Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-10-21
AN INSURANCE COMEDY.

There was heated discussion going
on in one of the Equality Life Insurance
rooms, London. On presenting his
claim for the twenty thousand pounds
for which the life of his late wife had
been insured. what answer do you sup
pose Jack Dunstan received?
Perhaps, first, you had better be told
something about Jack Dunstan- Three
years ago, to the establishment of all
his fashionable friends, he had thrown
up his commission in the Guards aud
sold his handsome person to Scotch
heiress of extraordinary wealth and
hideousness. Perhaps the one lie of
Jrck' S life was the one uttered at the
altar. In his favor be it urged that it
was uttered to save his father from ruin
and disgrace, and that to the day of
her death, Jack was devoted husband
to his unloyed bride. Dunstan, senior,
managed-or mismanaged---the prop
erty of the married pair. All but the
parties most interested saw that the
old mans mind was unhinged; but
Jack, ignorant as a child in business
matters, firmly believed his father to
be the sharpest, shrewdest man alive
And whatever Jack wished was right
in his wife eyes. Among other things
he had insured his ughter-in-law' S
life, Jack and she going through the
necessary forms, as he babe them. In
the course of time Mrs. Dunstan died,
and Jack claimed the insurance. Said
the polite officer of the company, after
hearing him out: 1--WE prefer to give
you another wife rather than pay the
amount
Dunstan told him, rather stiff1y, that
was not subject to be joked upon.
Il am perfectly serious. Mr.. Dun
stan. just cast your eyes over this pol
icy. You will see that it gives us the
option of replacing the loss.'' He
paused for Jack to read the policy, and
pursued, triumphantly: (Which is ex-
actly what we propose to do We
think it will be cheaper for us, and
ah---may 1 say-pleasing to you?''
mo, you may not?' snapped Jack.
Then, lregret to say, he swore. "D-n,
do you mean to say that after receiving
twenty thousand pounds, all you are
bound to do in return is to offer me the
first woman you pick up?'
''Oh, my dear SIR deprecatingly,
1--WE should not think of presenting any
but young lady of good birth and
reputation
"You are very kind,'' savagely.
cit was an unusual method of insur-
ing, I admit, but the amount in ques-
ton was so large and everything else
so satisfactory, and Mr.. Dunstan, sen
1or. so determined, that we concluded
to yield to his whim. Pray be calm.
sir!''
But Jack could not be calm. When
it was made clear to him that this was
no practical joke, his anger knew no
bounds. TO appeal to the law was the
last of his threats. 1t was, however,
the only one which could be answered.
The polite gentleman pointed out to
him that he could not deny his own sig
nature, nor his father S, nor his wife's.
"And no one can blame us, for we
wrote you full nformation-'
"My father attended to all cores
pondence. -
s'Our letter remaining unanswered,
we sent confidential clerk, instructed
to find out whether these extraordinary
terms were your ultimatum. You
would not even see him. You referred
him to Mr. Dunstan, senior"
1t was too true. Jack was COMPOUNDED.
Nevertheless, he said, doggedly,
II do not believe it would stand in law.
l should like to see the president of the
company about it, sir. -
The polite gentlemen believed the
president was engaged, but would in
quirc.
Left alone, Jack paced the room,
mentally confounding his carelessness
in intrusting such matters to his father
failing mind. So absorbed was he in
his gloomy thoughts that he did not
notice the door slowly open and the
charming head of a young girl peep in
to the room. It was one of those deli
cious, babyish faces that seem made of
love and laughter. with the bluest eyes
man ever saw, and soft red lips that
curved in a mischievous smile.
But when Dunstan suddenly turned
the smile fled. The long lashes fell
demurely, and in the gentlest voice i'm
aginable, she cleared she must have
entered the wrong room.''
''Can be of any service?' he asked
"You are not MIR. Dunstan, are you?"
timidlv.
Il am,' said Jack, feeling ready to
deny his identity if it displeased her.
If you are,'' pursued his fair visi-
tor. quite calmly, Il am the person
chosen to replace his wife,
There is no necessity for replacing
her, briefly.
"Must marriage always be a matter
of necessitv?' saucily.
Then she was aghast, for she saw that
she had wounded proud man to the
quick.
Dunstan grew pale and began in
quick, harsh tone,
If marriage was once matter OF
necessity with me-
"Oh! oh! l did not know-how could
L? Pray, pray forgive me" she begged
with tears of real distress in her pretty
eyes. "Oh, do not explain!'
But Jack would explain. And some
how her sweet sympathy led him on
from one confession to another. he
sketcbed his early life of gay: LUXURY
that of a wealthy and popular man
about town; the crisis in his fathers
affairs; the old man on the verge of
ruin-and of insanity, for his losses
affected his reason-distractedly i'm
ploring his sons assistance. "And,
God knows, could not help him."
said Dunstan, sadly. Il could speak
three languages. l could ride and
shoot. could hold my own at billiards
or polo, but knew nothing of lusi-
ness, and l was up to my ears in debt,
and So
And so-Jack had married a woman
some twelve years his senior, whose
infatuation for him was an open secret,
and her money had paid his debts and