The Cecil Whig., 1882-11-25

| pSa.tu ADel. - NOtHlnI NoElu lHhuCt
my mother-in-law to part with it.
IAN old family relic. Ell - remarked
the professor.
" Exactly said Abel.
And he went on hammering, anG
whistling the tune of Robin Adair.
while the professor made his way back
through the pricl<ly hedge of gooseber
ry-bushes and black currants.
Half an hour afterward Mary, the
pretty first cause of Abel Jones roman
tic adventures, ran into the shop. They
had been married for over three months
now, but Abel's smile of welcome was
no less bright than it had been in the
days of the honeymoon.
Bless me, Polly - said he. "What
is the matter? You look half scared tc
death -
And no WONDER said Mary. There
have been burglars at the house. Mother
chest of drawers is gone
What - shouted Abel.
"And those We're left under one OF
the volumes of Barnes Notes on the
Gospel on the kitchen table = breath
lessly added Mary. displaying five ten.
dollar bills in the palm of her hand.
Upon -my-word :" said Abel. It's
the old fellow with the bald head. Polly
and the spectacles, you may depend up
on it. | thought he looked like an Old
furniture dealer"
Alas, poor Abel. not to be able to dis
criminate between a second-h hand store
keeper and the professor of aesthetics and
bellies lettres in Higley university. But
such it lie,
" But it's stealing" cried Mary breath.
lessly.
Well, not exactly" said Abel, laugh
Jog. The old thing in itself was not
worth ten dollars. If they choose to
value it at fifty, why it ain t bad for us
in the light OF pecuninary transaction,
eh, Polly 30
buU "ha' " III iiiolhel say Pleaueu
Mary.
I've got another one nearly finished,
said Abel. II was meaning to sell it to
Mrs. harrington. but Ill just put it up in
the old place. and mother will never care
whether it 5 number one OF number two
that is there"
So that when Mrs. Bubble came home
from the sewing society Aber-wps just
setting up new set q drawers, and
Mary eagerly related to her the tale OF
the burglary, for So she still persisted in
calling it.
We'll, | never said Mrs. Bubble.
Fifty and twenty-five makes seventy
five. I'm glad didn't take the Death
of Jonathan " -"
This means business" said Abel to
himself.
And he set diligently TO work to man
ufacture still other duplicates of the
''chist o draws staining them dark,
rich brown, and beating out odd, she'll
shaped decorations to complete the ilu.
sion. And when the curiosity hunters
came up the solitary road, embowered in
elms, where it required considerable en-.
gineering for one load Of hay to pass
another, Abel sat whistling on his door
step, ready to drive bargain.
Any old furniture or antiques to
sell ~ the hunter would blandly inquire
Not stick - said Abel, and then
after minutes blank silence on the pa,
of the pioneers of the aesthetic, he would
add: Unless you d like to look at this
ere chist o draw S as I've just tinkered
up. | can't say up and down, you know
as it's old; but then it is. You can look
for yourselves. There amt no date on
it. | don care whether | sell it or not
Nor yet | don't put no price on it, | ain t
none of your bargain drivers. 1t You
like it pay what yor think is right: il
you don't why there amt no harm
done ~
SO that no less than seven editions OF
the chest of draws were sold before the
season was over. They became the fash.
ion. Every person who brought one had
a vague hope of having something a lit
tie different from his neighbors. And
some of them have never yet ceased look.
ing for hidden treasures. old papers OF
outlawed wills among the pigeon holes
and compartments.
And when the season ended and the
city boarders went back to their brick.
and mortar wilderness Abel bought his
mother-in-law plethoric pocket book.
"Three hundred and sixty-five dollars.
mother, said he. Enough to pay OF
the last nstallment of the mortgage or
the old farm. We couldn't have made
more money than ii we'd kept housefuI
of boarders, as Polly wanted to do. But
| don mean Polly to be at the beck and
call OF dozen fine ladies, and :. ork hel
roses Oil. not while I'm able to work fol
her
And the report Of Able Jones good
lrcl; spread far and wide through all the
country side. Mrs. Hopper, the "Abi
gail Ann Of Mrs. Bubbles iegandary
"reminiscences, heard the great news and
drove down from Plum Hill to inquire
into it.
1T it 5 true as you We found five hun
dred dollars. SAID she dolefully. in
that old chist o draws it's the law as
all the heirs should divide equally, So.
phiar Bubble"
But 1t amt true said Mrs. Bubble.
'Oh. said Mrs. Hopper, - | told my
husband as it was all a made-up story.
Not that exactly, neither, =" said Mrs.
Bubble, laughing.
And then she related the precise cir
cumstances Of the case.
Mrs. Hopper drew a long breath.
Il wish hadn't chose the Death OF
Jonathan " said She The cord broke
last week, and it fell down and smashed
my best set of china. | never had nc
luck with it
And served you right for your greed
and rapaci.y" '" said Abel Jones sotte
voice to Mary. who. in the next room,
was helping him 10 vanish a set Of hang
ing shelves.
Hush sh-sh. whispered Mary.
While old Mrs. Bubble smiled and re-
marked sagely that nobody never knew
exactly how things was goin' to turn
out"
but she added. wiping her specta-
Gle glasses. that chist o draws GER
tainly did bring me good luck. It's paid
off the last of the old mortgage. and laid
in a stock O real black walnut for Abel
to work with. and get a navy blue cash
mere for Mary. And if that amt luck
| don't know what is.
Good NTor3c fr,-,,