The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-07-29
ACANTHA'S COMEDY.

ACANIHAS - tUM ED1s
Undoubtedly Mr.. Clabaugh ought to
have been wiser, after twenty nine
years knowledge of his nephew, than to
have been at all annoyed or impatient
because that nephew was late to break
fast. But Mr.. Clabaugh had important
business on hand, and was eager to trans
act it.
"Does Jasper think that L tele-
graphed 10 him to journey 500 miles to
meet nTe here to-day without a motive?
Has the boy no curiosity?" muttered he
TO himself, as he slowly stirred his third
cup of coffee.
The long dining room of the Peagood
hotel was quite deserted, save by MIR.
Clabaugh aud one or two walters, when
Mr. Jasper Surridge eventually made
his appearance.
81 seem to be little late" Jasper
coolly remarked, after exchanging salu-
tations with his uncle; Il am sorry you
waited"
'.If you knew why / desired to meet
You here. what my business with you is,
you would not wonder that / waited
L think L was the first person to sit
down to breakfast, and now the room is
deserted"
so it appears quite the air of
banquet hall deserted. But that is all
the better for us if You are anxious to
discuss business at once; there will be no
eayesdroppers.
Quite true, remarked Mr.. Clabaugh
81 think my news will give additional
delcacy, even to those tender chops
You remember hearing me speak of that
eccentric old Philip Edliffe, for whom
have made so many Wills2"
''The man who lived in Merton?"
Eyes, the same. Well, he is dead.
''WhO has got his money and prop
erty, one of the old maid cousins or
hospital?''
Neither. A person of whose exist
ence j never heard until / made his last
WILL his only grandchild, Acantha Ed
life"
"What an outlandish name /
thought he was bachelor-a mysogy-
nisti'
so did 7, but he was married in his
young days, and had one son, Pablo,
whom he drove from home by his i'll
temper and his miserly WAYS This son
also married and died. leaving one
daughter, Acantha; as this girl is his le-
gal heir, none of the many aspirants can
even CLAIM the property"
OANOuS. OhS "hJ tOiSSt"ph Aot
me ?"
''This girl is young, rich-and un-
married" s"
''Ah, understand 1, too, am young
and unmarried, but, alasi not rich. You |
think there are possibilities for me?'
Certainly | do! You are good-look- |
ing -"
s'I inherit my looks from my mother;
the Clabaughs are all presentable."
NONSENSE but the uncle was flat
tered 'You have always been very
successful with women. But, by the
way" and Mr.. Clabaugh's tone changed |
from complacency to anxiety, ''is there
any ENHANCEMENT between you and
Lottie?"
"Oh no. nothing serious, only a fiirta-
ton. have not committed myself
THAT is lucky. 1t wouldn't do, you
know, for my nephew TO be caught in
anything dishonorable; it would injure
both of us.
Don't you worry, uncle | am too
wide-awake to leap before L look Lottie
is very sweet, and if she were old
Edlitfes heiress there would be some
sense in my wooing her. However, che
Is almost as poor as i am, SO that match
will not he made. But about Miss Ed
life; is she-is she at all passable?"
''Of her looks / know nothing; but as
she has been teacher in one of the
board schools ut Clarendon for the last
two years, she must have some sort of an
education. Now my plan Is that you
start for Clarendon tonight"
''No, no, tomorrow You forget that
have Just come post-haste from Dublin.
Do give "A fellow time to broathe.'
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-it Is
not a common one-and make Acanthas
acquaintance as we'll as you can. Here
are letters of introduction to three of my
friends, but don't use them if you can
help it: il will he 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 rat NV appearance in
Clarendon just as she becomes an heir
ess--'
''sShe will not know she is an heiress
until see fit to tell her. L intend TO
give YOU from one to three weeks start;
am not well; my physician has ordered
can attend to business now?'
al scei / must make hay before the
sun shines. Miss Acantha will have first
lover, then fortune; which is rather
reversing the usual order of things"
''You are serious, Jasper? You will
really try to win this young lady?"
81 am seriously-very seriousIy-in
want of money, and as for trying to win
this rural damsel for Clarendon is hard
ly more than a villagel, well, think i
can do it. answered Jasper Surridge,
complacently. as he rose from the table
and sauntered out to the hotel steps.
Young Surridge had good grounds for
his confidence in his own attractions.
He was tall, handsome, graceful, and
devoted TO ladies' society; could quote
poetry or utter delicate compliments by
the hour; and some of his half-envious
admirers declared that he had been
stern enough to refuse two offers of mar
riage from rich widows.
When he made his appearance in
church the morning after his arrival in