The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-06-22
The Lost Inheritance.
AN INSTRUCTIVE STORY.

the station of Juigny, a town on the route
and after leaving few passengers, agaii
wenton The station, for moment crowd
ed with railway porters and lockers on
was soon deserted by all but two indivdu
ais. One of them was an old man, dressed
in the garb of a well to-do farmer; the 9th
er youth of about five and twenty. who
seemed TO be waiting for some one to come
and meet him. To this person the old mar
presently addressed himself: f~#
MAY presume, SIR" said he, "to en-.
quire You are Clement B. ?''
"Yes, my good man." replied the youth
with haught:ness of manner, "and have
no doubt you are Mr.. Martini
AT your service. sir" replied the other
We'll Mr.. Martini continued Clement
in the same tone, 81 began to imagine YOU
intended TO keep me waiting. That would
not have been the best manner i'm which to
have instituted yourselfin my good graces,
The old man instead of replying, let his
head fall upon his breast as if in deep af
Fiction, and conducted the new conner to.
ward large Old fashioned carriage. tc
which avery rough looking horse was har-
messed.
'Here is your carriage. sir" said Na-..--
III you VIII he good enough to get in,
will have the honor of conducting you tc
the hermitage
"rhat my carriage, sir?" cried Clement,
"Why I should be taken for travelling
peddler" ......-
But few days before, Mr.. Clement b.,
who now put on SO many fine airs, was
simply clerk in a crockery warehouse i'm
Paris, AMI possessed the reputation of be-
ing n quiet, unpretending little fellow
What then had brought about tlis sudden
and radical Transformation He had be-
come, since the previous day. Il rich man.
and it may well be understood that the
possessor OF an income oftwenty thousand
francs year finds it difficult To retain the
modest demeanor of poor clerk. On the
previous day, while busting the large pile
OF crockery under his charge, letter ar
rived for him by the post, conveying to him
The startling intelligence that one of his
uncles, of whom he had often heard as an
eccentric and very old man, but whom he
had never seen. had Just died al his resi-
dence in Burgundy, leaving his nephew
many other heirs.
The letter was from notary in the Prov
ince, who desired him to leave Paris i'm.
media.ely for Juigney, the town nea,
which his uncle had resided, where Inc
would be met by Mr.. Martin, an old conf
dcntiaA servant of the deceased, and con
Quoted from the Railroad to the "Hermi
tage," the name which the deceased had
given to the estate.
Almost driven out Of his senses bv suci
an unexpected stroke of fortune, Clemen
ha.tened to obey the notary's directions
and on his arrival at Juigney joined Mar
tin, AS we have seen.
On jolted the queer vehicle i'm which oul
hero had so ocontempiuously taken Il place
| until, after a ride of several miles, the oc
cupants arrived at their destination. Mar
tin Offered the honors of the Hermitage (,
the new proprietor, called all the servants
and introduced them to their future mas
ter, and then conducted the latter to his
own apartments.
"rhis was the sleeping chamber of your
uncle" said Martin, as they entered q
large apartment furnished i'm old-fashioned
style. ut was in this room that he died
ten days ago."
But the nephew, instead of evincing- any
emotion upon being shown the chamber Of
his benefactor, threw upon all around him
a look Of scorn, and cried, "Upon my word
l can't say think much of the old boys
taste! never saw anything so very ugly
in all my life."
notwithstanding, sir,' replied Martin
sit is the best we have; and if you cannot
content yourself, Ireally on'tknow where
you will find other lodgings"
81 live here!' exclaimed the young man.
"You do not imagine am such a donkey
hope! For us young fellows, do You see
Paris is the only place; SO shall sell this
old crazy rookery at once, and then bt
off,
"Sell the hermitager' exclaimed Martini
"your uncle's favorite place Of residences
Impossible! And we servants, who hoped
to end our days under this roof, what is tt
become Of us?''
"Mr. Martini" retorted the young mar
'let me have none of your complaints,
beg. Get me some dinner, and afterward.
you will drive me to the notary's.
After having eaten a hearty neal, not
withstanding he found the meats insipit
and the wines sour, the legatee, still accom-
ponied by Martin, re-entered the carriage
and the two started off.
'If am not mistaken" observed Mr.
Clement, after an hours ride, "we passec
this spot this morning; and that" pointin,
TO building, sis the railroad station. d,
we take the train there?'