LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2219, 6 April 1881, Page 3

LITERATURE.

HOW UNCLE ’DAD FOUND IT OUT.

Richard Gossett was making merry with some friends under circumstances well fitted, to put the party in the best of spirits. It's a jolly thing to be put down as sole legatee in a rich man’s will—a jol'y thing not only for the fortnnate individual himself, but for his friends slso, if they know how to play their cards properly. ‘By George, you’re a lucky dog, Dick,’ cried an enthnsi' stio youth across the table. ‘ Why haven’t all of us got uncles like Medad Whistler—nice old parties, who go off about their business, gain fortunes, aid come back to leave them to their nephews, instead of banging round home to scold and find fault, and catling you off in the end with their blessings and a lot of trumpery good advice V

* The drawback is, sighed Richard Gossett, ‘that uncles with fortunes to leave, as a class, are proverb-ally tough. 'I here's Uncle ’Dad Whistler, now he’s past sixty ; but he looks good for cv ry day of ninety ; and, as for toughness, old Joe Bagstock was nothing to him.’ * Still,’ replied the other, 1 the prospect is far from discouraging. onr uncle is a man cf plethoric habit and a sumptuous liver ; so there is a fair contingency of apoplexy to count on.’

A round of applause and bumpers greeted this speech, * But you never told us, Gossett, how your old nabob came to out off hh other nephew, your cousin, Oliver Lambert, whom everybody thought his prime favourite, and leave everything to you. ’ ‘ A family secret, ’ said I ick, with a wise shake of the head.

* Come, out with it like a good fellow,’ urged an inquisitive youth with a goslingdown moustache ; ‘ we’re all friends bore.’ * But I promised Uncle ’Dad never to tell it, and if he heard I bad leaked, it would be worth my place in his will.’ * Pshaw ! it’s as safe with ns as with yourself ; yon ought to know that.’ * You’ll never mention It, then ?' ‘ Never!’ they all answered in chorus. * 'Pon honour P’

* Honour bright!’

Hed Dick had less wine and more wit aboard, he might have hesitated to impart a family secret to half a-dozen boon com* paniona under the belief that it would go no further. But he had taken jnat champagne enough to make him confidential and com* mnuicative.

This was the secret as Dick divulged it:—

‘ On Oliver’s last birthday Uncle Dad inclosed him a check for a handsrme sum. Afterward, when Uncle Dad's account wu balanced at the bank and his checks re* turned it was discovered that this particular one had been raised to double the original amount, which increased sum Oliver bad drawn; though on being que tloned, he protested he had no knowledge cf the alte* ration. ‘ But Uncle Dad was not a man to be easily deceived. It was plain that a forgery had been committed ; and as the check had been inclosed to Oliver directly, and pre* seated by himself, who else could have com* mitted the offence 7

‘ Uncle Dad was as prompt to act as to decide, Oliver was. given his choice between going to prison and leaving the ooantry. Uncle Dad engaging, if he chose the latter course, to furnish him with the means of living till an opportunity offered of earning his own support. * 1 Which explains, no donbt,’ struck in be of the callow moustache, ‘Mr Lambert’s late mysterious departure, and his perfidious desertion of Selina Jaemyn, to whom they say ho was engaged.’ • Exactly,’ said I iok. * Why don’t you cut in again for the lady yourself, now that the coast’s clear ? ’ suggested one. Dick gave a knowing wink, which as gooff as said;—

* Do you take me for a fool not to have thought of that before ? ’ Just then a messenger entered, and placed a note in Dick’s hard. Be glanced at the contents, and started up wildly. * Listen to this boys 1 ’ be exclaimed in » tone and manner which left his friends in doubt whether it was good or bod news their attention was invited to. ‘ Listen to this I ’ —and then he read :

* A man’s body has jnst been found lying on the sidewalk, and identified as that of yonr Uncle Medad, to whose house It has been taken. I advise yon to thither at once, as a man coming into such a for* tone cannot look after his interests too promptly. * Your sincere friend, * Fbake Wimple.’

Dick Gossett, without waiting to hear the congratulations which poured in from every side, snatched his hat and was off. Ihe double pull he gave his uncle's door bell was answered by the housekeeper. ‘ Un—uncle—’Dad !’ he panted, out of breath.

* They carried him up to his own room, I believe,’ snapped the housekeeper curtly, with the air of one who had no patience with such carryings on as a sudden death in the family. Dick hurried to bis nude's chamber, which he was surprised to find nntenanted, save by the body, which lay upan the bed covered by the counterpane. He advanced as if to remove the covering from the face, bnt stayed his hand without doing so. He had always had a horror of looking at a corpse, especially when alone with it.

Turning his back on the body he flnrg himself into an easy chair, rubbing his hands gleefully. ‘So you’re dead at last, are you yen would-be old Methuselah I’be said with a jerk of bia head towards the remains. ‘This is my property now, and it’s not long you'll stay here a trespasser. I’ll" call in the undertaker at once, and pay him extra to make a quick job of you.’ Dick started and locked back quickly. He was almost sure he had beard a low grnnt in the direction of the corpse, and a slight rustle of the counterpane.

Bnt no ; everything looked as before, and perfect silence reigned. His ears mast have deceived him.

‘You’re a so art fellow, lick,'he said, commendingly tapping his not over welldeveloped forehead—‘ you’re a smart fellow, there’s no denying it. It’s not everyone who wonld have thonght of altering that cheqne as I did when 1 found it lying on Uncle Dad’s desk, trusting to the old fool’s sealing it up without noticing the change.'

This time there was no doubt as to the movements of the corpse. Springing up it caught Dick by the Dollar and shook him till his teeth chattered.

‘ You thought I was dead, did you V reared Uncle Dad in a tone that made Diok tremble. * A fine story, indeed, if, at my time of life a man meeting some friends and taking too much wine in honor of the occasiion, can’t tumble over his own doorstep ar d bo quietly carried to his room to sleep off bis spree without some greedy nephew prowling around to order his fnneral and take possession of his property. So it was yon, you scc-undrel, who altered the cheque, was it ?'

And without further ceremony Richard Gossett was ignominiously kicked into the street.

‘A pretty lie you wrote mo.’ he exclaimed, as he turned the corner and met Franklin W imple. ‘ What lie ?’ 1 Why, that Uncle Dad was dead.’ ‘I never said so.’

‘ Well, that bis body had been found, then. ’

And so it was ; hut I didn’t say it was dead. My dear fellow, you shouldn’t take things too trustingly on the Ist of April.’ Dick cursed his own stujiidity for not thinking of the date ef Frank’s note. The up hot of it wa« that Mr Whistler made another will, in v bioh Richard Gossett’s name was replaced by that of Oliver Lambert, who returned ns mysteriously as ho had disappeared, and soon made it all right with Jasmyn.