The Miser's Legacy.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 8

The Miser's Legacy.

** He\s como, Mr Hovman." '* Tome ? Come at last ? Are you suro of it, Jo 3?' 41 Sure aa taxes," eaid Joe Poppingor, with a confident nod of hia hoad, "Ilo'i taken tho old stono house, the Haunted House, the neighbours call it, and lie's moved into ie, b:i£ and baegage,whioh aiu't mucb, by the way." ** Any servants with him, Joe ?" " Only one, a crooked old woman as throw a porringer of hot water over mo ■when I cam* around to ax if I could be of any use. If thoy only owned a black cat I'd have tho whole kit and boodle ot 'em up for witchcraft. I never did come across such a rum lot in ail my life." ** Did you see the old man yourself, Joe ?" "See him, Mr Herman ? I see a bundle of old bonos tied round the tniddlo, with a pa^m-leaf patterned dressing gown and a flannel night cap on hia head, and I a'josed likely thore couldn't be two such outlandish old cuatomera going. Ho viaa a vunnin' in and cat the furniture carl like a crazy spider :t "That will do, Joo. Sers is a dollar for you." "Thank '00, sir. Much obliged to you. air." And the Rtablo boy, who belonged to t!«o inn, shambled away, grinning and pulling at the fiont of hiß c\p f while Herman Franklyn leaned, whistling, against the pi'lar of the front piaw.a. So old Miner Molineux had arrived at last — tho rich and eccentric relative, on ■the reversion of vrhoße fortune, real or supposed, he had all his life been building rerial castles. At last— and Herman reHolved the very next day to call and pay his respects, although the woman with tha hot water did not add to the delights c: contemolating th"s visit. " If I hadn't heard from his lawyer thai; he had taken a lea^o of the Stone House," mu'ed Mr Franklyn, " I certainly never should have buried my?elf in this out-of-the-way place awaiting his advent ; and it I hadn't thought I could work into hi? j~ocn graces I never should have taken the trc i ble to hunt him up. Reigho ! Sometimes I think it would b» easier to work for ine:>sy than to inherit it." And so tha next day luc Franklyn cill< c Miner Molineux received him very coolK , sitting among hi- treasures, like Mariu.-? amid the ruins of Cirthags. But Frankly; noticed that he kept one hand on tho ring of a padlocked iron box beside him as he talked. 41 Well, young man, and what do you want ?" h.9 asked, impatiently, when the old woman, who evidently considered that M Franklyn was no subject for the hot wa-tjr treatment, showed him in "To inquire after you.' health, Coiuv.r; Miner," said the young man, smoothly. " Humph ! My health i.3 well enough ! Better than you vti-h il, I dire cay !" " My dear sir " "But it will iruko no difference to you," acidly went on the old mar., atill nervouaiy fingering the rings of the iron box. "I don t deny that I have a treasure to leave behind me " Herman Franklyn'a eyes glistened—" But it will bo to those who consult my wishes more than you have done." '• But, my dear cousin '' 4< Words are a 1 very well/ and the old miser, shrugging his shoulder?, " but deed? speak the loudest. You knew very well my aversion to mat-.imony— and yet you go and engage yen r* elf to get married to a girl who hast.'c a penny, Ah ! Don't you ?" in a rising infection like a bark. *• And then, after coolly disregarding all roy wishes, you exp3Ct me to leave you this — this — " tapping, as he spoke, on the lid of the box. " But Cou3in Miner, if you wish me, I ■will certainly adapt myself to your opinion* ! I did not know that " *• Stuff and nonsense '"' yelled the ok: man. " What you knew or didn't know u perfectly immaterial to tne. Leave ma te my books and my writing. That's all I x*k of any man living " So Mr Franklyn went moodily away. " I must break my engagement," said he to himself. "That's the first thing. Whac tho second will be depends entirety on fata and fortune." ■r i * t i i Josie Hall wai sitting ia the farm hou^e kitchen peeling potatoes. She was a blackeyed, damask cheeked girl, with velvety eyebrows, and a round, red dot of a mouth ; and in those dark eyes glittered a light half-resentful, half anguish, as .she looked straight at Herman Franklyn, " I understand," said aha. "You want to break the engagement- Now that yuur rich uncle has come to the neighbourhood I am no longer worthy of you." 44 It isn't tha*", Josie, believe me," said Franklyn, t'visting himself about, witn the red signals of kean mortification blazing on his cheek. "But I think perhaps it would be better for ua " " And I haven't the least doubt of iV passionately interrupted Josie, with heaving breast and quivering lipa, " A thousand times better ; for I value the love ot no man who cm leave me thus. Pray don't wa?t9 your time in conjuring ur. «Ny further ex cu3e. Thoy are quite unnecessary. I ■wish you a very good-mo/ning " And she went on peeling her potitoe°. while Herman Franklyn crept out of the b.0083, feeling very like a whipped cur. For >» day or two ho foltreartily ashamed of himself, but the reward -as at least he esteemed ib — came ntlagt. Mr Miner Molineux fell ill. Being ill, he was frightened. Being rri^htened, he wm solitary. And consequent! > he sent for hin cousin Franklyn, a thing in never would hava done in health. 44 You don't think I'm going to die, cb you, Herman ?" he asked, tremulously. 41 Oh, there's no danger at all," reassure i the young man, as the doctor had that morning paid that the patient's spirits must be ltept up at all hazards. 4 * And you won't leave me ?" "Certainly not, if my presenco can be any satisfaction to you," reaponded the delighted fortune-seeker. 44 Bat that girl that you're engaged to," grumbled Mr Molineux, "she won't like ib." "Do you think that I could persist in anything contrary to your wishes ?" reproachfully asked Herman Franklin. " The engagement is broken." 44 Good!" croaked the old man. "Engagements are a humbug, in any event. Engagements to girls that haven't anything are still worse. Cousin Franklyn, you've more sense than I gave you credit for " Day by day Miner Molineux grew worse. On the fourth afternoon he sent for a lawyer and made his will. On the fifth he became speechless. On the sixth he died. "My fortune i 3 made now," thought Herman, who had listened at the door during the interview with rbo lawyer, and heard directions given connecting his name with the padlocked iron box, whereof the key hung around the dead man's neck. And be felt that Joeie had been wall sacrificed. ¥ * # i/ i it "You wasn't at the funeral, eh?" Baid Mrs Fierce to the Widow Hail, while Josie'e needle flew faster than ever through the cambric she was hemming.

