Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-02-22

hat he would waive his gentility and ha
shoulder a musket in the ranks with tn
he rest of the boys" til
Even Coomer is annoyed by this dig,
md he fiushes little angrily, but the tn
miniatures coming in give him an p
to treat the sheer with the kl
silent contempt it merits. a
That was the extent of CoOmer's vain oil
a little natural pride, free bC
from boastfulness - but at the same h
time nobody ever enjoyed any degree d
Of intimacy with him without learning OIL
all about Digby Creighton COOmer, the h
reputed owner of the rapier who was v
one of the leaders of fashion in old +
New York; of Mistress Betty CoOmer, o
his daughter, who was the toast of her q
day; of the intermariages with the 8
DrivingstOns and the Van Bruntslears {
and other aristOcratic families and all I
the rest of it. But nobody could rea I
sonably object to that.
Coomer was. however, perfectly sin
cere in saying that he had never paid
attention to his genealOgy. His father
was in business in New YOrk-a bust
ness that had something to do with
hides-and he was wealthy for the pc
riod. When he had asked any Ques
tons about the tree. Coomer senior had
returned answers that were of Il gen
eral rather than n special character.
Most of his information he had derived
from his mother, who was then bril-
liant figure in New York society. She
died. however. when COOmer was about |
u years old For these reasons COON |
er was hazy on the subject Of his an
cestry. for all his varied stock of gen !
/ eral knowledge. Some of these days, |
he said. he was going to see what the
ancestral domain at Salem looked like,
but he put off doing so from time to
time and cOntented himself with what
additional scraps of information he
could pick up in Chicago. At least he
got all that he needed in one lot
Mrs. Coomer had been down in the
basement rummaging, and she made a
discovery. 1t was an Old hair trunk of
type and pattern now quite extinct,
and her idea was to bring it up and set
it in the hall as an antique, which it
undoubtedly was. She called COomer
down to look at it, and he recognized it
instantly. 1T belonged to the old gen.
tleman." he said Il thought Brother
William got that. Strange that l
shouldn't have noticed it before! Have
you opened it,"
Yes" replied his wife, hut there is
nothing in it but a lot of old books. not
old enough to he valuable. They are
mostly hooks on divinity"
"WeH. lets empty them out" said
Coomer and he turned the old trunl
= upside down and spilled its contents
: on the floor They were. as Mrs
L Coomer had said. old books of divinity
: all hut one. and that one was canvas
and leather hound. like a ledger Coo
, mer picked it up and huttered over tn
:. leaves
"Hellor' he exclaimed. There's
y weakness never suspected of hin
i. He started to keep diary. Yes, starr
- ed is the word. Here's the first date
= !. Jan l, 1860 How long did he kee
- it up? Ia! Did pretty well to,
:, April II is the last entry: 'Everythin
- going on in the same old way. NOtl
=, ing Of importance happened"
- Let me look" said Mrs. COOm'
w. eagerly.
~ NAY, nay" answered Coome
20, ''There may be something here TIL
only sons eye should scan."
10 He went over by the window wi
~ the book and. seating himself in
H. chair. began to skim through the boo
-, 1t was written in a brief. concise styI
H. But for ali that the writer had evideI
~ ly started IL with the intention of 81
- ting everything down without resery
IaT ton and with the frankness of
80 Pepys. Several times Coomer had
~, close the diary on his thumb and aba
- don himself to mirth, but at last
~ came to an entry that made him tn
49, pale and utter an exclamation til
~, brought his wife to his side. 1t was
nv follows:
Feb. S.-Bleeker positively refus
,o,. to consider the purchase OF the shiplo
!. from Argentina. and am likely to Il
money on it. | think that | will
T., even with Mr.. Blocker. Araminta
~ ", still worrying because the Bybees ha
&c painted their crest OH their stanhOpe.
i,o told her there wasn't any crest too &C
for her to have if she wanted it,
,os she only told me not to make big
his fool of myself than could help. w
40 round to Levy Moss in aft. and bou;
an assortment of old truck-pictul
+ho miniatures. etc. think bargain
Nv. some of them didn't cost more than
,.i+h canvas they were painted on, so
Il paint and the frame is net profit
,oro going to tell Nine. Minty to use til
n,,, for ancestors, and think she has
ans the courage to do it. Moss has
.io+o more old junk around Among OF
things bought old musket and sw
,,,o,. for n dollar and half. / will
nilo around and see Garter King tOmor
for and have him look up a few crests
nod pedigrees. If he charges too muc
oro.. will claim close relationship with
,s+or COOmbers of Hudson street. who
n,iIv always Dragging about their old far
900. mansion at Salem. Think that will
&c the best plan. anyway. Hope NJ
= ~ Minty will he satisfied, but when
600 married me she said that she di
,,o,h+ care il ! didn't know who my gri
!, ho father was.
aint. Ihat hhiShPd the entry zoo
+ old looked at his wife, and she locke
that him. but neither spoke. Instead Coo
;tber took her by the hand and. tucking
ber fatal record beneath his arm. led
orioi. from the basement. Her arm
have about his waist. and they looked
owed people whom afliction had bro
very close togpther.-Chicago RecO