The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-10

Inheritance.
Danger of Counting Chickens De-
fore They Are Hatched.
nv HOPE ID. STRONG.

Ezra to GOMEZ Well, were going pretty
cid to have to work so hard, and 8 o'clock
IS more'n bed time for man in his six
lies I wisht he could get another place.
BUTT won't do any good to grumble and
l took him for better or for worse. But
] guess nobody when they promise that
expect any worst Well that risin' must
be ready and 1 may as well 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 weddin' outfit" and bus
tied about in preparation for the morrow's
baking.
Such Tiny room as It was. The sight
OF it would always make one wonder II
any city furnisher could have more sue
cessfully arranged the many articles that
found q place there. A rag carpet covered
The floor, but wherever it was likely to
get extra wear a piece of oilcloth was
overlaid giving a p culiarly variegated
effect. Combining kitchen, dining room
and library, it needed furnishing for all
three. So the horse-halr covered sofa stood
near the sewing machine, and the sew
ing-mac chine in turn pressed again against
q chair whose very next neighbor was
@. C
es, table linen and sundry other necessi-
ties.
Conveniently near and c'ose against the
wall stood the table where for so many
years Mr. and Mrs. Hampton had taken
their daily br ad. Years ago, happy young
faces had Joined them there. but death
and marriage had scat cred them all,leav-
log hcme and parents alone. So the table
had the leaves down instead of up. The
rush-bottomed chairs stood beside it. The
Old ock licked busily on the manteL
Beneath the shining stove cooked the
ais and supplied ht at. At only safe
distance frem the range was a meal chest
which answered the purpose Of modern
PANTRY.
So without leaving the room Mrs. Hamp-
ton completed her sponge" brushe /
away every Suspicion of flour. ond with
folded hands awaited the coming of her
spouse
The stroke Of nine BIZ fought him. He laid
eff his heavy overcoat and hung 1t in its
accustomed pace behind the door, with tae
old hat over 1t as usual; put one ponder
Gus foot into the homemade wooden bo9t
jack and drew off a heavy boot; treated
the other foot and boot in like manner
thrust his feet into waiting slippers, drew
a chair to the IRE and remarked, well,
Hannah, I got the queerest kind of a let
ter tonight Some lawyer, Ferret, he
calls himself up here in Columbia county
has been writing to me to know ~ I'm
myself"
''Oh, Ezry. they amt trying to maize
you out crazy, are they? Who could a
done it?"
Crazy, we'll guess moi" laughed her
husband You don't understand. It's to
establish my identity this here lawyer fe'
low calls It, I'm TO tell him who my IA
Their and grandfather was and all my great
grandfathers as far back as l can remem-
Der, or have ever heard tell of That S
easy enough, for IT'S been Ezra T. for five
generations back-but what it's about l
can't quite make OUT
do answer it tonight. It's late. but
maybe it's something important to us.
Maybe we're going to hear something.
Here's the pen ana ink"
And from the recesses of the cupboard
appeared an ink bottle and a rusty stee,
pen, neither of which was called into act
I've service except on the rare occasion
when one of their absent children receiv-
ed letter from home. Only an half hour
before Mrs. Hampton had lamented thai
her husband was each night kept so long
from his sleep. But now feminine curios-
Ity conquered wifely solicitude. Ezra was
spurred on by his better half until the
whole letter was completed though an
other hour had rolled by before he reached
the end.
Tho lawyer smiled next day as he look
ed at the curiously formed letters, ma
read the quaint phrases. But they It'd
the facts plainly enough, Ezras identity
was established
Meanwhile Hannah Hampton pon1ered
and planned over what the lawyer could
want. and at every home coming of Ezra
besieged him with the query, Haven't
you heard YETI" II is doubtful whether
either Of them could have long eadurod
tho strain But fortunately in less than
a week the answer came.
On Mr. Hampton's return one night Re
drew the type written sheet from ri9
pocket and looking through his steel
framed spectacles. with his wond rim !;
Hannah beside him. read as follows:
"Mr Ezra T. Hampton,
. Dear Sir-Yours of the twelfth irs+ant
at hand. In reply l would state that in
dulries made by a distant relative of
yours, regarding some Western prope ty
have led to your discovery. About the
year eighteen hundred one Ezekiel II mp
ton emgrated to and settled a lsrge trdcD
OF land in the territory OF Bank. where
the city or A. Is now locate Com
munlcations with him soon ceased and q
he never returned TO his homa, his friend
gave him up dead. From the copy of
your family record you have kindly for
warded find proof of what l had al ea1y
surmised that said Ezekiel Reed Hamp-
Consequently as his nearest descendant
this property will revert to you. Or
course. with the lapse Of time the lard
has greatly increased i'm value, ard IL
would be well for you to look in,o The
matter. Any help cur firm can render you
in re-estnblishing your claim will BE- cheer
fully given for twenty-five Ter cont
Hoping to hear from you at an carly da
/ am A. Sharpe Ferrett."
No possible event could nave wrought
more amazement in the minds of this
worthy pair than did the contents of thi4
letter. But as usual the woman broke the
silence.
well to think you're going to own
whole city. It's an awful responsibility
for YOU. or course, you'll have 90 b.
Mnyor-a man of your years too Ezry.
Little did | think forty odd years ago
when we was married. that Ia ever live
to be Mayors wife. But girls never
know Whit they're marrying. What are
you going TO do about it? give 1t 20 this
mani"
wen. yes none OF them would be any
cheaper" deliberately answered Ezra
And he sort OF deserves Il for finding
ont. Though I've often heard father talk
OF his uncle Zeke who went West. an1
oil the lind he got out there. You ana
me have been wishing for enough money
90 get a little place of our own where
we could keep one horse and may be