"Well, no," said the widow, "I ain't partial to funerals in general. And I didn't feel no special cail to put myself out to Bee an old miser buriod that I never saw nor spoko to while ho was alive." " A man can't be a miser without he's got money, can he ?" aaid Mrs Pierce. " 1 don'c rightly know about that," said Widow Hall. " But you don't mean to say that old Molineux hadn't anything, after all ?" *' Nothing but a few sticks of furniture and some rusty coins as no decent storekeeper would give chauge tor." The widow's eyes shone through her spectacle glasses. " Land o' masay !" said she. " And what vro3 in the iron box as everyboJy had so much to say about— the iron box as was v, illed to Herman Franklyn ?" "Just the sheets of paper as held a dictionary the old man had been writing all his days. Manuscript the lawyer called it, whatever that may be. Ha thought it was worth a deal of money— and he'd spent his all hunting up old books as nobody but himself ev6r heard of. and travelling about the country to pick up information." " Humph !" raid the Widow' Hall, " And what did young Franklin say,*?" '^ "I didn't sit near enough to him to tightly hear," said Mrs Pierce, '* but them as did tells me he swore an awful oath when he saw what was in the box and ilung the whole bundle on the back of the lire. I see it blaze up myself " " And was that all ?" asked the Widow Hall. "That was all," responded her informant. ' ' I am glad of it !" cried out Josie, -pringing up with sparkling eyes. " I never was so glad of anything in my life, lies served right, for once." Mr Franklyn called the next day, meek and subdued. If Josie had been a model hsroine she would have thrown both her arms around hie neck and vo ved that she loved him better than ever. But she was only a very human little gill, so ehe stood up with dignity and said : '' I wonder at your assurance in coming here after all that has transpired, Mr Franklyn." i: But, Josie " <v There is the door, sir I" eairt Josie. •' Please to walk out." And there was nothing left for it but to 11 walk out." Old Miner M jlinoux sleeps quietly in tho dltege graveyard, and oublic rumour has added yet another ghost to tho spectral population of the Haunted Honso — a yellow- ; visaged old bogey, who wears a wig and carries in his hand a padlocked iron box. — "N.Y. Daily News"