Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-09-12
MlNNIE'S LEGACY.
a Queer Investment and What
Came Of It.


legacy left her by second cousin who
had never appeared to know of hel
existence while he lived, the people o.
Budout were very much interested.
Minnie was the orphan child of sea
captain who had bought life annuity
for his child with his savings.
She was a pale little thing, with
rather weak spine, and her income
was but just enough to provide her
with food, lodging and plain clothes.
Inc legacy. coming when she had just
reached the age of seventeen, was a
great thing, and every body had advice
to offer concerning it. The captain
had been a favorite, and his daughter
was supposed to be visionary and not
practical, and to need advice.
''She's got some queer intentions
about spending her money" said Mrs
Marlit, with whom she boarded
Sometimes think she is making fun
of me. but she says that she is going
to buy telescopes big one to look
out to sea with. Why, you wouldn't
think she was grown up. would youp'
II don't know; don't know" said
old Captain Conklin. when the sea-
goin' craze gets into body you never
can tell what it will drive 'em to. Cap
pen Grey he run away to sea- His
father was a dominic. and wanted him
to preach likewise; but he was for the
water. Now. you see. Minnie, she
can't go to sea, being a gal; but she
wants to look at it. It's extravagant,
but the tdee amt SO bad if she kin
afford tit"
-'She can't" said Mrs. Marlit.
''Why. if she buys book or bottle
OF medicine, she's got to save on shoes
or calico. She needs that five hundred
dollars, for she'll never earn any thing,
and don't think she'll marry. You
talk to her."
The Captain went to see Minnie, and
talked; but the sea was his weakness,
too. and when the girl told him that
from her window on the upper floor
she could catch only tantalizing
glimpses of the far-off water. but that
with a good telescope, we'll mounted,
she could watch the ships as they
came in. see their flags, and read their
names, he found himself growing en-
thusiastic. and agreed to take her to
town to choose the glass.
He, however, was her only sympa-
thizer. The minister's wife remon-
strated with her, and told her that ex-
travagance was a sin. The doctors
wife said over and over again: IRE
member how expensive long illness
is" The lawyers spouse kept re-
peating: Bank it, love. bank it. and
in time it will double itself. and you
can invest" Miss Chippins, the mod
iste. said: ''If you marry, you will
want it all for your wedding clothes. +"
The undertaker's daughter murmured
In confidential tones: "All of us must
die, and you wouldn't want a shabby
funeral; you'd be quite ashamed; and
any thing elegant in that line comes
expensive. I assure you" And old
Miser Gradgrind really felt an interest
in the poor girl; for he toddled up out
of the hollow where he lived in q
damp little hut that strangers took for
a cow-house. to tell her of the joys
that came of possessing ready money.
''You hide it safely somewhere" he
said, land don't tell nobody-don't
tell nobody; and sometimes you get it
out and count it over, and say: It's
all mine. all mine;' and sometimes you
dream thieves got in and stole it. and
you wake up and it isn't SO, and it is
such relief that it's happiness; and
then you can make your will and leave
it to some charity, and disappoint the
" frv,
your Shoes"
But even this tempting inducement
did not prevail. Minnie was resolved
to buy the telescope. and did it.
1t was a powerful glass. and we'll
mounted. Altogether. it was really
an absurdly expensive luxury for q
girl who had to limit herself in every
thing. But Minnie had very little
vanity and few opportunities of enjoy
ing herself. and she averred that moth
ing could have given her SO much sat
isfaction.
1T is very nice to look of. to be
sure" said Mrs. Marlit; '.but you
might have bought q melodeon. in
stead of a thing that could never do
any good to any one. Miss Minnie. and
had your moneys worth better"
The purchase was a nine-days' talk
ut Budout tea-drinkings, but ceased at
Last to have the interest of novelty,
and was classed amongst the standard
wonders of the place-things to be
mentioned to strangers. like the COW
with the two heads at the Granger
farm. Mrs. Bowden's idiot boy. the big
oak at the Four Roads Crossing. or the
house with Revolutionary bullets in
the window frames.
Minnie's pleasure in her telescope
never tagged, however.
It was the first day Of the most Inn
portant case that had ever been tried
in 49, court house. The prisoner was
Henry Percival. a young man OF good
social position, who had been staying