The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-12-09


"Come in and stop for dinner, but don't
say anything abuut the Boyle property.
don't cale to hear it. -
but, urged ,Jedediah, "you are
relative"
My mother was Il cousin, some four
| or five times removed, answered Kate,
"but found no claims upon that cir
cumstarCr. My poor pittance wouldn't
be worth the wranglfng and tangling |
should have to endure, and, moreover
| Jack and myself have concluded that
wo had better paddle our own canoe.
BY and by Jack came in, and to him
,Jedediah presented the subject. Lat
Jack was az emphatic as his pretty wife
| had been. He didn't care to mix i'll the
| feyerish, s0rambling mess.
But, said ne, "I'll tell you what
] will do, Mr.. Sprout. I have heard
your story, and III all honor and hu-
Inanity l think your claims arc just, If
You cannot get the share of Absalom
Bogle'& property to which you arc
morally entitled, you are welcome to
all you can get i'll the namo of my wife.
| How Is that, Kate:
~ agree with all my heart!" cried
Kate.
The rich moisture in Jedediah's eyes
gave token of the feelings which he did
not speak. He sat down and ate dinner
with the haIey young couple and said
no more upon the subject of business.
| The weeks rolled on, and the morn
1 e 4. :,
arrived. In the great, old, stumbling
house which had been vacant since tho
| day OF AbsalOm Boglo's funeral an
anxious crew were assembled.
On that very morning Jack ard Kate
Winthrop had been visited by Mr..
Spooner, who had asked their attend
ance on the coming occasion. They had
replied to him that they had no interest
in the matter.
"But," said Mr.. Spooner, "Jadediah
Sprort tells Inc that you will give your
share to him."
eff ne can get it, added Jack.
eff he is to get it at all, " said the
| attorney, sit will be necessary that you
and your wife should be there to relir-
quish it's
"On your honor, Mr.. Spooner, do
you think our presence would help poor
Jedediah Sprout?" asked Kate.
The attorney replied that he thought
it would.
"Then," said Kate, Eve will 60.
What say you, Jack::''
Jack consented, and SO it TRANSFERRED
that Kate Winthrop and her husband
were present at the eventful meeting.
The cousins of closer degree scowled
upon them when they entered, and one
wheezy old spinster informed them that
it would have looked better if they had
remained away.
"Not nearer than the sixth or eighth
remove at best" put in an ancient
maiden of ascetic aspect. "Uh! The as
surance Of some folks!'
The hour slipped on, and the impor-
tant meridian was close at hand. All
had assured themselves that Jeptha
Boyle was-not i'll the land Of the living.
| At all events he had not been heard
| from. And then followed n comparing
| of notes touching respective nearneSs OF
relationship. Genealogical registers of
| all kinds were at hand, and it was very
| evident that not few of them had
| been recently altered and amended.
elimination and recrimination result
ed, and belligerent outburst was on
the tapis when the clock struck -, and
with the last stroke of the fateful bell
Mr.. Spooner appeared upon TIE scene,
and with him came the man called Jed.
ediah Sprout.
Ladies and gentlemen and very GOO:
friends, said the attorney with form
al bow, 81 have tie pleasure of intro
ducing to you your very obedicnt and
humble cousin, Jeptha Boyle. He bids
you welcome to his mansion and bcgs
that you will honor him with yCu-
company to dinner. :"
"BoGle!' cried spinster' number one,
starting up. What Boglc:''
IT'S base deception" exclaimed
the ancient maiden OF ascctic visac2.
"Who is Jeptha Bogle:" demanded q
low browed haberdasher upsettiGg lis
chair as he arose and coming very near
to upsetting a wien faced old bachelor
who sat next to him.
II am JCptha Boyle, said the at.or-
ney's companion. He now appeared i'll
a suit of black velvet and looked Ike Il
very kind hearted, benign old gentle
man. Il an the only brother of AbsG-
LON Boyle, who died one year ago il
this house. l came from South America
six months ago and made myself known
| to Mr. Spooncr | told him had no
use for all the money my brother lad
left, ard that l was willing to divide
| the greater part of it with the distant
relatives.
Mr.. Spooner applaEded my motive,
but advised mo to examine for myself
and select the worthy ones. So called
myself Sprout and went at the work.
| AS you would have done unto Jyd,;!iah
Sprout, L give you full permission to 10
unto yourselves. Dinner will be ready
in half an hour, but you will excuse me
from sitting at table with you, as | am
| engaged elsewhere-.Tack and Kate
Winthrop will come with me. As they
were not Of the heirs eXpectant their
| presence i'll this assembly is no longer
necessary.
! IItIu tlSlUulSHIItIL 10 lu(tLS 5iItitICl
and from Indignation to boiling wrath
| surged the cousins OF all degrees, and
in such wrathful mood they found no
| appetite for dinner, and one by one or
i'll muttering, cUrsing pairs they crawl
ed away, invoking all sorts CT maledic-
tons upon the head Of the returned
brother who had so deceived and en-
trapped them, as well rs upon the beads
of the young couple who, they We're
very sure. were to bask iii the sunshine
of Jeptha Roglo's good'intent.
And in this last surmise they We're
not mistaken. Old Joptha found L hone
with Jack and Kate, and he did not
| wait until death had cut short his STARE
of the enjoyment BEFORE giving to them
| of the wealth which he had resolved
| shnuld he theirs - Cir"inn"fi p""t
THE STRAIGHT HAIRED GIRL.
| Advice to thc Young Man Who Is In
cIined Toward H!atria3ouy.
Some ono of the oraclCs whose mission
is to advise young women how to select a
| husband. and to warn young men against
| feminine wilCs, has recently set ;.p u new
| guidepost for masculine wayfarcrs on tie