The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-10

sAsg Z s2AN III y
real Aidurney COW. I guess we can get
a whole drove of them now. Come Han
noh, let's leave this letter till to-mor-
row, it's time we were abed."
And SO with no thought Of the time when
as Mayor, he would importune unrulv
fire departments, argue w.th refractory
boards of health, or take counsel WIr1
ignorant aldermen, he lay down to pleas
ant dreams.
On the following day the rusty pen was
again brought into use, and another let
ter of Grabbed characters found its way
20 the lawyers Office accepting his terms
And the waiting time began.
1t Is Gu lous 70 n t what effect even
the probabi ity of W ahh hes on The aver
age mi d. z a Hamr ton was above the
aver. &c, so he pursued the even tenor of
his way and per'o med his duties as
f7ithfuJy as though Uncle Zeke's"
ousa ds he'd nel e. been heard Of Not
50 his wife Hannah mindful of her com
ing gr NJ IS it was impossible for her
not 10 show it. She took on a superior
tone with her neignb1rs and limited at
coming changes; fer so repeatedly had
Ezra charged Fer TO keep the good news
a secret until they more surely knew the
result, that she DIRE not enlarge on it
as she would have Xix d In her market
ing she assumed | tie airs and extrava-
Cances Why should she buy round"
steak when soon unlimited wealth would
be hers? So she ord res choice bits of
7 orter house with a So ned of her head
and remarked that her money was as
god as other folks. The people of her lit
tie world wondered why Hannah Hamp-
ton acted so important, and Ezra mildly
rem rs trateu assuring her a bird in the
hand was worth two in The bush. But she
s:lCnced him by saying that did not mean
when you were Soicg to set the whole
bush too
And SO The days wore on. Days had
grown into weeks, and week into months,
when The decisive answer came. Again
Mrs. Hampton leaned over her husbands
shoulder with joyous authorizations of the
wealth soon to be theirs But the words
were hard 20 comprehend. There was lit
tie doubt that the properly really belong
ed 10 them, but so many papers were
missing, and the records had been so neg
lected that no proof could be brought. AL
most endless litigation would probably he
the result of any effort TO reclaim ths
land. So il would perhaps be as well to
drop the matter. In these researches,
however, they had made another disrov-
cry. Ezekiel r. Hampton had been
colonel in the Revolutionary army and
had\ been enrolled as a member of the
Original Officers, a society composed Of
officers who had served in that war Each
member paid a certain amount TO Derpetu-
ate the assOcia ion. Membe rship was 10
descend in tie direct mae line. Said
Ezekiel r. Hampton having no heirs his
next oldest brother inherited a life right
in this society. And the writer took
much pleasure in concentrating Mr..
Hampton on being legally entitled to be-
long to this august and honorable DO 1y.
His name had been sent to the president
for this state and in few days he would
doubtless he heard from. Thus through
no fault of their own had come to these
brave souls the hard task of bearing a
bitter disappointment.
The president was heard from Soci-
ETY. documents of al sows poured in upon
Ezra until in a few weeks he had received
as much mail as had come to him before
in as many years. The village pOstmas-
ter and Hannah could scarcely keep up
with it.
OF coures. Ezra became a member. His
faithful wife would permit nothing else.
And. of course too, he attended the an
nual dinner. And in hearing of the glores
of that festive occasion, Mrs. Hampton
found some slight compensation for the
loss of the expected wealth and official
position. With brave heart she tried 10
bring her husband to the same opinion.
"I don't know Ezra, bat lis most as
good as being Mayor; there's less care,
and it's ever 50 much more heightened"
And Ezra would answer submissively.
Yes. | s'pose so, but l did want that
Aidurney."
Ezras inheritance however, had no
light influence on The people of Rural.on.
For so soon as il was noised abroad they
straightway began a search for warlike
ancestors. For unatoly, he had no rival
as a member of the O. O. SIS. Admis-
sion to the body was too difficult. But
descendants of the passengers on he over
loaded Mayhower were numerous. II
seemed as if he whole population of the
colony mus have served it in the early
days, so may grandfathers were found
who had held Office. while sons and
daughters OF The Revolution We're discov-
cred in every household. Family
crests were unearthed, or made to order.
Rusty sabers and mOth-eaten army sad
dies were hung in many a hall. And the
envied of all was a summer traveler, who
returned from her trip, "to the other
side" with n photograph of an English
estate, which she proudly exhibited as
her family homes cad.
SO though Ezra's inheritance brought
disappointment to him and his brave wife,
it came as a blessing 50 the people OF
Ruralton. for wi bout it they michi never
have known the pleasure OF seeking and
finding illus rious forbears