Book account

Bingle," said Sigsbee,
settling back in his chair and linking his plump hands benevolently
across his expansive and somewhat overhanging waistcoat. "That is the
best part of the story, sir."


CHAPTER V
THE STORY OF JOSEPH

Mr. Bingle went home in a taxi-cab, completely done up.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Back in 1885, Joseph Hooper, disgraced, disowned by his family and as
poor Job's turkey, made a brief but sufficiently explicit will in
which he named his beloved nephew Thomas Singleton Bingle as his sole
heir. He drew it up on the surface of a fresh, unused postal card, and
had it properly witnessed by the bailiff who came to Bingle's
apartment to demand his appearance before a court to show cause why he
should not consider himself in contempt for having disregarded the
order to pay monthly sums in the shape of alimony to his late but
unlamented wife.
In looking about for the second witness, he observed a levying deputy
sheriff in the act of carrying off his last and only possession of
value, to wit: a gold-headed cane that had been left to him by his
father.


Pages:
84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108