The Argosy, March 1907 — page 166: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE 738 One pawnbroker after another took the stand, and each deposed that I had re- deemed one or more suits from them, some intimating that I was a member of a shrewd gang of crooks, who wish- ing to realize quickly the proceeds of a robbery, had pawned the uniforms and then later on had decided to get more for them. Strange to say, none of them remembered who had pawned the suits. I told my story to the court, and was not surprised when a ripple of laughter went. up from the spectators, judge turned a sternly incredulous look upon me. Verily, that pocketbook was , preving my undoing. Thoughts of it reminded me sudden- ly of the fact that at this instant it was in the hands of the sergeant, who had ordered me searched, and I. told the court so, At once he instructed a bailiff to bring it in, and a few seconds later the wretched wallet was laid on his desk. Opening the pocketbook, his honor drew out package Number 2, containing the forty-nine remaining tickets. Everybody craned forward to see what they were, and a murmur of astonish- ment was plainly audible throughout the room when the nature of the packet be- came known. The judge glanced hastily at the tick- ets, then extracting the note I had kept with them, he read it. Keeping my eyes intently fixed upon him I beheld a look of deep surprise sweep across his face. Finally he turned ‘to me. ‘‘ Prisoner at the bar,’’ he said, ‘ either you are trifling with this court and are playing a deep game of some kind, or this is one of the most remarkable cases that has ever come under my _ observa- tion,” and again he picked up the pocket- book and examined it. ‘What is this?” I heard him ejacu- late suddenly, and then I saw him take ARGOSY. and the . thumb and index finger and draw out a slip of parchment-like paper and begin to read it. Full of -interest I watched him, for time and again I had examined the book” for some clue that would lead me to the sender, and I-had found nothing. ‘The judge had evidently been more suc- cessful. “Clear the room!” he roared at length. “ This case is continued.” Then, as the spectators piled out he beckoned me to approach. “Young fellow,” said he, “ this paper purports to be the last will and testa- ment of John Smith Freeman.’ ‘John Smith Freeman! Why, that’s my mother’s brother, Uncle John. I didn’t know that he had anything to will to anybody.”’ | ‘Well, it seems that he had, a a half million dollars at that. The old gentleman makes you his heir, and ac- cording to this, he leaves you every cent of it. It seems he learned that you were employed on the street-cars and took the queer fancy to mystify you before allow- ing the estate to come into your pos- session. When you donned suit Number 100 you would have found a letter in one of the pockets telling you everything about this will. Allow me to congratu- late you.” 7 And the judge shook me warmly by the hand. Then he told me that I-could go, and you can bet I lost no time taking the pocketbook and doing the twenty-three. | “But you got your half million? ”~ asked one of the boys who had been lis- tening to the story. “ How ever did you manage to run through it?” “Half million nothing! I got one. hundred uniform suits and sold them for three dollars each. The old. gentleman was as crazy as a loon and spent his last dollar to play that trick on me. Great joke, wasn’t it?” THE USES. OF. ADVERSITY, Lire is a shard of flint. We never feel _ How strong the youth and courage that inspire, Till quick misfortune, like a tinder steel, Has struck the blow that lights it into fire! Aloysius Coil, - EComichbooks.co