The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-05-16
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8 Miss TOmpkins' Mystery. q
~ BY Eugenia d. Blgham. AA
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BY Eugenla D. Bleham.


a daily paper from a nelghbor. and
watch the want column, thinking TO
see something by which she could add
to her earnings. One day she gazed
In great excitement at the following
advertisements:
ANY person wishing to sell the use
Of his brains at the rate OF seven
thousand dollars per annum, viii
please apply at Perlwink Home Place,
near Petersburg, Pa, on Thursday
morning, ninth instant, between the
hours ten and twelve"
Miss Tompkins kept her own counsel,
but a substitute was I'm her place at the
school the following Thursday morn
ing.
About eleven Of the clock on that
day, there were hitched in front of
Perriwink's fine house a buggy, a close
carriage, and a saddle horse. A young
lawyer had ridden the horse, a
preacher and a commercial traveller
had come in the buggy, and Miss
Tompkins had stepped from the car
riage. The four were ushered into a
handsome room, where they sat in
stony silence, taking stolen glances at
each other, calculating, no doubt, as
to the excellence Of the several lots
of brains represented The lips of the
commercial traveller several times
showed symptoms of a smile, and he
dared look nowhere but at the centre
table.
They were not kept waiting long. A
most gracious, fine looking old gentle
man entered, bowed and seated him
self so as to command the faces of the
four. Few words were wasted, and
it was soon clearly understood what
was wanted: person Of education and
high morality, who would at once take
up residence at the farm, and assume
entire charge of a half witted son and
his property.
"In short" said the gentleman, 81
want to provide ease and satisfaction
for myself the few more years 1 may
live, and brains for my son against the
time when l shall not be here to guard
him, helpless"
The preacher could not accept be-
cause of his calling; the lawyer be-
cause Of family ties; the traveller be-
cause of dissemination; and Miss Temp
kins because she had enough brains
to see that a man was required to fill
the position. At least that is what she
said. But there was a queer futter in
the fragment she used as heart, her
face being so much colored thereby
that she looked more like her girlhOOd
self than she had in many a day be.
fore. The old gentleman gave her more
than the fourth of his attention, and
when the conference was ended es.
corted her to her carriage. When he
should have bid her goodbye he hest
tated, stammered, coloreu, and then
managed to ask:
Did l understand you to say you are
Miss Linda Tompkins"
A really natural, merry ripple OF
laughter sounded in the carriage, ant
Miss TOmpkihs said:
mo, you did not so understand, fol
1 did not say it. But that's who 1 an
nevertheless Howd'y' do, Philip
With that she put her hand in his az
If just meeting him. Il knew you thu
moment you entered the room," sht
added, laughing again.
The Mr.. Philip Passmore upon whom
Miss Tompkins had so unwittingl,
called was the heart breaker, accord
ing to the public, of Miss Tompkins
youth, and after many years resi-
dence elsewhere, he had returned st,
die" he said, near his boyhood home
But after this meeting with his oil
friend and after meetings with va
rious other old friends at PETERSBURG
he decided that he would live som
years yet His advertisement did no
reappear, and in a short while the Fet
tersburg people had a sweet mOrsel t
roll under their tongues: Miss TomI
kins had an almost constant visitor
and seemed ridiculously happy despit
the shadow resting on the family name
That her visitor had addressed her
her teens, and was now a wealth
widower, gsorified both Of them in th
eyes of unlocking young people
Miss Tompkins ceased to borrow til
daily Then it was rumored that sh
was buying her wedding outfit An
she was
But all in an evening the engag,
ment was broken. That no one kne'
why but added to the interest, and NJ
Passmore affirmed that the cause {
Miss Tompkins' unusual behavior wa
no better known to him than to I'll
{ public He looked very detected. an
onca mora bnUop IN +bfnt- Of tho ffrr