The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-09-07
$50. ,.... A. 80. ."..A....
''EZRA'SN INHERITANCE
A Story Showing the Danger of Count
ing Chickens Before They
Are Hatched.
BY HOPE z. STRONG.

Are Hatch60s
BY HOPE E. STRONG.
Observation-Disclosures
"Half past o'clock and most time for
Ezra to come! Well, we're getting pretty
old to have to work so hard, and 9 O'Clock
is more'n bedtime for a man in his six
ties. 1 wisht he could get another place.
But it won't do any good to grumble, and
/ took him for better or for worse But
/ guess nobody when they promise that
expect any worse. Well, that rising
must be ready and l may as we'll put
my bread in sponge"
So saying, Mrs. Hampton rose from her
straight backed chair, which she always
proudly stated had been part Of her
"grandmother's weddin outfit" and bus
tied about in preparation for the NOR
rows baking.
The stroke of nine brought him. He
laid off his heavy overcoat and hung it
in its accustomed place behind the door,
with the old hat over it, as usual, put one
ponderous foot into the homemade wood
en- bootjack and drew off heavy boot,
treated the other foot and boot in like
manner, thrust his feet into waiting slip
pers, drew a chair to the fire and re-
marked: well, Hannah, l got the queer
est kind of letter tonight. Some lawyer,
Ferret he calls himself, up here in Co
lumbia 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 "a
done it?"
Cray! Well, guess not" laughed
her husband. you don't understand.
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 | 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 can't quite make out"
do answer it tonight. It's late, but
maybe it's something of Importance to us.
Maybe we are going to heir something.
Here's the pen and ink"
And from the recesscs of the cupboard
appeared an ink bottle and n rusty steel
pen, neither of which was called into ac-
tive service except on the rare occasions
when one of their absent children re-
ceived letter from home. Only a half
hour before Mrs. Hampton had lamented
that her husband was each night kept so
long from his sleep. But now feminine
curiosity conquered wifely solicitude Ez-
ra was spurred on by his better half I'M
til his whole letter was completed, though
another hour had rolled by before he
reached the end.
The lawyer smiled next day as he look
4 oA hhn ell r,nI Lott nd
read the quaint phrases. But they told
the facts plainly enough. Ezra's identity
was established.
Meanwhile Hannah Hampton ponder
ed and planned over what the lawyer
could want. and at every home coming
Of Ezra she besieged him with the query,
Haven't you heard yet?" 1t 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 typewriter sheet from his
pocket and, looking through his steel
framed spectacles, with his wondering
Hannah beside him, read as follows:
Mr.. Ezra T. Hampton:
Dear Sir-Yours of the 18th inst at hand In
reply would state that inquiries made by a dis
tant relative Of yours regarding some western
properties have led to your discovery About the
year 1901 Ezekiel Hampton emigrated to and SET
tied a large tract of land in the territory OF
Blank. where the city OF A. is located.
Communication with him soon ceased, and, he
returned to his home his friends gave him
up dead From the copy of your family record
you have kindly forwarded find proof OF what
had already surmised. that said Ezekiel Reed
Hampton was the brother OF your grandfather.
Consequently 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 would be we'll for you to iool; into the
matter. Any help our firm can render you in
establishing your claim will be chcerfully given
for % per cent. Hoping to hear from YOU at
early date. am, A. SHARPE FERRET.
No possible event gould have wrought
more amazemcnt in the minds of this
worthy pair than did the contents of this
letter. But, as usual. the woman broke
the silence.
"Well. TO think you're going to own a
whole city. It's an awful responsibility
for you. OF course, you'll have TO be
mayor-a man of your years. too, Ezry.
Little did I think forty odd years ago,
when we was married, that I'd ever live
to be mayors wife But girls never
know what they're marrying. What are
you going to DO about it? Give it to this
man?"
''W'll; yes; none of them would be any
cheaper" deliberately answered Ezra.
"And he sort of deserves it for finding
out. Though I've often heard father talk
of his uncle Ieke who went west and all
the land he got out there. You and me
have been wishing for enough money to
get q little place of our own where we
could keep one horse and maybe real
Alderney cow. ! guess we can get Il
whole drove of them now. Come Han
nah. let's leave this letter till tomorrow;
It's time were abed.'
And so, with no thought of the time
when. as mayor, he would importune UNI
ruly fire departments, argue with refrac-
cory boards of health or take counsel with
ignorant aldermen, he lay down to pleas
ant dreams.
On the following day the rusty pen was
again brought into use. and another letter
of Grabbed characters found its way to
the lawyers office accepting his terms.
And the waiting time began.
1t is curious TO know what effect even
the probability or wealth has on the av-
eraGc mind. Ezra Hampton was above
the average, SO he pursued the even tenor
Of his way and performed his duties as
faithfully as though Uncle Zeke's thou
sands had never been heard Of" Not so
his wife Hannah. Mindful of her COM
ing greatness, it was impossible for her
not to show it. She took on superior
tone with her neighbors and limited at
coming changes, for so repeatedly had
Ezra charged her to keep the good news
q secret until they more surely knew the
result that she dare not enlarge on it as
she would have liked. In her marketing
she assumed little airs and extravagances.
Why should she buy round" steak when
soon unlimited wealth would be hers?
So she ordered choice bits of porterhouse
with Il wise nod of her head and remark
that her money was as good as any other
folks. The people of her little world
wondered why Hannah Hampton acted
so important. and Ezra mildly rem0n-
strated assuring her bird in the hand
was worth two in the bush. But she ST.
fenced him by saying that did not mean
when you were going to get the whole
bush too.
And so the days wore on. DAYS had
grown into weeks and weeks into months
when the decisive answer came Again
Mrs. Hampton leaned over her husbands
shoulder with the joyous anticipations of
the wealth soon to be theirs. But the
words We're hard to comprehend. There
was little doubt that the property be-
l0nged to them. but so lnany papers were
missing and the records had been so neg
lccted that no proof could be brought.
Almost endless ljtigation would probably
be the result to rcclaIn "a" land. SO It
would perhaps be as well to drop the
matter.
fhoSn hnr fhAx, hnI