The Press., 1894-11-15

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 CHAPTER I.
 One fine summer day in 1886 a young :tlnger arrived at the Littlefield Arms | | the station omnibus He happened to ha the only passenger by the noon train, nd he alighted briskly, with handsome alligator skin bag, slim silk umbrella md travelling rug. His portmanteau had been taken down from the top of | the omnibus, and in defiance of the bag gage smashers looked quite fresh and new.
 The young man made haste to regis ter in the pretty little office, where the dapper young clerk kept glass of fresh roses and honeysuckle on his, desk. A good room was assigned to the stranger, and he went to it at once, asking that his luggage be sent up.
 The proprietor of the Arms, Eben Hitchcock, sat tilted back against the wall inside the office railing, his spec tacles very low down on his bulbous nose, reading his morning paper. Now he looked up, caught the eye of Star buck, the clerk, motioned with his head in the direction the young man had gone and said, "What name?'
 "Hapgood, sir. A. Hapgood. Dun- barton. O. N. May mean Ohio, and it may mean Oregon"
 "Hapgood, /" repeated MT. Hitchcock, pursing his lips and puckering his eye- lids Don't know anybody of that name round these parts except old Simon Hapgood at Bolton, five miles away ill the country, and they do say he's on his last legs. Was paralyzed some months ago, and there ain't anything alive about him but his eyes. Hullo. ' said he as his eye again fell on the paper. Here's notice of old Hapgood's death. Died last Tuesday, it seems, and the funeral takes place today.
 "Tell you what, Starbuck, ' he went on, after chewing half minute on toothpick he held between his lips, "1 do remember all about it now. Old Si had brother Job, who moved west number of years ago, and news came | back he had made money. I shouldn't be bit surprised if this was Jobs son come to look after the property, for they do say the old man has put away a pretty pile in bonds and good securities, and the farm is worth something. He was trading man years ago and kind of speculator in butter and cheese and farm produce and has always been more of hoarder than spender. Uncle Si was married twice, but he never had any children of his own. Two old wom- en, sisters to his last wife, lived with him, and Elsie Ray, great-niece to his first wife. There's been talk he would leave all he was worth to this girl; but, now this western Hapgood has come snooping round, we shall see. Old Simon was a close, snug man and odd as Dicks hatband, but he was pretty good to his wife s kin, but when it came to disposing of property he may have thought of his own flesh and blood folks generally do.''
 ''The young fellow looks like dude, " said Starbuck, with his back turned, "a western dude You wouldn't think he had sprung from such homespun peo- pie as the Bolton Hapgoods.
 "No, you wouldn t." returned Boni- face Hitchcock, land it's all conjecture anyway, but I'll bet you leather six pence ain't much out ill my reckonin. Tall oaks from little acorns grow. This young fellow evidently feels his oats, but you'll see if he's too grand to take old Simon's money. MT. A. Hapgood of Dunbarton, O., at that moment came into the office. He appeared to be very tall oak in deed and walked and looked and spoke as if conscious of his own importance. He passed out onto the pleasant porch paved with brick and with vines wreath ing the pillars, and taking cigar from it's case stood there as if to be gazed at and admired. Eben Hitchcock, in his loose alpaca coat, with his waistcoat open and watch chain dangling, tipped MT. Starbuck wink and strolled out to the porch as if to note the time of day on the town clock that adorned the front of the old First church just across the way. In few moments he came back looking rather chopfallen and dis gusted.
 Can make anything out of that fel- low" he muttered to himself. "Puts on more airs than if he was president of the United States. guess if he is one of the Bolton Hapgoods he's ashamed of his folks. ,
 Meantime the young man had strolled away down Main street, swinging his stick and conscious that the eyes of Lit ,aefield were upon him. He liked the appearance of the town and had noted as he was driving through in the omni- bus the breadth of the shady streets and the dignified seclusion of the best old houses. It had occurred to him then that he might some day come to live ill the neighborhood. Why should he give himself away to Eben Hitchcock, the hotel proprietor? He certainly looked as if he belonged to one of the first fami- lies by right of descent, and he was con- scious that his merits were quite equal to his personal appearance. Were you to ask how MT. A. Hapgood of Dunbarton, O., had acquired such large opinion of himself, can only say it was proba- bly, born with him, for it is often no- ticed that one chick of humble brood will strut and crow and plume himself
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