The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-03-06
Selected Storp.
Mrs. COOper's Niece.

responded the elegant young gentle
man addressed. ~ am disposed to
place implicit reliance upon it and on
you"
&c You have done nothing since you
left college but kill time"
I" 1t is only retaliation in advance,
sir. Some day or other the old chap
with scalp-lock and scythe will kill me-"
You are too flippant. Since your
aunt Priscilla left you five thousand a
year you have done nothing but spend
the money. Your income ought to be
enough for a single man, but you draw
on me too"
"I'll try to draw on you less, sir"
1T is not that, Philip. You are quite
welcome to check now and then, for l
know that you never game nor revel,
and 1 don't mind your horses, your
club, your natural history craze nor
your luxurious tastes; but still you
spend more money and get less for it
than most young men of your age
have too much, in fact"
I" don't find it too much, sir. In
fact l was thinking what a graceful
thing it would be if you would double
tia mere trifle to gentleman of your
means. have to use the most pitiful
economy, assure you"
ooh, that's it, Ell? Well, there is a
mode to increase it very much. You
have heard me speak of Philander
Spriggs of New York;"
Money-lender and skinflint? / have
heard of him."
Nonsense, Philip. He is a quite
worthy as well as very wealthy man,
and if he prefers to invest ready money
in short loans, what of that? l lend
my money, or some of it, sometimes"
But not at cent per cent"
mo matter. don't propose that
you shall borrow of him. He has an
only child, daughter, who will inherit
all his vast property, just as you will
mine.n
Does she shave notes, father?"
"Phil, be kind enough not to indulge
in chaff. / have seen her and talked
with her. She is young, handsome,
we'll educated, and has good taste-a
society gentlewoman with domestic
tastes"
"Well, father, you are not so old ,
and since you admire her so much l
see no reason why"
"Stop your nonsense and listen.
Spriggs and had talk over it when
was in New York, and we have con-
cluded, if you two come together, to
chip in equally and settle half-million
on you on your wedding day. With
what you have you'll do well enough
for awhile"
But" demurred Philip, 81 don't
like Spriggs for father-in-law."
Stuff! you don't marry Spriggs"
% And the name! Think of it.!
Spr-r-iggs!"
What of that? With marriage the
name is changed. l don't think she'll
gain much by it. Spriggs-Briggs!
Six of one and half-dozen of the
otber.''
SID like to oblige you, father. 1
suppose l must marry some day; but it
will be some one l love, and then,
Philadelphia-like, l insist on a woman
of good family"
''Some one you loYeI How the
deuce do you know you'll not love her
till you see her? Good family Of
course you're entitled to that. The
peerage of England is full of Viscount
Briggses. The Briggses are found in
erlaucht families. Your grandfather
ihuoC IOOO,uOO III lloCo anu IuIlOW anu
if he had not invested it in real estate
that multiplied itself more than tenfold
before he died / should have been in
the same business to-day, and you in
in the counting-room or warehouse
Family, indeed You're a foolish boy,
Philip, and your aunt's legacy has
ruined YOU"
- l wish. sir, there were half-dozen
Dl1 tt,tu 10 -,
the same way. 1t is of no use getting
angry, father. You can't keep it up.
III take to anything you say-law,
physic or divinity; sell my horses,
drop my club, read by the cubic foot,
but to marry-eXcuse me-"
''See here, Phil,' exclaimed the
father, who by this time was at white
heat, you never knew me to break
my word. l merely ask you to marry
for you own good. point out wife
in every way suitable to you. Marry to
please me, and | will not only start you
fairly in life now, but leave you all
have when ] am gone. Marry to suit
some foolish fancy of your own and
rll-yes, I'll found an asylum for idiots.
Now you understand me-" And Briggs
marched off, leaving his son to his
meditations.
IF l stay here" said Philip to him
self, " father and | will quarrel. Bet
ter give the dear old gentleman chance
to cool off. III ruralize a little"
That afternoon Philip packed port
manteau, and, with a fishing-rod and
mineral hammer, started off to Mont
gomery county, where an old college
mate of his had married and settled,
one whom he had long promised to
visit. When he arrived there he
learned that Boudinot and his wife had
gone to Long Branch for the season
and their servants with them, the house
being in charge of care-taker. PHILIP
heard of good fishing in stream -four
miles off, and concluded to try it. He
found lodgings at a farmhouse neal
the place, owned by a man named Seth
Cooper.
His quarters were quite comfortable
Tho bouoa xvas on old etopa huildinn M