Litchfield enquirer., 1875-01-28
From Harpers Magazine. THE BAMBER FORTUNE. .5 A NEW YEARS STORY.

l A NEW YEARS SToRT. | On the the last day of the old year Mrs
 Bamber entered her shop, and served he
 customers abstractedly, for her mind wa | full of trouble. She was the most cheer
 full and sprightly of little women, witl
 bright keen blat eyes, a ruddy bloom il
 her soft wrinEled cheeks, aid tiaxen hai
 arranged in stiff curls about her forehead
 but to-day the demand of small boy, il
 shrill tones. for little of Bamber's Drop
 failed to produce the delight usually mani
 tested by her under such circumstances
 Bambers Drops was the remedy of he
 late husband for all the ills flesh IS hei
 to, and Mrs BamDer believed in it frml'
 with the ardor of a sanguine nature ant
 loving heart. The late Dr. Bamber's sta
 had set in sadness and gloom before al
 unsympathizing world had consented t.
 take hls panacea by the tea-spoonful. Al far as the will of one fragile and very de termined woman could make the world re scind its objections, Mrs. Bamber hat prepared herself for the battle. Whel the small boy had taken himself off witl his purchase, she leaned her elbow o1 the counter and sighed deeply.
 ''To think of the Platts coming to this If Archibald was alive, instead of only his wife! He knew deal about law, poo dear, and needed to. what with imitator: and spurious articles to inju the trade I would sell out, and give them every penny, if could find purchaser, and il wasn't all so sudden. Archibald was grate l full to his dying breath, and I'm not likely to forget that we owe every thing to Dr. | Platt. Dear, dear! Five thousand dol lars, or a foreclosed mortgage. tell you l it's pure spite in that Hiram Driggs; he l don't know how to behave himself yet as | a rich man."
 | Mrs. Bamber's gaze strayed anxiously about the place, as if searching for way out of her difficulties. Did the clew act. ually lie in her grasp without her being aware of it? The shop was very tiny, but exquisitely neat, and the variety of articles for sale, which made it almost museum, was arranged with Q certain artistic per ception of harmonious coloring. The late Dr. Bamber had been a chemist, and one side of the place was still devoted to those medicines which woman may dispense without being licensed apothecary; but the rest of his stock had been removed across the way to the new drug store, which was grief to Mrs. Bamber soul, and replaced on her shelves with a few books, stationery, and gay worsteds.
 ''Why should I not be the apothecary after Archibald?" she had said to Dr. Platt, with an energetic nod of the head. ''Don't know as much as Peyton?"
 Peyton was the rival over the way. Dr. Platt, rosy. good-natured gentleman, had made some soothing response cal culated to mollify feminine vanity. and cr ka1 kIn %af1 fresh field of usefulness.
 Mrs. Bamber's eyes rested on the vo- fumes opposite, package of valentines season, jumping jack dangling helpless ly from nail. Never by any chance did her gaze wander to the shop window. She went over to the other side and open ed showcase, which contained fat pin cushions and impossible pen-wipers, ar- tIcles made by old ladies of the reduced gentlewoman type, and presented here for sale.
 'I believe that would sell my own soul to raise the money and help them out of trouble. 1" said Mrs. Bamber, vehement ly; and then she took up pincushion as If in hopes 1t might turn to gold ill her hand. Pooh! these things have lain here for years. What good are they?"
 An aquarium occupied place in the centre of the shop-a crystal house where silky flores of sea-weed grew about mimic grottos. and fish of metallic hues flashed through the waters. A guilty pang smote the little woman at the sight of it. In all these years of hard work and lonely wid- owhood the aquarium was the only extrav- agence she had allowed herself, and often would she spend her time of rest gazing into the miniature water world. If she could now glve the money it had cost to the Platt family!
 A white gleam came softly through the window from the snow-covered street; win ter seemed to muffie the town of Stone port in mantle of silence. setting each household in separate atmosphere of in- dividuality. Up on the hill, where gen. teel Stoneport dwelt in large, old d-fashion- ed mansions, the music of sleigh-bells and merry voices were to be heard, but down here on the main street the afternoon fell in quiet cold, deserted by traffic as soon as the sun quilted the narrow thorough fare.
 Miss Simmins, the miliiner, peered from her window, and NIT. Peyton, the druggist opposite, polished his door panes me- chanically with bit of chamois leather. The harbor, now dark and wind-fretted, lapsed up to Mrs. Bamber's very back door. Pirates might have landed and car ried her of at midnight, if they had been disposed, although Mrs. Bamber was not daunted by fear of such violent abduc- tion. In the old days piratical crews in rakish craft the Spanish Main had not been unknown in the waters of this very harbor, and Stoneport had been more in- koIw kz1 kh1 z1o A., 1- than was good for its reputation at Q flu ture date. Like so many towns on the coast of New England, prosperity had ebbed away, the bud of promise been blighted by some mysterious fiucteration of commerce. There were those who detect ed righteous Nemesis in the decay of Stoneport, and here 1t was left to crumble away in the sunshine, moss-grown mem ory of the past. The shop bell rang sud- denly. and girl entered.
 "Oh, Mrs. Bamber r' she cried; and throwing her arms impulsively about the little woman, burst into tears.
 The girl was taller and larger than hel companion, and yet clung to her.
 'tHas any thing more happened?" in quired Mrs. Bamber, alarmed. 'NoN don't gave way, my dear"
 "I can't help it, !" sobbed the girl, ex. citedly. 'Mr. Driggs has been to see me again. He came to the school-room, with all the children staring, and told me that he would not foreclose on the Platt pro perty if I would marry him. Oh, what $ cruel, cruel Dargalnr'
 "You never promised-" bsgan Mrs
 Bamber, breathlessly.
 The girl drew herself up.
 .I said mo-"
 Charlotte Eaton was very attractive certainly, even in her anger, with flushed cheeks and fearful eyes. A little scarle
 hood covered her golden hair, and gav,
 her something of childish beauty. A
 this moment there was a stir in the desert
 ed street; people appeared like magic. 4 sleigh, curved like shell, and lined will
 robes of feecy white fur. drawn by spirit
 ed black horses in flashing harness. ana
 driven by solemn negro coachman il
 livery, slowly passed. The sole oecupan