Jeffrey Hartmann

Mr. Meeson, a publisher, was interested only in financial return. One day a girl called at the publisher's office. She had written a story called "Jemina's Vow," which had been one of the best sellers of the year. For it she had received a beggarly sum. The girl needed money to take her sick sister to a warmer climate. Mr. Meeson refused to pay the girl anymore, and reminded her that she was under contract to sell all her stories to him at the same compensation. The discussion between the two was witnessed by Meeson's nephew, and after the girl's departure the young man denounced his uncle so vigorously that he was disinherited. The nephew went to call upon the authoress who had won his affection and was shocked and grieved to discover that her little sister had died and she was alone in the world. A few days later the girl was on her way to visit a cousin who lived in New Zealand. Owing to her poverty she went as a second cabin passenger on a big liner, and was surprised to find that Mr. Meeson was among those in the first cabin on the same boat. The publisher came and warned her not to speak to him, saying it would injure his reputation if he was seen conversing with any of the poorer passengers. Lady Holmhurst, wife of the Governor-General of New Zealand, was a passenger on the boat and happened to run across the name of the authoress on the second cabin list. Lady Holmhurst had read and liked "Jemina's Vow," as had also the captain of the ship. These two arranged matters and the authoress, to her surprise, was taken out of her dingy quarters and installed in a beautiful cabin. There was one who stood apart for a time, Mr. Meeson. He could not understand the homage paid the humble authoress, but at last he decided to claim her acquaintance. The girl announced publicly that she did not care to meet him, and told the sympathetic passengers how Meeson had robbed her, and practically been responsible for the death of her sister. The result was that Meeson was shunned by everybody. When the boat was only a few days from New Zealand it was wrecked by a collision with a whaler, and many of the passengers were lost. The authoress was one of those who escaped, being in a small boat with two sailors, together with Dick, Lady Holmeshurst's little son, whom she had rescued. They also picked up Mr. Meeson, who had leaped overboard from the ship. After several terrible days they reached Kerguelen Land. There Meeson rapidly grew worse and in his illness felt remorse for having disinherited his nephew. The authoress suggested that he make a new will, but they could not find anything upon which to write it. Finally one of the sailors came forward with a suggestion. He had found a cuttlefish and declared that by using the ink he could tattoo the will upon somebody's back. The other sailor refused to make the sacrifice, and Meeson howled with terror when it was suggested that his back be utilized. So it was the girl herself who offered to make the sacrifice, and the will, leaving all the publisher's property to his nephew, was inscribed upon the girl's back. When the rescuing ship finally arrived, they found only the authoress and Lady Holmhurst's little boy, all the rest having passed away. The girl arrived in London and the courts found a unique legal problem to solve. Wills, before being passed upon, must be entered and filed in the registry office, but how was it possible to shut a young girl up in the safe. This was finally got around by admitting a photograph of the will, but new troubles arose at the trial. The lawyers on the opposing side objected to the girl testifying, and through a series of singular mishaps she was the only one who could tell what had occurred. The lawyers declared that if she was the will, she was a document, adding, "a document cannot take to itself a tongue, and this young woman has no more right to open her mouth in this case than would any paper will if it could be miraculously endowed with speech. There were long drawn out arguments on this point, but the nephew finally won and proposed in this novel way: "The law has given me the estate, but I will never be happy unless I have the will also." The authoress accepted. They married, and lived happily forever afterward, and incidentally, instituted so many reforms in the conduct of Meeson and Co., that it became a most popular and well-conducted publishing house.