Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-05-02
CHAPTER Nv.

Living in some style, as may be
gathered from what | have already
narrated, it may be supposed that l
was rich was not. | paid no rent
for the house in which we resided,
neither was it mine; and the money
which supported it came not from my
own resources. | will briefly describe
the peculiar nature Of my private at.
fairs.
My father, for some years Of his life
an opulcnt man, lost his fortune when
l was very young, partly through the
treachery of friend, partly through
unwse speculation, and from the day
of his ruin was dependent upon his
wife's brother, q gentleman of great
wealth.
Mr.. WlmOt was at once generous
and eccentric. He never had any great
ideas of my fathers business capaci.
lies; and it is doing him no injustice
to say that he was self-willed and OBJ.
stinate, and that he entertained the
idea that he should not only be law
unto himself, but to other people as
well. 1t was through his assistance
that my father eXtricated himself hon
orably from his business difficulties
and when they were settled my uncle
refused to rc-establish him.
"You shall have life Of ease and
happiness" said Mr.. Wilmot, land
shall RIM no more risks
TO this end he promised my father
an income sufficiently large to main.
tain the social standing to which he
had been accustomed. The promise
was faithfully kept. AT the end OF
every six months a sum was placed
in the bank to my fathers credit, in
fulfllment of the arrangement; and Mr..
Wilmot, who was and who remained
bachelor, gave us TO understand that
Mt his death we should inherit the
whole OF his wealth. Neither OF my
parents lived long to enjoy the life or
luxurious ease for which Mr.. Wi'mots
generosity provided, and /, their only
child, remained the sole recipient Of
his kindness. He paid literally for my
support and education; and it was with
his concurrence that l became en-
gagged to the lady I married. On that
occasion he purchased the little estate
in Sevenoaks, to which took my wife,
and devised it to me III his will, which
made me his sole heir. Therefore, as
will be seen, was entirely dependent
upon him during his lifetime.
At the time Of my daughters engage.
ment Mr.. Wilmot was absent from
England, and | had no means OF plac.
ing myself in communication with him.
His habits of life were sufficient in
dication of the eccentricity Of his char
acter. He lived life of absolute Sc
clusiOn, as. far as we were concerned,
who would have gladly welcomed us i'll
our house, and rejoiced to receive long
and frequent visits from him. We
owed all we possessed to him; and the
unselfshness of his generosity insured
for him the highest need of respect
and esteem. But we saw him very
seldom, and, indeed, for the last three
years uau lloC seen nlHl al uii. Ile
was passionatcly fond Of travel, and
was in the habit of making long dis.
appearances. During these periods 1t
was his whim to be troubled by no
correspondence whatever, either from
his friends or business agents. lie
wrote to them from time to time, but
never gave an address, nor would he
consent to receive replies from them
except upon matters of the highest
private Importance. All letters for him
were addressed, by request, tot firm
of lawyers in London, who conducted
his affairs, and there they accumu-
lated until his return home. -.
(To be Continued, "