St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-11

CGl M n I'm. NJ agedlady of eccen-
# ! ! / ] i
RW8g&/H WV trio habits. Up to
SNH Gs= the time of her
MMMSe2GDs4s death she resided
ET1H1&A in her own free
RWEIHN9 hold house, which
ElA 3EdWV was situated in a
M Hl1I somewhat lonely
.MIB @I ~ spot about mile
IS|EkT and a half from
I'D lWI the market town.
Ane estate included small farm, and
Mrs. Krumiser's two nieces. Catherine
and Helen Prawl-women of middle
age and manufactured with her in
the capacity of servants. Christopher
Chiffinch was a sort Of laborer, sort of
handy man about the house and prem
ises, and had been in the same service
since he was lad. His age, as it ap-
peared on the dispositions, was forty
six. Though Woodworking, and SEEM
ingly trustworthy. Chiffinch was of a
morose disposition. He was clumsily-
built, ungainly sort of fellow, and some
what lame.
Old Mrs. Krumiser was crippled, too,
and much more seriously. the result OF
an accident that happened few weeks
after the demise of her husband. 1t
was not to be wondered at that Widow
Krumiser was eccentric it only half of
the stories told of the farmer were true.
Although he could very we'll afford 10
hire all the house and outdoor work he
required, he toiled in the fields and on
the farm harder than any common
laborer, and shocked all his decent
neighbors by working Sunday as well
as week days. He was graSping and
greedy for wealth, and compelled his
wife to do homework and assist with
the washing as well.
Anything to save a shilling. He never
went to church, and, as far as any one
was aware, profeSSed no religion. He
had stuffed monkey in his bedroom
a monstrous creature of the baboon
species, with Satanic expression of
cOuntenance and cleaning white tusks
and great goggling glass eyes. This
stuffed animal stood in square glass
case near the bed. and when old AM
brose krumiser was taken with mis- last
illness, and the parson heard of it, he
deemed 1t his duty, although the farmer
had never treated him with common
civility even, to call with view of
affording him spiritual consolation. But
the wicked old fellow would have moth
ing to do with him.
"D'ye want to know what my religion
is and has been all my life?' he inquired
of the minister.
81 should much like to know" was
the answer.
"Then that is it," and with a grin he
pointed to the hideous ape in the glass
case. "That's the chap | believe in
He has been the best friend in the world
to me-"
The parson was much panied, of
course, and left the venerable reprObate.
But his meaning was not quite as it APP
peared. After Krumiser's death and
burial it was discovered that he had
made money box of the ape--had taken
out all the Stuffing from its inside and
replaced is with boarded money. Think
ing it probable that there was more
hidden somewhere his widow mounted
on pair of high steps, poking among
the rafters, fell and was afflicted with
paralysis. Her arms were so nearly
useless that she could neither dress
herself nor eat her food without assist
ance, In addition to this, a few months
before her death she was so decrepit-
her age was seventy-four-tha she
could walk but slowly and with diff
Guilty, and having great liking for sit
ting in the garden when the weather
was fine. Chiffinch, who was very
strong, was accustomed on such Occa-
sions to carry the old lady out, seated
in her easy chair, and convey her back
again to the house in the same way
when she desired it.
Old Mrs. Krumsier's eccentricity
manifested itself in various ways, but
in none so markedly as in the disposal
of her money. In this respect she was
amazingly like her late husband. but
even more cunning. There could be no
doubt as to her being rich. She was
possessed of excellent house property
in the neighbOrhOOd and her rents
amounted to at least $500 year, and be-
side this she derived from another
source an annual income of ESQ and in
addition there were the profits of the
farm, which were at least enough for
defraylng household expenses.
But the singular part of it was that
Mrs. Krumlser never had any money.
1t was not FILTERED away In unneces-
sary extravaganza in the way of living,
and 500 year was made to
meet the wage account of Mrs. Kru-
miser's two nieces and the kitchen maid
as we'll. What the old lady did with the
money was mystery inexplicable, and
the more so because she had strange
fancy for gold. Ii her rents or any
shape of bank notes she was rest
less until she had exchanged the
latter for sovereigns, and 1t was
the same with her annuity. She put
nothing in the bank. Ii she had done
so. either Catherine or Helen Pra wi
must have known of it, for, having
scarce any use in her arms, she never
veDtured abroad without one of them
went with her. Where, then, could she
hoard it? Say 1t was quarter day. and
she received forty or fifty pounds in
gold. She would have it brought into
her little sitting room and placed, for
the present, in an old chin punchboWl
that stood in the corner cupboard by the
fireplace. Then the two nieces went to
look for it as soon as Mrs. Krumiser was
gone to bed, but the punchbowl was
empty.
Had she been person blessed with
the free use of her limbs the natural
inference, of course, would have been
that She had carried the fold up stairs
with her. But it was tested and proved
fact that she could not lift coin from
the table. Her fingers were pOwerleSS
for such a feat. She might, with
spasmodic jerk of the wrist, sweep
piece of money from the table to the
ground, but she could not, if her life
depended on it, pick it up. How, then.
could she take the money out of the
bowl and convey it off and hide it? 1t
was physically impossible. Yet there
was no getting over the hard fact that
somehow or other she did convey it off
and hide it as well.
But where? The two sisters, though
they were honest and faithful, were in
crate against the old woman for her
parsimony, and, as need not be said, op-
portunity serving. they had many and
many time made the strictest search
for the concealed wealth. They had
minutely examined beds and mattresses.
probed the clinks between the floor
boards, raised the hearth, Investigated
the chimney even, but not SO much as a
single half-sovereign could they ever
discover. They dare not question Mrs.
Krumiser on the subject.
Niece Helen. being the oldest of the
two, ventdred to put out feeler in this
direction and got sharply snubbed for
her pains. A house in the neighbor-
hood had been visited nv BURGLARS and