The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-07-23

been led away by the fine words of
that spendthrift." He paced the room
nervously and then threw himself on
the lounge.
'aI had not the courage" he said,
thoughtfully, "to give her up, and
with her the hope OF happy home.
But it is her own choice; and now /
can devote my whole life to that one
purpose formed so long ago."
CHAPTER III.
s"Here comes old dry-bones % cried
a ragged boy to his mates as they
were at play by the roadside. It was
a good many years after Annette's
marriage.
''Give it to hint" shouted another,
as he picked up handful OF mud, and
after rolling it into ball, threw it at !
the 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.
"He's an old mlser !" exclaimed one |
of the lads. mamma says he is"
"He Is too mean and stinRy to live"
4 Us
Others. "My grandmother says he |
starved his mother fifty years ago, |
and has hated everybody ever since"
A crowd of urchins had now gath
cred 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 Weli-dressed |
boy struck his cane and knocked 1t |
into the gutter. Several dogs were in |
the crowd; and the boys set them on
the old man. At this juncture a car
rage 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 helpless old
man."
"He's an old miserp' she robs the
poor % HE lives in garret % "He
hates everybody % shouted many ca
ger voices. The old lady looked out
and exclaimed:
"Poor Jacques for he it is, am
sure; how changed! But the boys are
right; he is a mIser, and never speaks
to any one, if he can avoid It."
"Do yeu know him, grandma H
said one of the young ladies. ~
"Yes, my dear,n replied Annette;
for it was she. 1--WE were playmates
when we were children. But Jacques
had fever, and after that grew very
odd and melancholy. At last he be-
gan to grow penurious; and for many
years be has been known as the mi
SER L have not spoken with him
since my marriage-whichy 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 chIIdraIl--raiRhe |
have been seen In front of the IItLIo
dwelling-hOuse where We first intro
duced our readers to Jacques Guyot
and his mother.
"I live next door there" said car
penter, in his shirt-sleeves and with
out hat on his head; "and my wife
two days" 'An-a
"He promised to call at my store
yesterday said grocer, "tO pay me
some money, and he Is always prompt
in such matters"
store to collect the rent" remarked 3
tailor; 'and he hasn't been near
SINCE"
"Thet's not like him, y added anoth-
er. Something's wrong when Jacques
Guyot isn't on hand TO receive the
money"
An officer had arrived; and they
proceeded to force the lock of the front
door. There was a strong iron bolt
inside; 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 see
ing two or three boys in the crowd,
the bird screamed, "Bad boys; poor
Jacques! Bad boys; poor Jacques :"
For a minute or two there was q
profound silence; not stir or whisper
broke the stiffness. The officers then
approached the chamber, the door of
which was slightly ajar. 1t was push
ed open, and eagerly the crowd gazed
into the room. There was the old man
kneeling 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 investigation made, and
proees-Uer6dL drawn up to the effect |
that the defunct had come to his death |
| by heart-disease.
The paper he held was a very old |
document and SO faded that it was |
scarcely legible. TIE deceased had, ap-
parently, taken it out to examine il; |
and he had written down at the close
of the will-for such it was-the |
amount of his property, and the man
ner in which il was invested.
The officer who directed the pro- |
| ceedings was a man far advanced in |
years, He had been q comrade of Jac- |
ques 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 instrument and said, in
shrill and broken voice, to the motley |
group which had assembled: "My |
| friends and townsmen, here lies the
body of a man whom the city Eidicul- |
ed aud despised as q heartless miser. |
the boys hooted at him in the streets,
and peIted him with dirt and stones. |
People taught their very dogs to bark |
at him as he passed. The poor up |
braided him, and the rich sneered and |
pointed the finger of scorn at him as
they rode by in their coaches. Let
me read you his will.n
He paused to wipe his specsacles,
and then began in q measured tone
MARsEILLEs, August /, I775.
"When 1 was a child, fell Ill Of q fever,
! and during my recovery suffered intensely
from thirst. There had been severe drough
for months and the water, always poor IN
quality, was almost wholly exhausted. AT
that time my mother told me that many
hundreds of the poorer class suffered in the
same way. She also told me that my father
and many others had lost their property By
fire, chiefly because there was an insufficient
supply CT water to extiEguish the flames.
For these reasons bequeath all my property
of every kind, after the payment Of my just
debts and of my funeral expenses, TO my na-
tive city of Marseilles, for the purpose of pro-
viding water-works which shall supply the
entire community free of expense.
JACQUES GUoYT."
After slight pause, the officer con-
tinued "This is the original doeu-
ment, and is much faded. What L
shall now read was apparently writ
ten on the day of his death, and is
very brief:
"AUG. j, Is25.
t'By economy and industry have aequir-
ed a fortune of more than four million
francs and 1 hereby give and bequeath the
same TO the object ABOVE named.
JAoUEs GUToT,"
Such is the pathetic story of JAG
ques Guoyt, the miser Of Marseilles.-
JH Temple, IN Old and NeU. 7
Smart Clerk.