Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-21
THE BAMBER FORTUNE.

On the last day of the old year, Mrs.
Bamber entered her shop, and served her
customers abstractedly, for her mind was
full of trouble. She was the most cheer
full and sprightly of little women, with
bright, keen blue eyes, a ruddy bloom in
her soft wrinkled cheeks, and faxen hair
arranged in stiff curls about her forehead i;
but to-day the demand of a small boy, in
shrill tones, for bottle of Bamber's Drops,
failed to produce the delight usually man.
Tested by her under such circumstances.
Bamber's Drops was the remedy of her
late husband for all the ills flesh is heir TIC,
and Mrs. Bamber believed in it firmly with
the ardor of a sanguine nature and loving
heart. The late DR.. Bamber's star had
set in sadness and gloom before an un-
sympathizing world had consented to use
his panacea by the teaspoonful. AS far as
the will of one fragile and very deter
mined woman could make the world rescind
it's objections, Mrs. Bamber had prepared
herself for the battle. When the small
boy had taken himself off with his pur-
ClldSC, DIG lOttilCu uCL C1UOW Ou tLC COuu-
ter and sighed deeply. ''To think Of the
Platts coming to this If Archibald was
alive instead of only his wife! He knew
what with imitators and spurious articles
to injure the trade, 1 would sell out, and
give them every penny, if I could find a
purchaser, and it wasn't all so sudden.
Archibald was grateful to his dying breath,
and Pm not likely to forget that we owe
everything to DR.. Platt. Dear, dear Five
thousand dollars. or foreclosed mortgage.
1 tell you that it's pure spite in that Hi
ram briggs; he don't know how to behave
himself vet as rich man."
Mrs. Bamber's gaze strayed anxiously
about the place, as if searching for way
out Of her difficulties. Did the clue actu-
ally 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 arranged with a certain artistic
perception 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 dis
pense without being licensed apotheca-
ry; but the rest of his stock had been re-
moved across the way to the new drug
store, which was a grief to Mrs. Bamber's
soul, and replaced on her shelves with
few books, stationery and gay worsteds.
"Why should I not be the apothecary
after Archibald % she said to DR.. Platt,
with an energetic nod of the head. Don't
1 know as much as Peyton 20
Peyton was the rival over the way. DR..
Platt, rosy, good-natured gentleman,
had made some soothing response calcula-
ted to notify feminine vanity, and sugges-
ted the stationery department as fresh
field of usefulness.
Mrs. Bamber's eyes rested on the vol
umes opposite, a package OF valentines in
which the town INDUCED at the proper
season, jumping-jack dangling helplessly
from nail. Never by any chance did her
gaze wander to the shop window. She
went over to the other side and opened a
show case, which contained fat pin-cush-
ions and impossible pen-wipers, articles
made by old ladies of the reduced gentle
woman type, and presented here for sale.
CT believe that would sell my own soul
to raise the money and help them out of
trouble" said Mrs. Bamber vehemently !;
and then she took up pin-cushion as if
in hopes it might turn to gold in her hand.
.sPooh these things have lain here for
years. What good are they 20
An aquarium occupied place in the
centre of the shop-a crystal house whe re
silky fibres of sea-weed grew about mimic
grottoes, 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 wild
owhood the aquarium was the only extrav-
agance she had allowed herself, and often
she spent her time gazing into the minia-
ture water-world. If she could now give
the money it had cost to the Platt family T!
A white CLEAN came softly through the
window from the snow covered street
winter seemed to muffle the town of Stone
port in mantle of silence, setting each
household in separate atmosphere of in
dividuality. Up on the hill, where gentle
Stoneport dwelt in large old fashioned
mansions, the music of sleigh-bells and
merry voices was to be heard, but down
here on Main street the afternoon fell in
quiet cold, deserted by traffic as soon as
the sun quilted the narrow throughfare.
Miss Simmins, the miliner, peered from
her window, and MI. Peyton, the druggist
opposite, polished his door panes mechani
cally with bit Of chamois leather. The