The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-01-09
SELECT STORY.
THE OLD MANS BEQUEsT.

Onr morning | st,pped into the
shop Of Mr.. Coimard, my jookbinder,
and seeing nobody in except his wife ]
asked her:-
Can have my books ! They were
to he ready for me to-day
"They are still under me press. Mr.
Coiimard expected to have them done
by this evening, but he had to quit
work, as he was summoned bv notary
to appear AT dis office.
"A legacy, ! suppose p
"Y0%, something of the kind, i'm
agine. 1t is almost like dream. 1t
came so Unexpectedly that we hardly
dare think about it. 1t is really silly
in me to think about legacy. We
may get ring or some little tride as a
remembrance, something not worth
talking about. The deceased was un.
der no earthly obligation to give us
anything whatever, and it is really Ia
macy on my part to expect anything
worth mentioning.
"Then he was not related TO you al
all ?"
"Not in the least. 1t is a strange
story. You know that Mr. Colimard
has tie table on which be works, clost
to the window. He needs all the light
he can get to do his work properly
Every day from twelve to two o'clock
thin old gentleman who bad the ap
pearance of being a respectable person
stood in front of our window, anC
looked in. He seemed to take a grea
deal of interest in book binding, for h,
watched every movement Of my hus
band. AT last Mr.. Colimard got an
CRY at the old man for standing in hi,
light, and he said Il wonder if thai
animated old skeleton is going to keeI
on coming every day to stare at mt
while l am at work. suppose tn,
old idiot comes mere to wait for the
undertaken My little boy, Polydor
who is an awful smart little chap
overheard this remark of my husband
and running out doors, said to tn,
venerable old man: 4 say old Mr.
Skeleton, do you come here every day
to wait for the undertaken? ?
81 can very readily imagine wha
sort of face the old gentleman made
when he heard that"
"You are mistaken. He was no
angry in the least. He laughed unit
the tears ran down his cheeks, and h,
patted our little boy on the head, ant
gave him bonbon. Next day little
Polydor renewed his acquaintance with
the old man who had bonbons to give
away. 1t is remarkable what a brigh
little boy Polydor is. The old gentle
man gave him another bonbon, ant
kissed him besides. At last, to Gu
things short, after innumerable bon
bons and kisses, the old gentleman
came into our shop and struck up al
acquaintance with us. After that, h,
came every day, and sat for half al
hour or so, and chatted with us, abou
the weather, etc Here is the very
chair in which the poor, dear old maj
used to sit, with our little Polydor OF
his knees, eating bonbons. He took ;
wonderful liking to our little son, anc
fondled him as if he was his own. HI
also took a great interest in our private
affairs. Every once in while h,
would ask, How is business Are
you getting along all right?' And he
never failed to encourage us, and tel
us to hope for the best in the future.
| "And YOU SAY YOU did not know who
the old man was p
"At first we had no idea as to whC
he was, but afterwards we made in
quiry, and learned that he was non,
other than the rich Bambriquet, whit
owned seventeen large houses from
which he drew rents every month
When II he encouraged us to hop,
for better things in the future my hus
band would say, If | owned seventeen
houses, as you do, / would not bC
troubled much about the future. IC
snap my fingers in the futures face.
The old man would reply, My dea1
children, who knows but some of these
days house may drop down into you
laps, when you least expect it.
THE old man was right. Nothing
is impossible in this world"
"One day Mr.. Bambriquet did mo-
put in his usual appearance. AT the
end of week my husband became
very uneasy about the old man, and
made inquiries. He ascertaned that
the poor, dear, kind old creature haC
caught severe cold and gone to :
land that is fairer than this. How
badly we felt about it, for we haG
learned to love the old man for him
self alone, and on account of the affec
tion which he showed our little boy
He had, moreover, large number OF
books which needed binding very bad
ly, and we expected to get the job
We bad scarcely begun to recover
from the shock caused by the old gen
tleman being snatched away so prema
turely, when we received a letter from
the notary, requesting the attendance
of my husband at the opening of the
will.
"That looks very much as if the old
ilah pIeulctlou aoouI lue houee ihli
ing into your lap was about to be re-
allied
Nonsense You may be sure uC
such good luck is going to befall us.
"And why should not portion Of
his property fall to you'"
"Because the deceased has a whole
herd of nieces and nephews, aud he il
not likely TO rob his own relatives fol-
the !eneit of strangers
"One house taken from seventeen
can hardly be called robbery
"That's what | have thought to my
self. But the dear old man, who has