Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-09
CHAPTER III

ragged boy to his mates as they were at
| play by the roadside. 1t was a good
many years after Annette's marriage.
"Give it to him." shouted another, as
| he picked up handful of mud, and, after
rolling it into ball. threw it at an old
man as he was passing by. At this the
boys all began to follow the example of
| their leader Some threw sticks: some
sand and dirt; and one or two sent stones
whizzing through the air.
Hes an old miserm exclaimed one of
the lads Mamma says he is.n
"He is too mean and stingy to live"
said one boy, better dressed than the
others. My grandmother says he
starved his mother fifty years ago, and
has hated everybody ever since"
A crowd of urchins had now gathered
around the old man, and some of them
had picked up long sticks, with which
they annoyed him. One lad knocked off
his hat; and, as the man stopped to pick
| it up, the well-dressed boy struck his
cane and knocked it into the gutter. Sew
eral dogs were in the crowd; and the
boys set them on the old man. At this
| iuncture a carriage came up; and in it
there were two young ladies, a man in
prime of life, and an old lady.
Papa said one of the girls, "can't
you make those rude boys let the poor
man alOne?" The gentleman looked out
of the window, and said "For shame,
lads, to trouble a helpless old manr
He's an old miser!" He robs the
poorm "He lives in a garrett" "He
hates everybodyw shouted many eager
voices. The old lady looked out and ex-
claimed:
Poor Jacques for he it is, I am sure;
how changed! But the boys are right !;
he is miser, and never speaks to any
| one, if he can avoid it"
"Do you know him, grandma? SAID
one of the young ladies.
Yes, my dear" replied Annette; for it
was she. Wewere playmates when we
were children. But Jacques had fever,
and after that grew very odd and melan-
choly. At last he began to grow penu-
rious; and for many years he has been
known as the miser.' have not spoken
with him since my marriage-which you
know was just fifty years ago to-day
and have only seen him occasionally on
the street"
Two days later a crowd of persons
men, women and children-might have
been seen in front of the little dwelling
house where we first introduced our
| readers to Jacques Guyot and his mother.
q live next door there" said a car
penter, in his shirt-sleeves and without a
hat on his head; and my wife has seen
no one about the house these two days"
He promised to call at my store yes
| terday," said grocer, " to pay me some
money, and he is always prompt in such
matters"
and he said he would call at my
store to collect the rent" remarked a
tailor; and he hasn't been near since"
That's not like him." added another,
| Something wrong when Jacques Guyot
isn't on hand to receive the money"
An officer had arrived; and they pro-
ceeded to force the lock of the front
door. There was strong iron bolt in
side; and the entrance was effected with
some difficulty. Nothing was found in
| the first room but a parrot, which seemed
| to be delighted to see the newcomers.
Poor JaCques!" it said, "poor Jacques!
Then, on seeing two or three boys In the
crowd, the bird screamed, bad boys
poor jacques! Bad boys; poor Jacques!
| For minute or two there was pro
| found silence; not stir or whisper broke
| the stiffness. The officers then APP
| preached the chamber the door of which
was slightly ajar. 1t was pushed Opan,
| and eagerly the crowd gaZed into the
| room. There was the old man kneellng
IN front of great iron chest, his head
| bent forward and one hand on the edge
| OF the box, while the other grasped an
old, brown-looking piece of paper. Then
the authorities were sent for, an lnvesti-
| cation made, and pr0ceS-U6rbdt drawn up
to the effect that the defunct had come
to his death by heart-disease.
The paper he held was very old doc
ument and so faded that it was scarcely
legible. The deceased had, apparently
| taken 1t out to examine it; and he had
| written down at the close OF the will
| for such it was-the amount Of his prop
| erty, and the manner in which 1t was In
vested.
The officer who directed the proceed
| lngS was a man far advanced IN years
He had been a comrade Of Jacques in
their bOyhOod, but had lost sight of him
for many years. There were tears IN the
old mans eyes as he held up the instru'
ment and said, in a shrill and broken
voice, to the motley group which had as
sembled: "My friends and townsmen
here lies the body of a man whom the
city ridiculed and despised as a heartles<
| AA''N~A' ilC DONS 1looSSS1 - -AAAAA IL 1AAe
streets, and pelted him with dirt anc
stones. People taught their very dogs tt
bark at him as he passed. The poor up
braided him, and the rich sneered anc
pointed the finger of scorn at him as they
rode by in their coaches. Let me reac
you his will"
He paused to wipe his spectacles, anC
then began in measured tone
..MARSEILLEs. Aug. /, 1T75.
hen was child, l fell Ill OF a fever, and dur
ing my recovery suffered intensely from thirst
| mere had been severe drought for months
! and the water. ALWAYS poor in quality. was almos
Wholly exhausted. At that time my mother tolt
me that many hundreds of the poorer class suffered
III the same way She also told me that my tathe
ana many Others had lost their property by nre
chlefy because there was an inSuIlclent supply O
Water 70 eNtlngulSh the flames. For these reasons
lDequeath all my property Of every kind after tn
payment OF my Just debts aud Of my funeral eN
penses TO my native city of Marseles, forthe puT
pose OF providing water-wOrks which shall suppl.
the entire community free of expense.
..JACoUEs GUYoT.''
After slight pause, the officer con
tinued; " This is the original document
and is much faded What | shall nov
read was apparently written on the ola,
OF his death, and is very brief:
AUG. 1, 1925.
By economy and industry 1 have acquired
fortune OF more than four million francs; and
hereby give and beqUeath the same to the objec
| above named. JACQUES GUYoT.h