Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-05
The Maid, the Mother,
and the Money.

BERTHE Burton had a whole months
holiday, and, being a mean young man,
he borrowed the money from his moth
er for q stay at Eastbourne.
Poor mamma suffered, and Berthe,
with twenty pounds in his pocket, went
down to the Wisteria Boarding Estao-
lIshment, feeling like a lord.
On the very day he arrived he was
Immensely struck with a pretty girl
who sat at the opposite table at dinner
time. The girl was plainly dressed,
without ornament or jewelry OF any
kind. but her face made up for every
thing. 1t was a jewel in itself, SO
sweet, so pretty and so shy.
With the girl was lady VINO was
plainly her mamma, a shortish, stout
ish party of about forty summers, with
q fiorid complexion, double chin, and
a display of jewelry and charms that
rivaled a Regent street shop.
BERTHE was undoubtedly attracted by
the girl in the first instance, but his
eyes were frequently drawn aside by
the diamonds on the elder lady.
lust then the young man who sat
next him at the table remarked: l
see you are noticing Mrs. Robinson and
her daughter; nice people, aren't
they?"
Every" gasped Bertie, struggling
with a fish bone and thinking of dia-
monds.
'aThey are making rather long stay
In Eastbourne. Are you here for longF
"a month";" said Berthe.
$50 am l." said the other. My
name is George Smith. I'll Introduce
You to the Robinson ladies, If you like,
after dinner"
II should be charmed"
"The husband died twelve months
ago." said George Smith. Mrs. Rob
inson IS a widow"
$50 1 should guess" gurgled Berthe,
"lf her husband IS dead
"He left thirty thousand pounds"
It was a bull's-eye. Thirty thousand
poundsl A widow! 1t must be true.
Look at her diamondsI BERTHE medl-
tated, "a widow with thirty thousand,
even though she has a double chin and
Is 40 years old, is not to be sneeZed at.
So he did not sneeZe. On the con-
trary, when George Smith introduced
him to the ladies in the drawing-room
after dinner, he was the essence OF po-
likeness. The daughter was rather cold
18Th Y,vff mo pOIll6
have been nicer.
BERTHE. he went on to improve the
opportunity. He left George Smith to
waste the evening talking to the plain
" attired daughter at the piano, while
he himself. In fine feather, led the
buxom widow on to the balcony and
tried his hand at making incipient
love under the autumn stars.
OF course, he was not too precipitate.
He did not want to brighten the widow
by protesting an affection that must
appear rather sudden he did not want
to commit himself until he was sure
OF his ground. BERTHE Burton was
knowing young man, and was not like
" to rush at a haystack like bull
until he was sure it was a haystack
and not a brick wall.
But he squeezed her hand and told
her his name was BERTHE, and she.
squeezed his and said she sadly missed
her husband, her William Montgomery
Robinson, and BERTHE said he was sure
she did; but such loss, although ir-
reparable, might be-repaired! and
she sighed deeply. and he asked what
her name was and she whispered
Anna
That was all he wanted to know.
Next morning, eagerly, he wired to
a friend Of his, Tomkins, a solicitors
clerk:
Search Somerset House will Of
William Montgomery Robinson, died
last year. Did he leave thirty thou
Oand pounds to Anna Robinson? Tele-
graph reply quick.-Bertie Burton"
The reply arrived within a few
hours:
Yes. William Montgomery Robin
son, merchant. OF Gracechurch street,
left five thousand to charities and thir-
ty thousand to Anna Robinson uncondi-
tionally-
BERTHE Burton chuckled in supreme
Joy. "Unconditionallyp he repeated.
"It's her own TO do what she likes
with. She shall bestow 1t on mel"
Butter would have melted in his
mouth that day when he talked to Mrs.
Robinson. She slmpered with pleasure,
and he flushed with triumph. Even
George Smith noticed 1t.
"Old fellow" he said, 81 believe you
are rather gone in that quarter
~ believe 1 am" admitted Berthe.