The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-03

any man.. VI coutbef AfWe1f NY e"4te
nearest living relative. and II was only
right that | should have succeeded 10
this property on her demise. SIN, under
my nncle's will she had an absolute
power Of appointment. and had she cho-
sen % make the whole estate over to .
total stranger nobody could have pre-
vented II. At one time, n fact. there
really was a danger OF this occurring.
Have you heard the story? No? Then l
think It will interest you, for some OF its
features are. believe, quite unique.
You never saw my uncle and aunt?
They were two nice old people, extreme
" kind and good natured, but tribe
eccentric. They were not cut out at all
for country psopls-the position In
which they found themselves after my
uncle purchased this estate. My uncle,
AZ you have doubtless heard. was
selR.made man. he amused his for
tune az cotton spinning, My aunt, pc
fore she married him, was q drapers
assistant ia Manchester: 80 naturally II
was moi to be expected that she should
nave the hautlon. Nevertheless, when
they took Up their residence here they
went down better than you might have
supposed. This, ] imagine, was because
neither OF them was In any degree pre-
tentlous or vulgar. Indeed, two more
simple, unaffected old people have
seldom met. They always remained
just what they were and never pretend-
ed 10 be anything else. And 80. being
kindly, simple and natural. they soon
made themselves liked BY their neigh
bors OF all classes
1 have said that my uncle and aunt
were somewhat eccentric. But they mad
in their establishment one who WAS
considerably more eccentric than tnern-
selves. You really should have seen
,Tohn Simmons, the butler, dear. de-
liRhtful faithful old creature, perfectly
devoted TO the family, but one OF the
oldest men you ever saw He was
about the same age as,Iny uncle. whom
he seemed to regard as sort of brotheF.
and whose interests he watched over
with more than brotherlY solicltude.
To say that he was Gamiliat in his man
ner toward his master and mistress
would be to convey 9 wrong Impress
don. For he never took liberty Of pre-
surned on the affecti0rRte regard With
which ne was treated by them, Yet he
often said to them things which, II spo-
ken by any other servant or In any oth-
er manner than his own. wonld have
sounded inexcusable, and even out-
rageous. That was just where Il was.
The old fellow had way with him IN
this direction which somehow robbed
his plain spoken utteranceS OF every
tinge OF dlsrespect.
When my uncle died-an event that
nearly broke Johns feart-the falthEal
servant constituted himself more than
ever a guardian Of the family interests.
He looked after my aunt almost as It
she had been a child. 1t gradually be-
came evident that She needed some
looking after, too. Her intellect hadbe
igun 70 sajl little since my uncIe's
death. Not that she sank exactly Into a
state Of dotage. but she became rather
foolish and weak-minded. And this
weak -mindedness OF hers assumed a
most absurd and, for an old lady.
most iucungruous form. It Is bad
enough when q young lady develops
foolish Genumentality. When an old
lady does 30, II Is fifty times worse.
This IL what my aunt did. She imaEin-
ed herself stIll susceptible OF the tender
passIon-at seventy-five. She discover
ed quite a decided penchant for fllrta-
lions. Really Il was downright laugh
able at first. But the time was not lonG
In arriving when the laughable aspect
OF the matter grew Tess pronounced. A
serious, disastrous CONSEQUENCES be-
gan to threaten. will tell Vou how II
was.
There had lately come into the
neighboFhood certaln retired major
bV name Mallaby. a well. kept indlvid-
ual. who looked fprty-flve, and was
probably sixty -hve-talE handsome, and
Of negotiating manners and address.
IN due course, called upon him. - ev-
eryb0dy else DID. md In due course he
became rather d frequent visitor at me-
cunts house. Anything SO 1llgrantly
absurd as an AFFAIR. between my aunt
and this elderly bachelor had never
Imagined And if II had not been for
John my eyes would probably have re-
ntained shut until II was too late. One
lnorning. however, John came into the
library, where was alone, with very
sses. ''sS''' = = ''''1''
master Charlie" he blurted out com
ing close up 30 me. and dropping his
voice to low, confidential pitch. This
wOan't du!"
''What won't do. John?" was con-
strained to inQHit.
This what's goilg on between thF
aunt and yon major"
"oh!" laughed lightly. That's ALP
"And bean't 1t eaougl?' demanded
John. almost fiercely.
Ute silly Of poor old aunt. Of course,
I said, and It makes her rather a
laughing stock. SIN, Il amuses her e
think she's getting up Irritation. And
after oil. there's no harm done,
'Bean't there" replied John in very
significant tone; ''oh, bedn't there, Mas
what do you mean. John? ex-
claimed.
"Mean?" retorted honest John, evil
IDENTIFY exaspefated by what he consld-
cred my wilful obtuseness. III thee can
not see. thee'S no better nor fule, Mas.
ter Charlie"
"You don't really mean that you think
anything serious is likely to come Of
these foolish fllftatlons with Major Nal
depends what thee calls serious
Some folks might call marriage serious
Some mightn'L That's what's coming o.
II. anyways"
.'Pooh. man! Impossible! Why. aun
Is seventy-iive.
III she was elgh,y-Hve. and the mar
Fyiag al took her. age wOnldnf be NJ
bIndrance. es Il amt a been to mani
silly old women before now" nnswerci
John sententlouslv And warn thee
soIennIy. Master Charlie, that II Vou Of
or both Of Us don't interfere at once
Major Niallaby viii marry the mistress
Which Is the same thing ns sayln' tina
he'll get her 10 leave 'im the property.
said John, With a trouble shake OF tn
head she being ln that weak. foollsl