Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-02
PARKER
ALBERT Fleming ia Timei


eating ut the insdequacy OF the word,
Troublesome She'll be all the plaques
OF Egypt rolled into one !
81 shall miss Uncle Anthony, re-
Joined his wife. She felt that death re-
ouired all three syllables though the de-
funct had been known as Uncle Tony
for the last fifty years.
Methusaleh and Old Parr we're
missed, I've no doubt answered the
Dean. driving his spoon through the
bottom OF the empty egg shell. any
body can be missed II ne iiVes long
enough bat, Maria. for goodness sake
don't expect mo TO express regret Tor
can't and wont. When man has the
indecency 10 live 70 be ninety ones only
feeling is relief.
The Dean spoke with such irritabillty
that his wife perceived bis thoughts
dvelt more on Parker than on his de-
ceased relative. To recall his mind to
the fact of the bereavement she rose
from the table and decorously pulled
down the blinds that faced the street
The Dean looked up sharply.
"Well, said be, " supposed musten-
dure that, but remember, not one parti-
Gle OF Grape.
Uncle Tony was dead at last. at the
patriarohal age of ninety. he bad hunted
until no was eighty everything In the
wav of bones that man could break ne
broke, but at eighty he gave up hunting
and took 10 falling down stairs and slip
ping on the oak flooring OF the ball, but
be then only achieved dlsloeatlons. IN
money matters Uncle Tony was per
feet child. lie had faculty for mud
ding money away it ran through his fla
gers ike water. When his affairs became
90 complicated that he did not know
whether he was solvent or not, he sent
for his astute nephew, Dean Thurlow,
10 put him straight. These visits OF the
Dean were a terrible discipline to Uncle
Tony. The unhappy old gentleman
went through hours Of agony. They say
the art of cross-examination is only TO
be learned at the bar, but this is mani
festly incorrect, as the Dean possessed 1t
in perfection. When he got his uncle
all 10 himself in the study be gave him
many very bad quarter Of an hour
thus
"Thompson, see, paid off his mort
gage OF $500 inJuly last, that was primer
pal: what have you done with the
money, Uncle Tony ?" lie shook bis
finger At the Squire till the old gentle
man trembled IN his shoes. Uncle Tony
always said he was sure he had re-
invested il, but he never had then De
swore 1t must still be at bis bank, but IL
never was ultimately he was always
compelled to own that be supposed he
had used it. IL man were so
blind TO the ordinary rules OF morality
as 10 spend principal rs II 1t were IN
come he became at once aDsthema
10 the Dean, especially when that prln-
cipal was bequeathed by will to himself
and his son. Il was after twice convict
ING his uncle OF this heinous crime that
the Dean achieved his great coup. He
ewooped down on his unfortunate uncle,
called in his mortgages and outlying III
yestmentA and clapped the entire pro-
duce into coDsols, triumphantly invest
ING IL in bis upcle's and his own name.
HIS wide always said when he returned
from that visit there was look OF met
fable peace on his face. She woke IN
The night and heard him signing softly.
"Are you Ill, dear y
"No, my love, only too happy to
sleep" .,
The Dean had indeed achieved good
DAYS work he had invested twenty
thousand pounds of his uncles money
in consols in his own and his uncles
name.
"The result Of this is. Maria, be ex-
plained. rs he slipped his glass OF port
over the fire on his return, "the result
OF this is that when Uncle Tony dies L
save six hundred pounds for probate
duty. and | take the twenty thousand
mounds rs survivor his will cannot
touch that, nor all the Lord Chanceilors
md cooks in christendom.
Tba allueion TO the cook was in this
wise When Uncle Tony was eighty his
faithful old cook died and he had to look
about for successor. Directly the Dean
heard of the death of the old historic
family cook, and that uncle Tony was
hunting about for another, he packed OIL
q woman from his own village to secure
the nlace. He crammed Mrs. Beeton s
Cookery Book into her box and gave her
a special letter Of recommendation. lie
said TO his wife,
al daresay she can bake and boil and
II not abe can learn, and she's fifty II
she Is a day, and well marked with the
smallpox one can't have them too ugly
when the master is eighty and unmar.
ried." But the best of schemes mis-
carry. and some extremely pungent ut
- - ~, -. 4 49, = as
deanery when the unlovely cook returned
and reported that Mrs. Parker haC
been beforehand with her and secured
the place.
"'What is she like?" asked the Dear
sternly.
"About forty. sir, rather well favored
party, and very genteel and fair-spoken.
Thai night, in a metaphorlcal sense
Parker Law like lead upon the Dean
chest The thought of her haunted hin
as he shaved, and made bis hand an
steady. The very next day he lourneye
TO Clsxton Manor, his uncle's place, an
the result was, that on his return, b
brought back with him will duly exc
cuted and attested, by which his incl
left the entire residue OF his property :
himself aud his son Jack after hin
How he achieved that stroke of bushes
was never revealed to a too curious pull
lic; but when he locked that WI
ND in his safe and reflected o
the above mentioned consols al
rangement then he felt tina
he could be at peace with all, even vat
buxom cooks He had interviewed Pa
ker, and finding her arrayed in homes
cotton busily engaged among her pot
and pans he did not feel uneasy. Bu
as time went on the excellent Psrke
washed no more pots and pans;
kitchen maid was hired TO do that Th
cotton dress was exchanged for alpacs
alpaca gave place to cashmere, cashmer
10 six, aud silk to excellent satin at te
shillings the yard. When your coo
dresses in satin the acute English matro
sniffs danger from afar. by slow d.
crees. too, the wearer Of these progrei
sive gowns crept upward from htche
10 housekeepers room. and thence
the dining room, and onward to the ma
,ltifp ataly Ia his bQf