The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-07-27
EHa'S Inheritance
ALF-PAST eight, and most time
By Hope B. Strong.

ALF-PAST eight, and most time
for Ezra to come! Well, we're
getting pretty old to have to work SO
hard, and nine O'Clock is more'n bed
time for man in his Cos. I wisht he
could get another place. But it won't
do any good to grunDble, and took him
for better or for worse. But I guess
nobody when they promise that expect
any worse. Well, that risin' must be
ready, and I may as we'll put my bread
in SPONGE
Mrs. Hampton rose from her
traight-backed chair, which she al
ways proudly stated had been part of
her 'grandmother's weddin' outfit -
and hustled about in prepare ton for
the morrow's baking.
Combining kitchen, dining-room and
library, the room needed furnishing
for all three. So the horsehair-covered
sofa stood near the sewing machine,
and the sewing machine in turn
pressed again against a chair, whose
very next neighbor was the old corner
cupboard which held the dishes, table
linen and sundry other necessities.
Conveniently near and close against
the wall stood the table where for SO
many years Mr.. and Mrs. Hampton
had taken their daily bread. Years
ago happy young faces had joined
them there, but death and marriage
had scattered them all, leaving home
and parents alone. So the table had
the leaves down instead of up.
The old clock licked busily on the
1nantel. Beneath the shining stove
cooked the meals and supplied heat.
At a safe distance from the range
was meal chest which answered the
purpose of a modern pantry.
So, without leaving the room, Mrs.
Hampton completed her "sponge,"
brushed away every suspicion of -four
and with folded hands awaited the
coming of her spouse.
The stroke of nine brought him. He
laid off his heavy overcoat and hung
it in it's accustomed place behind the
door, with the old hat over it as usual;
put one ponderous foot into the home
made wooden bootjack, and drew off a
heavy boot; treated the other foot and
boot in like manner; thrust his feet
into waiting slippers; drew chair to
the fire, and remarked: "Well, Han
nah, got the queerest kind of let
ter tonight. Some lawyer, Ferret, he
calls himself, up here in Columbia
county has been writing to me to
know if I'm myself"
''Oh, Ezry, they amt trying to make
you out crazy, are they? Who could
e done it?''
'Crazy? Well. I guess not" laughed
her husband. "You don't understa and.
It's to establish my identity, this here
lawyer fellow calls it, I'm to tell him
who my father and grandfather was,
and all my great-grandfathers as fur
on back as I can remember, or have
ever heard tell of. That's easy
enough, for it's been Ezra T. now five
generations back-but what it's about
l can't quite make OUT
From the recesses of the cupboard
appeared an ink bottle and a rusty
steel pen, neither of which was called
into active service except on the rare
occasions when one of their absent
children received letter from home
Ezra was spurred on by his better
half until the whole letter was COM
pleted, though another hour had rolled
by before he reached the end
The lawyer smiled next day as he
looked at the curiously formed letters
and read the quaint phrases! But they
told the facts plainly enough. Ezra's
Identity was esta blished.
It is doubtful whether either of them
could have long endured the strain
But, fortunately, in less than a week
the answer came. On Mr.. Hampton's
return one night he drew the type
written sheet from his pocket, and,
looking through his steel-framed spec
tacles, with his wondering Hannah be-
side him, read as follows:
"Mr. Ezra T. Hampton-Dear Sir: Yours
of the 18th inst. at hand. In reply I
would state that inquiries made by a dis
tant relative of yours regarding some
western property have led to your dis
covery. About the year 1901 Ezekiel
Hampton emigrated to and settled a
large tract of land in the territory of
Blank, where the city of A. is now To-
Gated. Communication with him soon
ceased, and, as he never returned to his
home, his friends gave him up as dead
From the copy Of your family record
you have kindly forwarded I find proof
of what I had already surmised, that
said Ezekiel Reed Hampton was the
brother OF your grandfather. Consequent
ly, as his nearest descendant, this prop
erty will revert to you. OF course, with
the lapse of time, the land has greatly
increased in value, and it will be we'll
for you to look into the matter
ANY help our firm can render YOU in
reestablishing your claim will be cheer
fully given for Is per cent Hoping to
hear from you at an early date, I am,
"A. SHARPE FERRET. !"
"Well, to think you're going to own
a whole city! It's an awful RESPONSE
bility for you. OF course, you'll have
to be mayor-a man of your years,
too, Ezry. Little did I think 40-odd
years ago when we were married that
I'D ever live to be mayors wife. But
girls never know what they're marry
ing. What are you going to do about
it? Give it to- this man?''
"Well, yes; none of them would be
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