The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-12-27

Cdl HcdT Gil Gdlk.
Il found him lying just so" said Kitty's
soft voice, "when l came up stairs. Oh,
dear, oh dear! do you suppose he's dead?'
''As door nail" said Peter Penf1ax a
distant cousin who lived next door,
'Must a died just on the stroke of elev-
en-"
Il told them so. The Penfax fate r'
was the reflection in cousin PauPs mind
Dreadful cold weather for funeral p
said Peter
"Where is Owen ?''
'Gone for the doctor" sobbed Kitty.
For the doctor! That's only money
thrown away. He charges dollar Wis
it," growled Peter you'd a'deal better
fetch the undertaken By the way, Kitty,
where's that diamond stud of his? And
all his papers! I'd better take charge of
'em at once"
Il don't know" said Kitty, thankful
that the mention of papers enabled her to
speak truly. "The lawyer"
Lawyers cost money" said Peter, sPm
lawyer enough, and I'm the natural heir
Paul was regular old miser-never help
ed nobody but himself. If he could, he'd
took his money with him, he would. And
mean to find that diamond if
"You shall not touch a thingr' cried
Kitty, as Peter began to open the drawers
of the ancient mahogany desk in the corn
er and pry around in various directions
"He was igood to NEE, and won't have
his wishes disregarded %
"Tm bound to have that stud" said
Peter, cor I will know the reason whyr'
"And Pm dead and can't interfere r'
thought poor Paul.
''Sit DOWN. said Peter Penf1ax. 81 amt
goin' to be domineered over by no woman?
That diamond is here, and I'm the next O.
kin-Sit down, l say, or I'll choke you
like chicken ~
"Oh, if Owen French were here p gasp
ed Kitty, wringing her hands. "Let go
my throat You hurt me You"
''Let go her throat or I'll be the death
of you" brawled voice behind Peter
Penflax; and the interloper jumped back
to behold the yellow visage and flannel
bed gown to match of the supposed dead
man close to him.
whats them bells ?" cried Paul ''The
old South Church ringing in the New
Year And am not dead Then shan't
die this year, the Lord be praised! Get out
of this, Peter Penf1ax! You amt heir to
my diamond stud yet, and don't mean
you shall be! I'm powerful drowsy, and
my legs feel like cracked pipe stems but
I'm as live as ever was Get out, 1 say!''
you're ghost n' said Peter Penflax.
"And ghosts have no legal rights"
I'm aliver' retorted Paul. "Kitty,
hand me the tongs! Yes thought that
would scatter him! And the old clock
stopped at eleven, did it? Everything's
combined again the Penflax fate, do be-
lieve. And now, Kitty, help me back to
bed, and give me swallow of tonic! It's
there on the tablep'
mo, Cousin Penflax, it isn't" said Kit
ty. "This is the laudanum liniment for
your back!'
Paul Penflax opened and shut his mouth
like piece of newly invented machinery.
"Thc ladanum linament p said he. That
accounts for it! Owen French gave me a
big dose of it last night-reckoned it was
the tonic 1t must have put me dead
asleep, and 1 s'posed of course I was
dead But l wasn't. was alive enough
to come to your rescue, Kitty! And you
shall have the diamond, after all /! You've
earned it, my girl! Put wood on the fire.
Set the clock going. Fetch on that chick
en- stew you told me about. If 1 am to
live another year may as well be comfor-
table about it!
But after that night Paul left off talking
about the Penflax doom. He died comfor-
table in his bed, somewhere in the heat of
August, that year; but previous to this he
sold the big diamood stud and divided its
proceeds equally between his cousin Kit
ty and the widow down on Beverick
Beach. His room is empty now, and the
old clock in the corner has never licked a
tick since that New Years eve when it
stopped at eleven!
Il declare" said Kitty French-for she
married Owen and settled down in her in.
herited home by that time-"I don't know
which miss most-"I don't know which
Imiss most-the old clock or Cousin Paulr'
And Peter, the miser, has never once
left off railing at destiny.