The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-06-25
A REMARKABLE STORY.

The London correspondent of the Belfast News
vouches for the truth of the following remarkable
narrative:
"a short time since an old lady, living in one
Of the small streets leading out Of Albany street,
Regents Park, close to what was once the Colos-
scum, entered the shop of Mr.. -, a poulterer
in the neighborhood, and purchased chicken.
The tradesman was attentive to her, as such peo.
| pie ought to be, aud the lady became customer,
always coming to the shop and giving her own
orders. She appeared to be very old, but to
have all her faculties about her. One Saturday
evening she came when the poulterer happened
to be very busy. She said she wished to speak
| to him, and he asked her to walk into the little
parlor behind the shop and he would come to
her the moment he was Gisengaged. In the
parlor she met the daughter of the pouterer, and,
after some conversation, in the course Of which
she remarked that the young girl looked i'll and
required change of air, she produced parcel,
tied np in paper, and said, Give this to your
father, he is busy and cannot come, and can
not wait l wish him to take you away for a
little change, and here is something that will en-
able him to do so.' She placed the parcel in the
girls hand and told her to lock it up in a, cup
board to which she pointed The girl did SO
and thought no more of the matter; but when,
some hours subsequently, the shop was closed
and her father came into the parlor to get his
supper, she produced the parcel and gave the
message by which il was accompanied. The
pouterer laughed as he united it, but to his
amazement, the parcel was found to consist of
bank notes and gold of the value of G. 900
There was also in it an antique gold watch and
chain.
The next day Mr. - hurried round to his
customer to thank her. when she desired him to
take his daughter ont of town for a few days, and
on their return to inform her Of their arrival
This, of course done. A day or two after
their return she called at the shop Of Mr. -
and said she wished him to come to her house to
tea, accompanied by his daughter. AS they were
about to leave, after parskng of her hospitality,
she said to Mr. -, 4 wish you particularly to
call on re to morrow morning and bring with
you two respectable persons upon whom you can
rely The next morning Mr. - attended, ac-
companied by the curale of the parish and
neighbor. The old lady then said that she was up
wards of ninety years of age, and had no relative
living but cousin, an attorney, who she alleged,
had not treated her WELL and by whom, she said,
she had lost 100000. She added that she had
f25, 900 in consols still left, and that as she felt
she would not live long, and was resolved that
the attorney should not get anything belonging
to her, she had asked Mr. - TO attend, with
two witnesses, in order that she might transfer
to him, for his own absolute use, the ELS, 900 10
which she had referred She added that she
knew very well what she was about and that
10y giving him the money while she was alive, in.
stead of bequeathing it to him at her death he
would be saved the payment Of legacy duty to
the extent of 200. ...-
"This announcement appeared to be of SO sim
gular nature that the clergyman very proper
" suggested that solicitor should be sent for.-
The man of law came accordingly, and the trans
fer was duly effected. The old lady's PRESENT.
ment of approaching dissolution proved to be
correct, AS she died few weeks after making
this singular disposition of her property It
seems that before her death she had intended to
give the money to a chemist with whom she
used to deal, but that he had offended her
by some inaltention to her wishes The moral
Of this story (of the substantial accuracy of which
there can be no doubt whatever) is that civility
costs nothing and may sometimes yield rich re-
ward -