Christopher Quarles: College Professor and Master DetectiveBrebner, Percy James
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Christopher Quarles: College Professor and Master Detective
Brebner, Percy James
College teachers -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories
The old gentleman did not attain his century. He caught a chill,
pneumonia set in, and in three days he was dead. Sims declared that
about a month before his death his master had given him the pin with
the remark: "You've been a good servant, Sims. This is a little gift
in recognition of the fact. It's worth a few pounds, and should you
outlive me and find yourself hard up, you can turn it into money."
Sims had not found himself hard up, he had saved enough to live
quietly upon, but his great-niece, of whom he was very fond, was going
to be married, and he thought he would turn the pin into money as a
nest egg for her.
Mr. Ottershaw's will was a curiosity. It began with a very
straightforward statement that the testator was aware that his
relatives had for long past been hoping for his death. No doubt they
would have come to live with him had he allowed it, to see that his
money did not go to strangers. "They have their reward," the will went
on. "I leave all I am possessed of to George, Charles, and Mary Bryant
in equal shares, without any restrictions whatever. But, since during
my lifetime my nephews and niece have undoubtedly speculated
concerning my wealth, I feel it would be a pity if my death were to
rob them suddenly of so pleasant an occupation. Frankly, I would take
what wealth I have with me if I could. This being impossible, I
suppose, I have placed it in a safe place, so that, in order to find
it, my relatives will still be able to speculate and exercise their
ingenuity. For their guidance I may say that I deposited it in this
place while alone in one of the rooms of my house at Norbiton, that I
did not send it out of the house, yet if the house is burnt down, or
pulled down brick by brick, it will not be found."
The will then went on to provide that the house should not be sold for
five years, nor anything taken out of it. During this period his
nephews and niece were to have free access to it whenever they wished,
or any person they might appoint could visit it. If they chose they
could let it furnished for five years. They could burn it or pull it
down if they liked, but if it were intact at the end of five years, it
was to be sold, and the proceeds equally divided.
"These are the only conditions," the will concluded; "but, as I am
doing so much for my relatives, I may just mention two things which I
should like done, but they are in no way commands. On the finding of
my wealth, if it is found, I should like ten per cent. of it given to
a society or societies for the feeble-minded. And, as I have explained
to my relatives more than once, I should like to be cremated, but I
leave the decision to them. If cremation is considered too expensive,
I must be buried in the usual way."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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