The Penn's Grove record., 1886-05-29

'"Then what do YOU mean?" l asked.
"That | should do some OF II In my
own way, at my OWL cost"
1 did not feel at all inclined to have
either Mr.. GRADER or strange workmen
in the house. Moreover, my pride re-
belief at the thought that should be
seen by real workmen doing laborer's
work. suppose there is something OF
the spirit of snobbery in all OF us. 80
| told him l could not think OF UGH a
thing; that all was going on very well,
and more to the same effect. lie
seemed more lrritated than the occa-
sion warranted. Indeed, it struck me
as odd that a man should be annoyed
at his generous impulse being thwarted.
He tried, with a struggle for calmness,
to persuade me but 1 did not like the
controversy, and stood to my refusal OF
assistance. He went away In a perfect
fury of suppressed rage.
The next evening he called in to see
me. Mary had, after he had gone,
asked me not to allow him to assist, as
she did not like him. So, when he
came, | refused again with what ur-
banity | could. Mary kept nudging
me to be firm, and he could not help
noticing it. He said: "Of course il
your wife objects"-and stopped. He
spoke the words very rudely, and Mary
spoke out:
"She does object, Mr.. GRADER. We
are all right, thank you, and do not
want help from any one."
For reply Mr.. GRADER put on his
hat, knocked it down on his head firmly
and ~viciOusly, and walked out, banging
the door behind HIM.
"There is a nice specimen of a phi
i~anthropist," said Mary, as we both
laughed.
The next day, while / was In my
office, Mr.. GRADER called to see me.
He was in a very amiable mood, and
commenced a%pologlzlng for what he
called ''his unruly exit"
Il am afraid you must have thought
me rude," he 7aid.
AS the nearest approach to mendacity
| could not allow myself was the sup
presto verl, l was silent.
You see," he went on, ''your wife
dislikes me, and that annoys me; so |
just called to see you alone and try if
We could arrange this matter-we men
alone"
"What matterP" / asked.
"You know about the doing up those
rooms"
| began to get annoyed myself, for
there was evidently some underlying
motive of advantage to himself in his
persistence. Any shadowy belief l had
ever entertained as to a benevolent idea
had long ago vanished and left not a
wrack behind. l told him promptly
and briefly that l would not do as he
desired, and that / did not care to enter
any further upon the matter. He again
made an ''unruly exit" This time he
nearly swept away in his violence a
young man who was entering through
the swinging door to get some papers
stamped. The youth demonstrated
with that satirical force which Is char
acteristlc of the lawyers clerk. Mr..
Grader was too enraged to stop and
listen, and the young man entered the
room grumbling and looking back at
him.
"Old brutel" he said. 1 know him.
Next time | see him I'll advise him to
buy some manners with his new for
tune"
Ills new fortune" 1 asked, natur-
ally interested about him. SLOW do
you mean, Wigley?"
Lucky old brute. l wish l had a
share of it. 1 heard all about 1t at
Doctors Commons yesterday.
"Why, is it anything stranger"
"5trangel Why, it's no name for it.
What do you think of an old flint like
that having a miser for a tenant, who
goes and dies and leaves him all he's
got-e40 600 to $50, 000-in a will,
providing a child of his does not turn
up to claim it."
"IIe died recently, then?"
About three or four weeks ago.
Old GRADER only found the will a few
days ago. He had been finding pots of
gold and bundles of notes all over the
house, and it was like drawing a tooth
from him to make an inventory, as he
had to do under a clause of the will.
The old thief would have pocketed all
the coin without a word, only for the
will, and he was afraid he'd risk every
thing if he did not do it legally"
You know all about ii" l remarked,
wishing to hear more.
81 should think 1 did. l asked
Grips, of Bogg & Snagley's, about it
this morning. They're working for him,
and Grips says that if they did not
threaten him with the public prosecutor
he would not have given vel a list of
the money he found"
l began now to understand the mo-
tive of Mr.. Graders anxiety to aid In
working at my house. L said to Wig
ley:
This is very interesting. Do you
know that he is my landlord2"
"Your landlord Well, 1 wish you
Joy of him. 1 must be off now. Ihave
to go down to Doctors Commons before
l O'Clock. Would you mind getting
these stamped for me, and keeping
them till l come baek?"
with pleasure" / said, land look
here! Would you mind looking out
that will Of Graders, and make a
mem. of it for me, If it isn't too long?
I'll go a shilling on it," And L handed
him the coin.
Later in the day he came back and
handed me a paper.
ut isn'tlong," he said. "We might
put up the shutters if men made wills
like that. That Is an exact copy. 1t
is duly witnessed, and all regular"
| took the paper and put 1t in my
pocket, for / was very busy at the
time.
After supper that evening 1 got a
note from GRADER, saying that he had
got an offer from another person who
had been in treaty with HIM before 1
had taken the house, wanting to have
it, and Offering to pay a premium.
"He is an old friend wrote GRADER,
land l would like to oblige him; so If
you chose l will take back the lease,
and hand you owe what he offers to
pay" This was e25, altered from e20.
/ then told Mary Of his having called
at the Office, and of the subsequent
revelations of the will. she was much
impressed.
"Oh, Bob" she said, sit is a real
romance"
With a womanis uuickness of percep-