment anfanger danger an and anger which they made no attempt to conceal ille 11 II 0 had no right to defraud his relatives in ia this way muttered james it is a miserable imposition said henry holcomb to put us off with bubli a niggardly sum for my part I 1 am quite satisfied said the young man 1 I have received more than I 1 expected I 1 oh yes es I 1 io c will wil 1 be a great thin thing for a beggar rl like you said james sarcastically ti 1 I am not a beggar rp upturned turned the young man proudly gentlemen said the lawyer 1 I have not finis finished lied reading the NN will ill my faithful old do 0 scipio who is now somewhat infirm I 1 trust one of mv nephews wi 1 be willing to take homo home and treat indulgently for the salic sake of the master to whom lie he was attached ap cool ejaculated james As for me I 1 dout dont choose to be bothered with the dog clog but said the lawyer since your uncle has riven given 3 you a legacy freyou arc you not willing to incur this blight 11 care and expense 1 I must absolute absolutely ty refuse mrs 1101 comb does not like dog doga nor 1 I moreover my uncle lias ha treated me too for me to inconvenience myself much on his account then will you take him asked the fol solicitor ichor turning to the lawyer not W I 1 said lie he shrugging ald his shoulders the dorr dog may starve for auglis I 1 care and you bir turning to alfred graves 1 I will assume the charge of scipio aid alfi alfich ed graves grave I 1 it I 1 is a sli slight lit acknowledgment kno know lodgment for my illy uncles le legacy leacy 0 acy 19 you may find him troublesome that will make no diffee difference ence NY while bile he lives ile he shall be comfortably cared for what a model nephew said the mor merchant cliant sarcastically good young youn c nian man said the other relative with a sneer gentlemen said the attorney i will now read tho the codicil f all the two older men looked at each other in surprise which changed into rare rage and dismay a as alicy ii listened to that one of ray my nephews who shall agree U to talce take charge of my dog 1 9 being yet unacquainted with this provision of my will I 1 bequeath the I 1 asi due of rn my y property amounting a as near as I 1 can e estimate tima tc to one hundred thou thousand and dollars yoli yoi know knew of this exclaimed tho the elder men turning wrathful faces towards alfred graves nota not a word said the young youn man 1 I am as much astonished as you can be no one knew of it except myself said tho the attorney 1 I congratulate you mr graves on your largo large accession of wealth 1 I receive it gratefully I 1 trust I 1 shall malce make a good use of it said the you young n g ina man n 1 I hope hooe now to tac repay my parents for the fact they have made in my behalf if I 1 had but known said the merchant with bitter regret 1 I havo have thrown away a fortune and I 1 chimed in the lawyer ruefully but there was no help for it ib tho the deed was vas done iho two disappointed men left the house feeling anything but grateful to the uncle who they alicy per evaded them themselves solves had cruelly wronged them but there was a modest little homo home that was made glad by the news of alfreds grood good fortune and in his hands the money lias bru brought light a ble asin 0 with it for it has been made a fount fountain ain of good g deeds and charitable influences rome home queen |