The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-08-26


"Isp't that iolly?" said Miss Shipper.
The lawyer turned away, but the doc
tor was near at hand.
% Three hundred thousand!" he said
to himself. /" Well, if there are other
legacies, she'll still be rich. And she's
silly enough to swallow anything. I'll
do it."
And thereupon, finding Miss Shipper
alone in the parlor, he offered her his
hand and heart.
1 fell in love with you at first
sight," he said, and tell you so now,
that you may not think me mercenary,
as you might if waited. You may have
nothing, you know.
Nonsense" said Miss Shipper. CT
shall be rich, of course. And you don't
suppose I'm going to take the first red
headed doctor that offers, do you? l
shall have plenty of beaux. l always
have had And now-dear me, you
must think good deal of yourself, de-
alare"
Whereupon the doctor, ready to die
of rage, departed, and banded himself
with nurse Petting, already Miss Ship
pens sworn enemy.
That evening young Smith made ten
der advances, and received an equally in
sulting rebuff. Miss Shipper had now
four enemies, for Mrs. Smith, of course,
sympathized with her son.
The lawyer only remained civil, and
into his ears, whenever she could catch
him, Miss Shipper poured her plans
for the future. Even when at last the
whole party were assembled in the
parlor, two gentlemen of grave man.
ner, as yet unknown to the group, being
among them, Miss Shipper found her
spirits too high to be quenched, and
chartered on, regardless of the angry
faces about her.
/" Poor uncle Dear ME, who would
have thought" she said" me that he
hated so? Pm going to have a basket
pheton and pair of ponies. and drive
up in the park. Gloves to match my
dress-whip in hand, silver handle.
fellow! Now who'd ever have thought.
when used to make fun of his UNI
brella? / declare, how the world does
go, doesn't it? And it won't be long
to be out of mourning, either; / shan't
go into half. 1t don't suit me. I'll
wear crimson and blue and corn color.
Nothing but silk velvet in the winter.
Well, what is it?" This to the legal
gentleman.
Silence, if you please, for a moment,
Miss Shippen," said the lawyer.
Mum as a mouse, if you are going
to read the will,' said the lady.
The lawyer unfolded the parchment.
The two grave strangers became
solemnly attentive.
The 81, Samuel Shippen, being"
ETC., was finished. Then came a legacy
of five hundred dollars to Mrs. Smith,
which made her burst into tears, and
another of the same amount to Mrs.
Petting, which had the same effect
upon her.
"You're welcome, Pm sure" said
Miss Shipper. 81 don't begrudge it
to you; now for me, | suppose"
The lawyer smiled, and went on
reading.
1t was all a muddle to poor Miss
Shipper, but she extracted from the
bulk the fact that " the Sailors and
Soldiers Asylum of -" was endowed
with one hundred thousand dollars;
the Crabtown College with another
hundred thousand; and that another
llululCu tuOuSdlu was ulNluCu tulOuS
ten charities.
Her face grew long; her cheeks
flushed.
Am L left out?" she muttered
Here you are, Miss Shippen," said
the lawyer: "To my niece, Anna Maria
Shipper, who, but for her impertinent
conduct, would have been my heiress,
leave my blue umbrella, as reminder
that in the end good feeling and true
politeness are always the best policy.
Let her hang it in her room, and look
at it often as warning for the future"
Anna Maria looked around her, saw
the triumphant grins of her enemies,
burst into tears and dashed out of the
room. That night she went home.
No one attended her to the door; no
one opened that of the carriage. She
drove to the depot alone, without es-
cort, and the umbrella still hangs in the
closet of Mrs. Smiths front bedroom,
and often illustrates the story she is
fond of telling to her dodgers of the
poor, dear gentleman who left his
niece something.-Selected.