The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-08-09
) q
! EZra's Inheritance !
By Hope B. Strong. :
! g
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
hHALF-PAST eight, and most time
> Wall

Tor Ezra TO come. wei. 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. l 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 risin' must be
ready, and l may as well put my bread
in sponge"
Mrs. Hampton rose from her
STRAIGHTFORWARD chair, which she al
ways proudly stated had been part of
her 'grandmother's weddin' outfit"
and hustled about in preparation 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 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 Gown instead of up.
The old clock licked busily on the
mantel. 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 modern pantry.
So, without leaving the room, Mrs.
Hampton completed her sponge"
brushed away every suspicion of flour,
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 its 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 a 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
"a done ito"
Cray? Well. l 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
From the recesses of the cupboard
appeared an ink bottle and rusty
steel pen, neither of which was called
into active service except on the rare
occasions when one of their absent
q ildren 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 established.
1t is doubtful whether either of them
could have long endured the strain
But, fortunately, in less than weel
the answer came. On Mr.. Hampton:
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: Your
of the 18th inst. at hard. In reply
would state that inquiries made by a dis
1ant relative of yours regarding SOM
western property have led to your dis
covery. About the year 1901 Ezekie
Hampton c.n!grated to and settled
large trac. of land in the territory O
Blank, where the city of A. is now 10
Gated. Communication with him sool
ceased, and, he never returned to hi
home, his friends gave him up as dead
From the copy of your family recor
you have kindly forwarded l find proc
of what I had already surmised, tina
said Ezekiel Reed Hampton was tn
brother of your grandfather. Consequent
ly, as his nearest descendant, this prop
erty will revert to you OF course, wit
the lapse of time, the land has great
increased in value, and it will be we
for you to look into the matter.
ANY help our firm can render you 4
Teestablishing your claim will be cheer
fully given for % per cent. Hoping t
hear from you at an early date, l am,
-. SHARPE FERRET"
swell, to think you're going to ow
q whole city! It's an awful responst
bility for you. OF course, you'll hav
TO be mayor-a man of your year:
too, Ezry. Little did l think 4O-od
years ago when we were married tina
Ia ever live to be mayors wife. Blu
girls never know what they're marry
ing. What are you going to do abou
st? Give it to this man?"
'Well, yes; none of them would b
any cheaper deliberately answere
Ezra. ''And he sort of deserves it fc
finding out, though I've often hear
father talk of his Uncle Zeke, VIII