The Grenada gazette., 1889-03-07
A HASTY MATCH.
Why John Gregory Married His
HouSekeeper.


John Gregory was substantial bus
mess man, resident in the good city OF
Boston, and was well known on
Change some twenty years since Al
though well-to-do, and abundantly
able to support a wife, forty-eight
years had elapsed and still he was
bachelor. To tell the truth, there was
very little romance about John Greg
ory, and if he ever did marry, prob
ably money would have more to do
with determining his choice than any
softer sentiment.
SO John Gregory, avoiding the mat
rimonial snares which were laid for
him by enterprising matrons who had
large families of daughters to dispose
Of, lived quietly in modest house, for
which he had been fortunate enough
to secure a capable housekecper who
understood his peculiar tastes.
Janet Campbeil-this was the name
of the housekeeper-was of Scotch
birth and lineage, but had been brought
to America while yet child, by her
father, who fancied that he could sue
ceed better in building up fortune in
the New World than the Old.
Apart from the fact that Janets par
ents were dead, and that she, their
only child, after various mutations had
su'sided, ut thtrty-Ilve, into her pres
ent post. which she hLl no he'd for
eight years, there is nothing especial
to tell. Those Of my readers who are
good at figures will find no difficulty in
computing from the data have given
that she had now attained the age of
forty-three.
Janet was not handsome. She never
had been, for that matter. Neither
was she particularly the reverse. She
had plain Scotch face, with a shrewd
twinkle of the eye, perhaps that
eyinced her worldly wisdom, and was
scrupulously neat in her person and
attire, though very little accustomed
to making display in the latter.
But Janet was a model hOusekeeper.
No one knew better than she how to
prepare the coffee for her masters
taste. No one understood better just
how brown the toast should be--nO
one could better determine just how
much to brOil the steak for breakfast.
So Mr. John Gregory. who had IL keen
appreciation of good living Gin a plain
way) and real. genuine comfort, felt
that his hOusekeeper was treasure to
HIM, and even ali unprecedented fall In
the price of stocks could scarcely have
occasioned him any greater consterna-
ton than the intelligence that Janet |
intended leaving him. However, Janet |
had no intention Of the kind. She |
knew when she was well off, and she |
might have sought long before she
could have found more comfortable |
quarters, or a place more to her liking
than was provided by her present en-
ploycr. But circumstance occurred
which, in the short space of twenty
four hours, changed the relation which |
subsisted between the two.
This was the way it happened One
morning, after completing his savory
morning repast, Mr.. Gregory took his
cane from behind the door and walked
down to his Office Here, as was his
custom, he paid his first attentions to
the paper, which his office boy had
laid on his desk, ready for perusal
First, dispatching the leader, which
proved to be a grave essay on the state
OF our foreign relations, and then pass
ing on to the other editorial matter, |
he at length came to the ADVERTISE
ments, to which, as business man,
he regularly paid his attention. While
glancing over these, he came at length |
to one which he at first read careless
ly, then with an air of attention, and |
finally, laying down the paper, pushed
up his spectaces and exclaimed:
BLESS my soul! Well, this is sngu-
lar!'
Supposlng that the reader may feel |
little curious to know what it was
that Mr.. Gregory considered so singu-
lar, we will take the liberty of CLAN
cling over the paper which he had just
laid down, and read the advertisement.
1t ran as follows: fy 4 y%...rN
; 8 INFORMATION WAsTED-Of, Janet Campbell
who came from Scotland In the wear 1870 II
she is Lying and this notice should meet her
eye, she will find something very mach to her
advantage by calling on Peleg Brief, Attorney
at Law, No. - Court street. :.7t ....r.
BLESS my soul!" ejaeulated John
Gregory, 3'Well, this, is singular. 70
think of it being my housekeeper, too
I've heard of such things before, but it
never came home 10 me, as I may say,
before. l wonder, now, how much
money she is likely to receive, for, Of
course, it is money. Very much to her