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

Yes, sir. Anything / can do for
you, sir?''
Yes, Mrs. Petting."
Right away, sir?"
"No. After I'm dead; before the fu-
neral and the reading of the will"
g La, sir! Dear me, sir! What turn
you gave me, Mr.. Shipper! Surely, /
"Don'tb be nonsensical, if you please"
said Mr.. Shipper. . You know I'm
going to die. You knew that when you
came here to nurse me. DIR. Portent
told me what was before me, point
blank, and understood me well enough
to know it would not brighten me. I've
made my will, set things to rights, and
I'm all ready to go when my time comes.
What l want you to do is to send for
Anna Maria Shipper, as soon as the
breath is out Of my body. Here, get
card. Write the name, Anna Maria
Shipper, No. - - street, Hopkins
Vile; and don't forget to tell her I've
left her something"
No, sir. WON'T" said Mrs. Petting,
putting her handkerchief to her eyes.
Then she wrote the address of Anna
Maria Shipper on a card, put it in her
pocket and very soon found an oppor-
tunitv to communicate the news to the
landlady.
&C Mr.. Shipper has made Miss Ship
pen his heiress,' she said, stirring the
broth for the invalid in little stewpan,
while the landlady looked on. Miss
Anna Maria-he gave me her address
awhile ago, and told me to send for her
as soon as the breath was out of his
body. Do you know her, Mrs. Smith,"
81 know her?" said Mrs. Smith, d" l
should think 1 did; of all perked up,
conceited creatures. And thought he
hated her; but there now, you can't
ever tell me. And l suppose, anyhow,
dies, its for the sake of relationship,
not love. You see man likes to leave
money in his own family. How much
did he say, Mrs. Petting ?"
"He didn't mention the sum-" said
Mrs. Petting. Giles worth consider
able, | suppose"
ooh, yes" said Mrs. Smith, at
least two hundred thousand, poor as
he is dressed, and going about with that
big blue cotton umbrella with string
around it, and brass knob on the end
like pair of tongs-only you never see
pair of tongs now -a-days, do your
and that white hat of his, you know,
with long hair on it, and altogether like
poor person, ma'am. Indeed, many
poor person looks forty times as fine.
For all that, ma'am, two hundred thou
sand amt all he's worth. Dear me, l.
wonder he never thought of marrying;"
and Mrs. Smith looked at her round,
pink face in the glass and settled her
Widows cap. GA wife, of suitable
age, would have made quite different
man of him; and if he'd been taken off,
as he seems to be going to be, she'd
have had all that's going to this Anna
Maria. no doubt. Well, some people
have luck, don't they, Mrs. Petting?"
eyes" said the nurse, with sigh;
"but whatever you do, thank your
stars you haven't been obliged to go
out nursing"
Then she poured the broth into
bowl and carried it up stairs. 1t was
the last the poor invalid ever swal-
lowed. He had always been an eccen-
trio man, and about sunset he turned
his face to the wall, and said aloud, in
quite a strong voice:
We'll, here goes. Good luck to you,
Sam Shipper, and a comfortable Jour-
new" and gave one long sigh. Mrs.
Petting ran to his bedside at once.
He was dead.
Before morning a note was in the
postoffice, addressed to Miss Shipper,
Informing her of her uncle's death, of
his statement that he had left her
something, and his wish that she
should be present at the reading of
the will, as well as at the funeral.
The answer was telegram bearing
these words: Expect me at once
Anna Maria Shippen."
"We must get the best room ready
for her." said Mrs. Smith; heiresses
amt to be sighted; and / tell you,
Mrs. Petting, that it would be good
idea for you to get into her good graces.
An heiress is likely to marry, you
know, and in a large family there's a
deal of nursing to do. drop the hint
because you have your own living to
get, and a good connection is every
thing"
"Indeed it is" said Mrs. Petting.
The deceased man meanwhile lay at
rest in the upper-room, white and still
with his hands crossed ON his breast,
and pleasanter smile than people who
had known him of late had ever seen
him wear upon his quiet face. Once,
doubtless, he had been handsome and
happy-a very different parsonage from
the queer old bachelor, in his odd attire
of whom people were now talking. Yet
he had been generous to the poor, and
liberal to any one who had worked fol
him, and all his virtues had become
prominent now that he was dead.
Z" suppose he was attached to thai
white hat and that blue umbrella" sale
one. Pm sure it wasn't meanness
that made him wear them, He was NJ
miser.'
And really" said the paper mar
on the corner, 4" miss 'em going by
I do, though used to laugh at 'em a
first.'
g think its dignified for old folk
not to change with the fashions" salt
Mrs. Plum, over the way. " l, for m.
part, respect him for it. My grand
mother wore the same bonnet for fiji
teen years"
"Perhaps," said Miss Abby, her sister
who had many years before been jilte
by gentleman named Timothy Hoai
hound; perhaps he used to go court
ing some false creature in that hal