American citizen., 1881-04-02
ACANTHA'S COMEDY.

ACANTHA'S COMEDY.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Clabaugh ought t,
have been wiser, after wenty-nin,
years knowledge of his nephew, thar
to have been at all llannoyed orimpatien
because that nephew was late to break
fast. But Mr.. Clabaugh had important
business ON hand, and was eager tC
transact it.
''Does Jasper think that telegraphed
to him to journey five hundred miles to
meet me here to-day without motive:
Has the boy no curiosity?" muttered he
to himself, as he slowly stirred his third
cup of coffee
House was quite deserted. save Mr..
Clabaugh and one or two walters, when
Mr.. Jasper Surridge eventually made
his appearance
Il seem to be little late," Jasper
coolly remarked. after exchanging sal
utations with his uncle, Il am sorry
you waited''
If you knew why l desired to meet
you here, what my business with you is,
you would not wonder that l waited! /
think i was the first person to sit down
to breakfast, and now the room is de-
serted"
so it appears!-has quite the air of
q banquet hall deserted But that is
all the better for US if you are anxious
to discuss business at once; there will
be no eavesdroppers."
''Quite truer' remarked Mr.. Cla-
baugh, cheerfully, half inclined to be
grateful to Jasper for being so late
that no chance fellow-boarder could
hear his secret. NJ think my news
IL III.
those tender biscuits. You remember
hearing me speak of that eccentric old
Philander Edliffe, for whom 1 have
made SO many wills?'
1.-The man who lived in Medac?"
Eyes, the same. Well, he is dead"
"Somebody-or some charitable So
ciety-is to be congratulated The old
beggar left pot OF money, didn' hep
''You can hardly call man who had
amassed half million, "a beggar, 1
Think
mot literally, of course-only figur-
atively-a bit of slang"
"Ohr' And Mr.. Clabaugh was ap-
peased; he would not willingly insult
even the ghost of n rich man.
''Who has got the propertyP -one of
the old maid cousins, or hosphale''
.'Neither. A person of whose exist
ence hever heard until made his last
will; his only grandchild. Acantha
Edliffe.''
"What an outlandish name! I
thought he was bachelor misogyn-
ist!1
So did /, but he was married in his
young days, and had one son, Pablo,
whom he drove from home by his ill
temper and his miserly ways. This
son also married and died, leaving
one daughter, Acantha; as this girl
is his legal heir, none of the many
aspirants can even claim the property"
'.Curious! But why telegraph for
me?''
This girl is young. rich-and I'm
married" .
"Ah, understand! I, too, am young
and unmarried, but alas! not rich. You
think there are possibilities for meP''
Certainly do! You are good-look-
ing"
II inherit my looks from my mother:
the Clabaughs are all presentable."
..Nonsenser' but the uncle was
fattered. "You have always been sue
cessiul with women-but by the way"
and Mr.. Clabaugh's tone change from
entanglement between you and LottieP''
'.Oh, no. nothing serious. only a
flirtation; l have not committed my
SELF
THAT is lucky. 1t wouldn't do, you
know, for my nephew to be caught in
anything dishonorable; il would injure |
both of u.s."
Don't you worry, uncle! l am too
cute to leap before 1 look. Lottie is
very sweet, and if she were old Edliffe's |
heiress there would be some sense in
my spooning on her. However, she is |
almost as poor as am, SO that match |
viii not be made. But about this |
Edliffe girl, is she-is she at all passa-
bier'
"Of her looks 1 know nothing; tut |
rs she has been a teacher in one of the |
grammar scoois in Clarendon for the |
last two years, she must have some sort |
of an education. Now my plan is that |
you start for Clarendon Tonight
mo. no, tomorrow! You forget |
that have just come post-haste from |
Ohio! Do give a fellow time to
breathe"
II presume few hours delay will |
do no harm, so we will say tomorrow. |
When you reach Clarendon look in the |
directory for the name of Edliffe; 1t is |
not n common one, and make Acantha's s |
acquaintance as well as you can. Here |
are letters of introduction to three of !
my friends there, but don't use them if |
you can help it; it will be better for
you to fall in love with the girl without |
knowing who she is; then no one can
ever accuse you of having married her
for her money. Do you understand"
''Oh, yesl But will not she, or some |
one. smell a ratP My advent in Clar-
endon just as she becomes an heir
ess-r
''She will not know she is an heiress |
until / see fit to tell her. / intend to |
give you from one to three weeks |
start: / am not well; my physician has |
ordered me here to the mountains to |
recupcrate; how can / attend to bust |
ness now?''
II see! ! must make hay before the |
sun shines. Miss Acantha will have first |
n lover, then fortune; which is rather !
reversing the usual order of things"