Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-04-20
His ETgeIIenCy NY Cousin
A Story OF a Man Who Received q
Legacy.
BY Koloman Mikszath-
Copyright, 1900, bv Ervin Wdrdmdn.

Copyright, 1900, bD ETptn Wdrdndn. q
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a rich and distinguished relative is
by no means an unmixed blessing.
When I wrote my name in the matrlcu-
latiou book at the university, the rector
raised his eyebrows and said;
"Ahl A relative of his excellency, /
suppose"
Yes"
And yet you wish to take advan-
tagc OF the free scholarshipsT"
ut is necessary. unfortunately-for
the present at least"
Thus | began under unfavorable
auspices. | had all the notorlety at
taching to distinguished connection,
with none Of its advantages, for | was
poor as n church mouse. Ny comrades
pointed me u to their friends, saying:
Hes old Teleky's cousin, you know.
He'll have a pile when the old boy pegs
out"
This sort of thing worried me. There
was M compensation, however. My
name and presumptlve wealth procur-
ed me the favor OF young ladies and
their mammas. and for several seasons
basked In the smiles of beauty.
My whole family. with all It's branch
es-there must have been a score of
persons all told-had. like myself, been
waiting for the future dead mans
shoes until they had become almost
barefoot. My cousin in the beginning
had been nearly MS poor as the rest.
lie owed his advancement and his
wealth to his rare political abilities.
He had been a professional politician
all his life. Now he was called n
statesman.
He gave evidence OF his talent In
boyhood. The nelghbors' boys used to
rob his fathers orchard. One day my
cousin armed himself with a knife and
a big medicine bottle with a poison
label. He went to the orchard. where,
I'm full view of some OF the suspected
pilfercrs. he made small iucisions in a
number of the most tempting apples
and poured a few drops from the bot
tie into each lncision. Some of the
boys asked him what he was doing.
lie responded that whoever ate those
apples wouldn't care for apples there
after. Thenceforth the apples remain
ed undisturbed.
The bulk Of his wealth came to him
through n lucky chance while he was
private secretary to a certain high
~functionary.
A rich banker applied to the official
for a concession, backing his appllca-
tlon with arguments OF the most
welghty and convincing character.
But the law. unfortunately, stlpulat-
ed that the holder Of the concession
must be n Hungarian. which the bank
or was not.
at can be arranged" said the dis
penser OF patronage. "You have a
daughter. ! believer
"Yes."
well, all you have 10 do is to marry
her to n Hungarian as soon as posi-
bic. Then you can take the concession
In her name--that Is, In her husbands"
At that moment my cousin entered.
Here is the Hnan for you" said his
chief. my secretary Is a Hungarian
Of good family and amenable to reason.
Teleky, allow me to present you to
your future f~ather-in-law."
~ OhlhNl lUOhEu NA AHE nAuAinOAlt
young Hungarian. and the bargain was
struck, the lady interposing no obJec-
ton.
We never prohted one silver by my
cousins greatness. In late years In
deed he had shown the greatest ami
mostly toward the whole family. Some
Of the affiliated branches who were
poorer and prouder than the Telekys
themselves murmured loudly, and II
was their complaints. the Telekys in
sisted. that had hardened the great
mans heart. On the other hand. these
relatives insisted that 1t was all our
fault. and so a family dIssenslon was
added to our other notifications.
But In Hungary everything can be
converted into cash-even expectations.
We had no legal claim on our cousins
estate, but we found plenty OF usurers
willing to take long chances.
This was carried on to such an ex-
tent that the wit Of the family said he
hoped "the old man" would never die.
as things were going on most com
fortably as they were. and when the
crash should come II would take the
assets OF a ROthschild to meet the out
standing liabilities
The old man did die, however, while
was stlll NJ the university. He was
II for a long time. and the newspapers
KeTe full Of reports regarding him.
They said, among other things, that