The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-30

What's o. clockS" cried the parrot, as
tonished at the stupefed silence into
which his master had been plunged.
Excellent Bird" returned l, "your
words are the words of wisdom. 1t is half
past 2, and the Messrs. Child close at 3
o'clock. There is not n moment TO lose"
l arrived at the banking house in time to
present the check, and it was cashed with
out the least hesitation. took my way
back with more money in my pocket than
i had ever possessed there in my life. My
possession of it was little mysterious.
certainly but, then, had not my father
forctold that Dicks legacy would prove
blessing to us and babe me mark his
Words was inclined to accept everything
In the past and in the future with CRATE
full heart that was not disposed for qucs
ton or analysis 1t was Il saying of my
revcrcd parent when our cousin, the
brewers clerk, used to send us Il kildcrliin
of rather inferior ale ut Christmas time
that you should never look gift cask i'm
the bunghule. If | had found queens
messenger waiting for me at home with
patent of nobility made out in the name
of Wilson, by reason of my proprictorship
in that Incompatible black parrot, think
l should have taken 1t as matter of
course. | did not, however, find queens
messenger, but, on the contrary, a porter
from Furnivul's Inn, who had brought a
letter with him and declined to leave the
house without seeing me- The contents
were as follows:
DEAR SIR-I wholly forgot when Major Nor.
dax and myself called upon you this after.
noon with the first instalmcnt of your an
nuity to ask for your signature TO the in
closed receipt which please to sign and re
turn by bearer Yours truly,
NATHANIEL PoUNCEr.
The receipt was in the same envelope
Received of Matthew Mordax, Esq, and Ma.
thaniel Pouncet, solicitor, executors of the
late General Sir Fiddle Paddle the sum of loo
guineas, being the annual stipend left by the
will of the said general for the maintenance
of his black parrot Tommy.
These dreadful words revealed the dark
source of our prosperity, as the policeman
lantern flashes on the implements of
the burglar. l accompanied the messenger
at once to Furnival's Inn with the depress-
ing consciousness that had got to refund
my little property. 1t seemed to be very
hard and grievous that my vested rights
for such they already soemed-should be
thus infringCd. l at once, however, set
forth every circumstance connected with
the affair before Mr.. Nathaniel Pouncet
and had the satisfaction of perceiving that
was at least believed You are not to
blame in this affair at all, Mr.. Wilson"
said he. Far from it. But for your hon
esty it is likely enough we should have
paid you hundred guineasa year for life
The late Mrs. Hubble must have cheated
us out Of that amount for 3 years--ever
since she hired your parrot to represent
the deceased favorite of the poor general
1t WIS II hUusckeeper, too, l think, who
kept bishop alive, to all appearance, for
six months after death ana drove some
tllng like him every day through his own
Cat acuIal town in order that she mig ht re
cclvc the half yearly revenue of his see. /
really don't know which was the worse
case, except that in the bishop s"--hcre
the lawyer smiled-"there seems to have
been no necessity for a substitute, and
Therefore tl.c fraud was rather more mega
tive or passive. You will not, of course
have to reray those sums, Mr.. Wilson,
which this woman RENTED to you upon
false prctenses, but which you did not
am sure, suspect to be false. OF course |
must receive the 100 guineas, but we will
communicate upon that subject with the
generals heir-at-law, who will be glad to
learn that this troublesome charge upon
the estate no longer exists, and who has a
heart to sympathize with your disappoint.
ment as we'll as to appreciate your manly
conduct"
Finally, although my recompense for
keeping my own parrot could not be enti-
tied long annuity, received that re-
funded check for a hundred guineas lin
token of the esteem entertained by Francis
Paddle, Esq - for my upright behavior,
or, in other words, because had not been
so fraudulent as Mrs. Hubble. No wonder
that she had been so anxious for our par
rot's company between the 9th and 18th
of August No wonder that she had
thought Tommy more becoming name
for him than Dick! What pleased my wife
most of all in the whole transaction was
that she had so sturdily refused to part
with the dear bird for good and all. What
q rich reward has been given us for obey
ing the dictates of affection! Whatever
would you have said, George, had l sold
our Dick for ID guineas at once, instead
of receiving more than 260 for, as it We're
the interest of our principal?"
Well Lucy, | should have said that
you had initiated that unsagacious house
wife who killed her parrot for the sake of
its golden Gigs"
THAT was IA goose, George, remarked
my wife little stit1ly.
Fiddle Paddle, what's the oddsf'
screamed Dick. james Payn in Short
Stories.