The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-03-14
FITZ HUMES' LITTLE TRICK.
MIR. AUGUSTUS FITz-HUMEs

4V1- sat IN his luxurious bachelor eStab-
lishment on B street, and ponderod
deeply. The subject of his cogitations
was a wife, or, rather, how to get one.
There were enough young ladies who
would be glad to bless their lucky stars
for the privilege of becoming mistress
OF his home, as he well knew; but he
also felt tolerably well assured the home
was all they cared for For the fortune
: they would wed its owner
" Deuce take the moneyw he exclaim-
ed. | wish I'd never had cent, and
then-but botheration then / should
have been too poor to marry, any way.
Why couldn't have just wealth enough
for all my wants, and nothing more I'll
foil them, though, the mean adven-
turesses !"
A furious pull of the bell-cord brought
the housekeeper to the room in hurry.
Pack up your traps, Mrs. Ashfeld,"
he exclaimed, abruptly; " for am going
to close the house"
1t was evident that he had come to
some conclusion.
Shut up the house, Mr.. Fitz- Humes !"
calculated the housekeeper, almost be-
lieving she had lost her reason WHY
such thing has not occurred since your
lamented uncle took possession fve-and-
forty years ago."
That makes no difference, ma'am {;
Pm master here now, and shall close it
for the present. Meanwhile your pay
can still go on, and that of such domestics
as you consider indispensable. Have you
no relatives you wish to visit ?" he in
quired.
That settled it. The proffer of continued
pay removed Mrs. Ashfeld's scruples
quite effectually. She then remembered
she had friends she had not seen for years
Three days later, Mr.. Augustus Fitz-
Humes was safely domiciled in a quiet
clearinghouse, and shortly afterwards
he began to sell his diamond rings, and
seals, and others paraphernalia of fashion
able life, as well as dress himself in plain
er clothes. a rumor that his property
had all been lost through an unlucky
speculation was soon afoat.
He lost friends rapidly. BY twos and
threes they ceased to know him as he
met them on the street. He only laugh
ed and snapped his fingers at them be-
hind their backs. Had his adversity
been real he would not have felt like
laughing.
Then came the time when this circle
OF acquaintance got narrowed down to
three. But three of his former friends
still clung to him, true in adversely. 1t
is no wonder that he grew misanthrophic.
Out upon the street, one day, he met
a carriage containing some of his former
acquaintance, who had been absent from
the city since he closed his house. He
thought they would not notice him:
but each inmate of the carriage bowed
politely as of old.
"They have not heard the news" he
muttered, cynically.
He was mistaken; that night the own
er of the carriage came to see him.
I" Rather close quarters, my friend,"
he said, as he took calm survey of Au-
gustus's not very pretentious surround
ings.
pretty close, that's a fact" said Mr..
Fitz-Humes, decidedly. " But since I've
lost my property of which l suppose you
haven't heard, l have become quite
economical"
"But l have heard" cried his auditor
abruptly, "and that is why l came.
knew you needed friends now, if ever,
and the factis-well--my daughter, sir
| mean, | came too offer the position of
head clerk in my counting-room. Will
you accept of it ?"
"Abem! Well, will think of it. But
tits long way from my boarding
house."
Deuce take your clearinghouse!
You can board in my family as a-well,
as sort Of guest, you know"
Augustus looked him over closely.
Reuben Stanely was wealthy man-very
wealthy, he was called-and in his face
there was nothing to warrant the sus-
picion that he had learned Augustus Sc
cret, and wished to curry favor, aiding
him while under an apparent cloud so
that idea was speedily dismissed. OF
course, he quickly thanked him, and ac-
cepted.
Once costly snugged in the Stanely
mansion, it was not long before he won
dered why he had not noticed Nellie
Stanely before. She did not seem to feel
/ obo,,o L., 4 bot Al