The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-07-28
Mr. BLINKINSoP'S BOOTS.


had, all his life time, been endeavoring to
save something to maintain him handsome
ly in his old age. He was partly success
full in this design, for he laid up enough to
live on for many years, and as his father
and grandfather had each died at the age of
eighty he took it for granted that his own
term of existence would be of equal length,
and he provided an amount of funds cor
responding with that expectation.
But, although Figures cannot lie," the
best arithmeticians may sometimes commit
errors. There was small mistake in the
calculation of Mr.. Blinkinsop. Instead of
living eighty years as he expected, he lived
less than forty; and soon after his death,
his surviving partner thought that she dis
covered another error in his account of still
greater importance Ito her at least) than
the miscalculation of his longevity. She
had often heard him say that be possessed
such and such sums of money, but on the
third day after her husbands decease, when
she had returned from the funeral. and for
the purpose of soothing her melancholy,
made diligent search for the cash, she
could not find one twentieth part of the sum
which the departed Blinkinsop had often
spoken of as the amount of his savings.
habits of economy. In only one particular
did he indulge taste for extravaganza, to
wit: he always kept pair of superb boots,
made of the best calfskin and polished to
such degree that their brilliancy was quite
dazzling to the beholder. These boots were
kept constantly hung up in Mr.. Blinkinsop's
chamber, and it was evident that they were
intended more for ornament than use, for
he never put them on, but was often OBJ
served to gaze at them most admiringly as
they dam led from the foot of his bed. If his
wife had been of jealous temper, she might
have been dissatisfied with the attention he
paid to his boots, for it was very obvious
that they were the principal objects of his
affection.
When Blinkinsop lay on his deathbed
and was almost at his last gasp, he earnest
ly exhorted his weeping consort to be care
full of his boots; and when he was no lon
ger able to speak, he repeated his admoni-
ton with a touching and expressive gesture,
pointing to the boots with one hand and lay
ing the other on his heart.
The widow Blinkinscp, however, felt
herself aggrieved by her husbands preten-
tons to more wealth than lie possessed. and
the bitterness of her resentment was exhib.
tied in her treatment of the boots, which
she caused to be thrown contemptuOusly
among a parcel of rubbish in the kitchen
loft. Moreover, the disappointment which
she had experienced in her search after
Blinkinsop's boarded treasures, not only
embittered her mind against her dead hus-
band, but seemed to inspire her with feel
ings of hostility to the whole male sex
which indeed was very singular and sur
prising popularity in the character of a wild
oW.
She often expressed resolution not to
marry again, and gave as her reasons for
this determination, that she had been hum
plugged once in the matrimonial way, and
that the real worth of husband could not
be ascertained during his life time. While
Mr.. Blinkinsop lived she had always be-
lieved that he was very good man, and
she had treated him well in accordance with
that belief. ''But when he died. she said
Il discovered he was not what he pretend
ed to be; and it mortified me to think that
l had no way to let him know that had
found him OUT
That opportunity presented itself at last.
When ''spiritualism' broke out, the wild
ow went to the rapping medium, and had
the qualification of telling the communicat-
ing spirit of Blinkinsop that his roguery
had been detected, and that she should not
wonder if his condition in the other world
was very depiorable indeed. 1t is said that
the ghost answered with good humored for
bearance, "only take care of those boots,
my dear, and you may find that am not
as great a rogue as you take me to be-"
The widow Blinkinsop complained SO
much of her late husbands cruel deception,
that the whole story became known to the
large and respectable circle of her acquain
tances. The affair was the subject of much
consideration and debate, and various con-
iectural explanations were made of the tes-
tator's conduct.
At length a certain elderly bachelor, nam
ed Jeroboam Sparks, BY means of diligent
| cogitation, succeeded in reaching what he
supposed to be the ''heart of the mystery"
He was impressed with a solemn convic-
ton that there must be something very Pc
culiar about "them boots;" and he deter
mined forthwith to become the proprietor
of them, at all hazards and sacrifices, and
even to espouse the widow Blinkinsop. il
that desperate step should be necessary to
carry out his ambitious design.
He saw, however, that it would be neces-
/
ow should discover that the boots were
more valuable than she had suspected, she
might not be easily induced to part with
them. Finally he resolved to begin his ne
gotiation with her by proposition of mar
riage, hoping and believing that she would
reject the offer, as her misanthropy and dis
inclination for wediock were matters of gen
eral notoriety. In conformity with this wise
resolution, he called on Mrs. Blinkinsop
and formally popped the question" The
widow. as he had expected, refused his offer
with disdain, and Sparks, with an affectation
of the deepest dependency, proceeded to
discuss the other branch of the business.
elf cannot stand in your husband
Shoes" said he. ''let me have the melan-
choly satisfaction of possessing his boots.
! viii pay for them (although they are sec
ondhanded) the full price of new pair
and 1 will cherish and preserve them fol
your sake; for so long as 1 continue to wear
i them. shall feel that there is tie of SYM
pathy between us; and that idea, though il
should be a fond illusion, will IN some meas
,ra rsliava the aropy of nv dissnpo;nt