Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-09
COUSIN JOHN'sPROPERTY.

OtCNS NNtu AuTs CttnDbOU,
almost choking himself with his muffin, "here'
cousin John dead"
Mr.. Simpson had the Times for an hour ev-
cry morning, lat AiSpcnce per week, } and that
hour being his breakfast allowance also, he
read and ate against time, taking bite OF
muffin, sip Of tea, and glance at the PAPER
alternately and as he was very short sighted,
and always In hurry, there seemed imminent
risk OF his putting the paper into his mouth
instead Of the muffin.
" You don't mean TO say so, Simpson" said
the lady on the other sidr OC the little fire.
place, cousin John dead! Why, he was
TO be in town next moMth-it's impossible |!
Where do il say Sot"
And she made al attempt to reach across
for the paper; but it was long stretch, and
Mrs. Simpson was quite stout, and hardly
made due allowance for that fact in her in
Strurtions TO her Stay.makcr; so Mr. Sinp-
son found himself master Of his position, and
proceeded to rca the announcement again.
with proper sens" Of importance.
Miss Augusta Simpson, and her brother,
master Samuel, who occupied the seats ut the
other side Of the family breakfast. table. had
rise" from their places, aud with their mouths
and eyes open, and Master Samucl's knife ar.
rested in threatening position, formed rather
a striking tablcau.
"Thrn that Surrey property comes to us,
Mr.. s., exclaimed the lady. a. Ahe left her
arm chair, and .uIadr good her hold oIAonc side
OF the Times, Of which her husband still per-
tinaciously retained possession.
II comes To me, my dear. aS next heir, by
uncle Sans will-no doubt oft"
II Mr.. Simpson intended little gentle self
assertion in this speech, it was 80 unusual
with him that Mrs. Simpson was good enough
not to notice il.
" It's worth two or three thousand a year
Simpson, isn't iI:"
About one thousand, 0r fourteen hundred
at most, my dear, rs have told you before"
replied the husband ITS very nice prop.
erty. Dear mo! poor John! only to think
that he should never have come home TO en-
JOY it, and the good -naturcd Mr.. Simpson
gave an honest sigh to the memory of his de-
parted cousin, and for n moment forgot his
own arccSSions Of fortune.
"Wcll, we'll, li(c's uncertain with MI Of us.
never thought nS you'd have Outlivcd him
Simpson; he was ten years younger than you,
If nc were day did think il might have
been our Samurf> in days to come. SnppoSins
he died without children, ms was likely from
what heard Of him. often did saw to my
self lOpcd Sammy might he n gentleman.
Sammy wiped his lips in preparation for
that crisis lie had been eating a second CO
Suricptitou>y and hastily. Only Il mothers
eyes could have. detected the future gentleman
under the pnafnrc at that moment.
There's the bus. father" he shouted.
jumping up with view Of cifcctng diver.
sion FROM his own seat of operations there's
the bus coming round"
Mr. Simpson rose mechanically and dropped
the Times. The habits Of twenty wears were
not q be shaken even bv the sudden PROSPECT
of n Thousand year. But his daughter, with
the spirit Vi tue British mai len in the hour
Of fortune, showed herself equal to the occa-
sion.
"Who wants the bus ?" said she, with mn
indignant shove 10 samuel PA, amt going
by hus>cS now"
Like all truly great spccrhcs, it was shor:
and to the purpose. As such, it was long re-
mcmhcred in the family II awOkc them at
once to the duties aud the PLEASURES Of their
new position. That useful pubic vehicle dill
not take Mr.. Simpson TO Aldcrmanbury that
morning. The conductor looked at the well
known door in vain; the civil diver even let
his horse linGcr little ere he turned the cor.
ncr; and both turned "a long and last inquir
ing gaze in the direction Of a Portland Ter.
race, No. 3.
What's come Of the governor this morn.
ing, Bi!l? Are We artcr or aforc time:"
Not above two minutes artcr: hc'vc never
been and gone by the Royal Buc:"
Don't think ke'll be So mean as that
Summat's ami>s, how.evrr." And with this
compliment to Mr.. Simpsons business habits,
the omnibus numbered on without him.
Great was the surprise, and, aS the morn.
ing wore on, even the anxiety, in the little
dark Offices in Albcrmanbury. Such thing
as Mr.. Simpsons absence, without due cause
assigned was unknown hitherto in thnt most
pnnctual and respectable establishment; and
Mr.. Styles, the old clerk, who had sincere,
if not n very dcmonStrntivc affection for his
principal, was scarcely prevented, by sense
Of what was due to the dignity Of both par.
ties. from taking his passage down to Noting
llil to inquire.
But indeed, even had Mr. Simpson mndc
his usual appearance ut his place Of business
that morning, it would have been too much to
expect from human nature that he should have
devoted himself with his old attention and IN.
voices. When he did arrive there towards
the afternoon. the youngest clerk saw that
there was something ION the governors
mind" He scarcely stayed hafan hour; and
il his unblcmiShcd commercial repute were
any longer valuable to him. it would have
been undoubtedly better if he had not looked in
at all for he left the impression on the minds
OF his subordinatcs, that even the small and
cautious house Of Simpson & Son had not es.
capped, in the last gre II commercial whirlpool;
and the er'and.Goy who was well TIP in that
department Of newspaper literature, gave it
as his private opinion to his mother at home,
that it was a " Paul 4 Bates case.
But Mr.. Simpson was thinking little Of his
business, and still less what people thought Of
him.
"Tll 60 to town at once, my dear" he had
SAID to his wife, after their first shock Of sur
prise "Tll 60 and sec GrindcS, poor Johns
agents, and hear what they can tell me about
it they'll be able to give me every iniorma-
tiOn, Of course, and advise me as 10 what to
do. Ill go to Grindles' at once; and III just
look into the counting. house and set Styles
mind at rest before come back. | can bring
my letters down here to answer"
How far Styles mind was set at rest has
been already recorded.
To Messrs. GrindleS' accordingly, at an un-
usual expense Of cab-hirc, Mr.. Simpson pro-
ceeded. Ifhe had any floating doubt in his
mind before as to the correctness Of the an.
nouncement in the Times, the remarkably
grave and polite manner in which the junior
Mr.. Grihdle (whOni he remembered aS rapid
and somewhat supcrcilions young man) re,
ccived him on his entrance, would have gone
far tn remove them.
~ Havo VIM hoard onvkhin0 1atolx, nf ms,