Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-09-20


Spooner had been his legal adviser and
business agent and before his death
he had invested the faithful attorney
with full executive power over the
property and had exacted in return no
sign of a bond.
After Absalom Bogle's demise, witt.
the world at large the months rolled on
al usual, but with the cousins, near
and far, Of the dead and gone testator.
they brought with them wearing anx-
iety and suspense of the most harrow
ing kind. The winter passed, and the
springtime came; but the cxpectant
cousins could do little work. They
were driving hither and thither to see
II any intelligence Of Jeptha Boyle had
been, or was likely to be, or could by
any possible chance be, discovered.
Spring passed, and the summer came;
and as the Boyle heirs had sowed but
little in the spring, save hopes Of Alb
salom's money, they had little else to
cultivate in the summer.
The summer passed and the autumn
came, and the host of cousins, who had
cultivated only hopes of golden heir
ship during the season Of fructification,
found nothing else to garner in the sea.
son Of the sere and yellow leaf.
When the frosts of October had be-
gun to trace their delicate pencilings
upon the crisp foliage Mr.. Spooner sent
his clerk around among the relatives
of Absalom Boyle to bid them prepare
for presenting their claims at the ap-
pointed time If the long absent broth
er did not show himself on or before
noon of the fourth of the coming De
cember the property would be theirs.
This clerk of Mr.. Spooner was a
quaint old fellow. answering to the
name of Jedediah Sprout. He never
hesitated to acknowledge that the at
torney had taken him in out of charity,
and IN his humble way he sought to
serve his patron faithfully. But the
most wonderful thing about Jedediah
Sprout was that he claimed to be a
near relative of Absalom Bogle-near-
cr by far than any other living. He
claimed descent from a brother Of Alb
salom-an elder brother, much older
than either Absalom or Jeptha-who
had died in South America many years
ago. The cousins looked up the family
history, and found that the ancient
brother in question had been one Solo
mon Boyle, a wild, wayward fellow.
who, under a cloud. had changed his
name to Sprout, and who had left no
reeOrd of having ever murried. $50
iiah acknowledged that the said Soil
mon had never married, and yet he ha,
the hardihoed to claim to be bis son.
Could anything be mere impuden.
The cousins, from the first to the six
teenth remove, held up their hands /.
holy horror. That q man, In pOssessicI
of bis senses, should unblushinGly az
knowledge such shame! And. above al
that, from such a slough Of ignemin.
he should thrust himself tnto relation
ship with honest people!
And yet Jedediah Sprout worked +
his humble station for Mr.. spooner. Il
visited the cousins with his instruc
tioas from his patron, and to each h,
.earfully presented his own claim.
II ask not for prime share of t..
wealth of my fathers relative" h,
said. II am very poor. and a mere pit;
tance will serve me- Let me share with
the very least"
But they secuted and teerel, an
would not listen. They received tn
legal Instructions which he brough;
from tase attorney, and then kicked him
out.
In q nefEhboring town lived Kat
winthrop. She had been Kate Wether-
hes; but during the very last summer,