The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-21

80 the family record says, father"
responded the elegant young gentleman
addressed. II am disposed to place i'm.
picit reliance upon it and on you"
"You have done nothing since you
left college but kill time"
at lie 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 haYe done nothing but spend
the money. Your income ought to be
enought for single man, but you draw
on me too."
"I'll try to draw on you less, sir"
at is not that, Philip. You are quite
welcome to check now and then, for l
know that you never game nor revel,
and don't mind your horses, your club,
your natural history craze nor your lux
urious tastes but still you spend more
money and get less for it than most
young men Of your age-have too much,
in fact"
II don't fluid it too much, sir. In fact
[ was thinking what graceful thing 1t
would be If you would double it-a mere
trihe to gentleman OF your means.
have to use the most pitiful economy,
assure you"
"Oh, that's 1t, eh,? Well, there is a
mode to increase it very much. You
have heard me speak OF Philander
Spriggs of New York ?"
"Money-leuder and skinflilt? l 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? lend my
money, or some of it, sometimes"
"But not at cent per cent"
"No matter. don't propose that you
shall borrow of him. He has an only
child, a daughter. who will inherit al
his vast property, just as you viii
mine"
Does she shave notes, father Z"
"Phil, be kind enough not TO indulge
in chatf. | have seen her and talked
with her. She is young handsome, vel
education, and has good tastes"
"Well, father, you are not so old, aDt
since you admire her 80 much | see nC
reason why
stop your nonsense and listen
Spriggs aud had talk over it when
was in New York, and we have c0nclud
ed, if you two come together, to chip II
equally and settle half million on yOI
on your wedding day. With what yol
have you'll do well enough for awhile.
"But," demurred Phi ip, Il 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 tht
name is changed | don't 'hink shell
gain much by it, Spriggs-Briggs Si'
Of one and halt-d, zen of the other"
I'D like to oblige you father. l sup
pose must marry some day; but it vii
be some one love, and then, Philadel
phia. like, insist on woman Of gooC
family"
"Some one you love How the deu 4
do you know that you'll not love her til
you see her ? Good family OF course
you're entitled to that. The peerage o
England is full of Viscount Briggses
The Briggses are found in the Almanac
von Gothd among the erlducM families
Your grandfather made $500, 900 in bidsI
and tallow, and if he had not invested
it in real estate that multiplied itsel
more than tenfold before he died
should have been in the same business
today, and you in the counting-room Of
warehouse. Family, indeed You're {
foolish boy, Philip, and your aunt's leg
acy has ruined you"
II wish, sir, there were a half drzer
more old aunts to continue my ruin IL
the same way. 1t is of no use getting
angry, father. You can't keep it up
I'll take TO anything you say-law
physic or divinity sell my horses, droI
my club, read by the cubic foot, but t
marry-excuse me-"
See here, Phil" exclaimed the fathel
who by this time was at white heat
"you never knew me to break my word
| merely ask you 10 marry for your owl
good IpOint out wife in every way
su table to you. Marry to please me
and | will not only start you fairly II
life now, but leave you all have wher
| am gone. Marry TO suit some foolisl
fancy OF your own and Ill-yes. II
found an asylum for idiots. Now yol
understand ma" And Briggs marched
off, leaving his son to his meditations.
IF stay here" said Philip to him
self, father and l will quarrel. Bette
give the dear old gentleman chance t
cool of I'll ruraliza little"
That afternoon Philip packed a port
manteau, and, with a fishing-rod anC
mineral hammer. started off 10 Mont
gomery county, where an old colleg'
mate of his bad married and settled, on,
whom he had long promised to visit
When he arrived there he learned tina
Boudinot and his wife had gone to Lonl
Branch for the season ,and their servant
with them, the house being in charge o
a care-taker. Philip heard of good fish
ing in a stream four miles off, and con
cluded to try it. He found lodgings a
a farmhouse near the place, owned bJ
a man named Seth Cooper.
His quarters were quite comfortable
The house was an old stone building o
ante-revolutionary erection, and wa
roomy. He was assigned chamber up
stairs, looking out on a trimly-kept gar
den, in which old-fashioned flowers anC
pot-herbs were grown side by side, anC
which sent pleasant fragrance through
the open window. The room itself wa
adorned with pictures and knick-knacki
showing feminine taste, and the bed
stead was furnished with hair mat
tress, and not the bag Of feathers OF lh'
vicinaRe.
Decidedly" said Philip to himself
"there is another female on the prem
sizes, something younger and possibly
fair than the substantial Dame Cooper
and with some refined taste"
But neither that day nor thaC weel
did he see any woman other than Mrs
Cooper or the hired girl. However, the
cooking was good, the country air and
his walks round about gave him .ep ap
petite, and he was content. He ffsheC
The stream closely or rambled here ano
there, hammer in hand and bag at side
or leaned over fences and talked with
the farmers about "crops" and the
weather.
In a weeks time the thing grew mo
notonous. The fish were not always in.
clined to bite, good specimens in quar-
ries and in stu grew scarcer, and bis
stock of talk on farming was nearly ex.
hausted, He began to think Of going IA
Long Branch and huu ing up Boudinot
AS he sat upon the veranda one after.
noon debating the matter, a wagon was
driven up the lane and stopped at the
door. Lightly out stepped a young wo.
man in neat travelling dress, and tie
driver followed her with q large trunk
under which he staggered, burly as be
was. Mrs. Cooper came from the kitch'
en- and exclaimed, why, IT'S Gwenny
1 declare T.
you dear old Aunty Ruth said the
newcomer, hugging and kissing the
farmers wife. ~ came to have a good
time for month"
"And so you shall, my dear" was lhG
hearty reply.
Philip took an ocular inventory Of th'
looks, dress and manner Of the new
conner as he took off his hat. "a swee
face and graceful figure, and presenta
hla anVwh haren was hia internal com.