Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-11
100000 Pounds.

6ptS tOStSion AoubA cN'A ~
through too free use of that unruly
member, the tongue. was young
fellow, then, clerk in London bank
NY father was an officer in the army,
and he often told us boys tba, setting
us up in some business or profession
was all he could ever do for us, as
the scaL,y pittance he would leave
behind him must belong solely to
my mother and sister. But my
brother and | were energetic and
hopeful. So long as each day
brought us enough to satisfy our
wants, we reckoned little of the flu
ture.
One bleak, cold January morning
I was greatly surprised, on my ar
rival at the bank to find my father
pacing up and down before the build
ing. l was not living at home just
then, and his presence there made
me fear lest something was wrong.
"Philip," he began, cane you in
time? Can YOU. sp1re me three min
utesP"
Eyes, SIR" I replied, "for o won
der, eel am ten minutes earlier
than aeed be. What is the mat
ter?'
ID, not look so startled" he
said. Nothing is wrong. You know
Mr.. Fosberry?"
ooh you mean the half-cracked
old man who is awful rich, and is
nv godfather. as we'll as cousin, thir-
ty times removed ?"
'' Yes" was the reply. " Well,
last night l received letter from
him, after years of silence in which
he asks after you" And he read
me the letter.
"What a queer old mani" 1 ex-
claimed. "What does he mean?"
for / did not exactly understand it.
Mean cried my father excited
ly, snatching the letter from me, and
crushing it into his pocket. Mean
why, to make you his heir, Philip
his heir!'
Whewv said I blushing; that's
good idea.''
"You must apply for leave and
go off at once" said my father.
"Strike while the ions hot. It's "a
splendid chance, Philip, splendid!
Use it well and yourfortune's made"
Sol thought, applied for leave. and
/. set off for the Saddington Station
y soon after with my ears ringing with
legion of instructions for pleasing
y old men, given me by fellow clerks.
The only one could clearly remem-
Der was to rise whenever he came
into the room, and then eschew every
comfortable arm chair for fear he
should want it. / felt bursting with
importance, and actually treated my
self to glass of hot whiskey and
water at the refreshment room.
Hollow, William suddenly cried
voice.
"Why, Jack, what brings you
bere?" replied, recognizing an
old friend.
" I'm going down to Gloucester"
said he. Where are you off to?"
"Oh, to such luck ! l said :" I'm
off beyond Hereford, to humor an
old gentleman.
sc What ?" said Jack.
"Come along, and I'll tell you all
about it" said I. Second-cl class.
Yes, all right. Here we are."
After we got settled in our places,
an old man got in. He was poorly
fixed, and had green shade over
one eye, while his other looked weary
and dropping. We grunted our
strong disapproval at his entrance,
and made mutual grimaces, but as
his blind eye was towards us, they
were doubtless lost on him. As the
train moved off I told my story,
which you know already.
"Well done, Philip. Your bread
is buttered for your he exclaimed,
when he had heard me to the end.
{" What a glorious chance! Man
alive, wish was in your shoes
that's allr'
Yes, yes, my boy. All rightp 1
exclaimed. Well, it's shame if [
don't secure good smoke before the
light of my pipe goes cut in obscure
ty. Do you object to smoke, sir ?'
This latter question was addressed
to the Old gentleman in the corner,
who appeared curious mass of seedy
old coats, railway rugs, and newspa-
pers.
do object much" was the old
gentleman's gruff reply.
Very sorry, sir, said I. "Ill
keep my head OUT off the window,
then"
Shame seizes me when recall this
incident. In lieu of attending to
the old mans wishes, 1 coolly lit my
pipe, and though knew the wind
would blow the smoke right into his
eyes-though heard him growing
with rage-I pulled on heedlessly.
[ should be sorry to be so rude, now,
but you see vas young ana very