Arms and the Woman

"So you are John Winthrop?" he said in way of preliminary. You may

hand a card case full of your name to a lawyer, and still he will

insist upon a verbal admission.

"I have always been led to believe so," I answered smartly, placing my

hat beside the chair in which I sat down. "How did you manage to

locate me in this big city?"

"Your uncle had seen some of your signed articles in New York papers,

and said that in all probability I should find you here. A few

inquiries set me on your track." Here he pulled out a lengthy document

from his handbag. "I confess, however," he added, "that I am somewhat

disappointed in your looks."

"Disappointed in my looks!" was my cry. "What sort of a duffer were

you expecting to see?"

He laughed. "Well, your uncle gave me the idea that I should find a

good-for-nothing hack-writer, a dweller in some obscure garret."

"If that is the case, what under the sun did he send you up here for?"

The merriment went out of the old man's face and his eyes became grave.

"Of that anon. Let me proceed with my business and read the will to

you. You will find it rather a remarkable document."

I settled back in my chair in a waiting attitude. To tell the truth, I

was somewhat confused by all this preamble. To his son my uncle left

the bulk of his property, which amounted to more than a million. I was

listless. The head overseer received the munificent sum of $50,000; to

the butler, the housekeeper and the cook he gave $10,000 each. I began

to grow interested. He was very liberal to his servants. Several

other names were read, and my interest assumed the color of anxiety.

When the lawyer stopped to unfold the last flap, I spoke.

"And where in the world do I come in?"

"In the sense you understand, you do not come in."

I stared at him in amazement. "I don't come in?" I repeated vaguely.

"Ah," reaching down for my hat, "then I go out, as it were;" as

brilliant as a London yellow fog. "What the devil does all this mean?"

I started to rise.

"Wait!" he commanded. "'To my nephew, John Winthrop, I bequeath the

sum of $1,000 to be presented to him in person immediately after this

will is probated, and with the understanding that he shall make no

further demand upon my son and heir in the future.' That is all,"

concluded the lawyer, folding the document. "I have the check in my

pocket."