Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-01-26
Cur Mr. JeffcocR


Mr.. Richard Jeffock happened to be
the managing clerk 10 Messrs. Teller,
Pottinger d Blake when a client of
theirs, an old gentleman, by name of
Mr.. Samuel Merrydew, asked the firm
to send a representative to the house
for the purpose Of drawing a fresh
will for him. Messrs. Blake and Pot
finger, the two principals of the firm
were both otherwise engaged at the
moment, so they sent 'our Mr.. JEFF
fock," whom they assured Mr.. Merry
dew was the embodiment Of discrc
ton
Mr.. .Jeffock therefore drafted the
will, and learned from his instructors
that Mr.. Merrydew desired to leave
the bulk Of his fortune To an orphan
niece, whom he had never seen, and
whom he specially desired should be
kept III ignorance Of her prospective
wealth until after his deccaSe The
name Of this young lady was Miss
Mary CrOftOn. She was the daughter
of one Of 3lr. Merrydcw's sisters, who
had married contrary to the wishes of
she was 4 child, and thus she was
cast on the world an orphan. Mary
Crofton, after having been governess
in one or two families, had obtained
a situation rs companion TO Lady
EyrSham, Il very beautiful woman.
well known in society, but who. owing
to Il tendency to rapid consumption,
al rod ia 10 in HI. In
Of sunshine.
The EyrShamS grew very fond Of the
girl-whO was Of sweet disposition
and when, after but Il brief year, dis
ease claimed its victim, Lord Eyrsham
obtained for her the position Of govern
ess in the family Of his immediate
neighbor, Cyril Waburton, the rector
of Eyrsham.
This much Mr. McrTydcw knew
about his niece, and this much he
impaired to the discreet young gen
tIcman who awaited his Instructions
i was not, therefore entirely co
incidence that when long vacation
came round Mr.. Jeifock bctook himself
to Eyrsham village, where, Of course,
cellent trout fishing and II comfortable
inn
When the rector heard from til"
landlord Of the Golden Lion" that IL
pleasant spoken gent from LlInnOn'
purpoScd spending some weeks in his
parish, he conceived it his duty 10 call
Upon the lonely Sojourncr. Mr.. JEFF
fock was asked to dinner, and thus
became acquainted with Miss Mary
Grofton, the unconscious reyi>ioner of
Mr. MerrydcW's fortune.
Mr. Jeffock was not entirely the
ideal youth Mary had pictured in her
day dreams. lie was, i'll fact rather il
SNUG, -appreciatiyc, suburban tea
party young man" But then Il poor
goyerness has scant opportunity Of
meeting that ideal youth. SO before
he returned to London an agreeable
intimacy spranS up between them.
The stars i'll their courses, more
over, fought in favor TO the ingenious
lawyer. Mr.. Wharburton, who had
long been an invalid, died suddenly in
The winter Mrs. Warburton, of course,
left the rectory, and came with her
children and governess to London,
and, not unnaturally, applied to kind.
clever Mr.. JeffOck to help her in the
settling Of her husbands small estate,
10 which She had been made executriX.
Her incapacity WAS his opportunity.
Every evening after office hours did
Mr.. Jcffock drop into the little house
in Clayton street, writing, docketing
and saving Mrs. WarburtOn trouble
and expense in Il thousand ingenious
ways. Nor could that lady fail to see
that She and her affairs were not the
sole object of his frequent visits. Mr..
Jeffock WAS not quite the sutton she
would have preferred for Mary Crof-
ton. to whom she was sincerely at
tached. but the chances of Il poor gov
erneSS in the matrimonial lottery were
indeed few; and Richard Jeffock. not
withStandin@ his sandy hair and depre
eating smile, she knew to be kind and
generous
Miss Mary Crofton's views on the
situation OF the existence Of which
she was perfectly cognizant, might
he regarded as identical with those of
her employer AS we said, Mr. JEFF
fock WAS not quite the ideal of her
maiden fancieS; but he was Il man
4 bread-earning, wifc-supporting man,
who might at least stand between her
and the awful abyss Of neccssitous
SpinSterhood
Mr.. Jet1ock, be * said. played his
cards with exceeding skill. And when,
as lie took his leave one evening, Mary
Crofton did not resist the parting kiss
perienccd Il feeling of undcniable tri-
umph.
Now. OF course, it is painfully true
among Il certain class of young men
involve subsequent matrimony Other
wise polygamy would forthwith be-
come an institution i'll those festive
circles which foreg&ther in certain
country houses But such protean
youths are of very different type 10 Il
sober managing clerk, and it was not.
therefore, unnatural that Mary Crofton
should regard that kiss as the symbol.
If not of an actual engagement ut
least Of an understanding.
1t therefore makes it the more pain
full to relate that Mr.. Jeffock'S retiec-
lions on the ensuing day were not so
ecstatic as they ought to have been.
He was, indeed, conyulsed by those
conflicting emotions so dear TO the