Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-06-18
A Surreptitiious
Gift
By F. A. Mitchell

mother about you, and we have decid-
ed that it would be pleasant for us all
if you would go to Stuttgart and make
the acquaintance of your cousins.
When l came to America l left sis
ter, Of whom I was and am today very
fond. / cannot leave the business to
make the trip myself, but later. when
you have taken my place in its man
agement, hope to do so. 1t is better
that you should go now before you
have become absorbed in other mat
ters"
l was delighted with the prospect Of
a trip abroad. Ny father not only
gave me liberal sum for the trip. but
separate amount which he intended
that should turn over to the family
l was going to visit. "They are very
sensitive" he said, land rely on your
tact to turn this money over to them
without hurting their feelings. l don't
know exactly how they are situated.
but l fear they are not overburdened
with this worlds goods"
l found my aunt and my cousins ex-
actly what my father had described
them. Never was there a more anus
ing and, to me, touching instance of
family striving to put the best foot
forward Having been coached as to
Stuttgart ! put up at hotel and an-
nounced my arrival by mail rather
than go at once to their home, thus
giving them time to make any prep
arations they might wish to hide their
real circumstances. l heard nothing
from them for twenty-four hours,
when my uncle called on me and apol.
ogized for the delay in welcoming me.
saying also that On no condition would
the family permit me to remain at q
| hotel. but that their guest chamber
needed attention. and they had been
! overhauling it.
| thanked my uncle for the proffered
! hospitality. but declined on the ground
| that | was troubled with insomnia and
must be in house in which could
go about at all hours of the night.
However, l accompanied him to his
home. a house of diminutive size. but
very neat. and my aunt welcomed me
affectionately My cousin Anna. Girl
of eighteen. l found so comely and
with such kissahle pair of lips that
| l took advantage of my cousinship and
! tasted them at once.
4 All expressed much disappointment
/ that | would be prevented by my in
somnia from making their house my
home during my sojourn at Stuttgart,
but | was quite sure that they were
much relieved. They invited me to
dine with them, and. fearing they
would be mortified at having to sit at
j meager table. l declared that was
victim of dyspepsia and would only
accept their invitation if they would
promise not to tempt me with any ex-
cept the plainest food. And. remem-
bering that sausage was common and
inexpensive food in Germany said
that sausage was about all l ate 1t
did not occur to me that no worse
food could be used by dyspeptic till
my aunt expressed surprise
! l spent couple of weeks with my
!. relatives. they trying to hide their pow
| erty and trying to hide the fact that
noticed it. or. rather. pretending that
could not use what they were Mnable
/, to give me. And all this time l was
studying how / could turn over to
them what my father had sent them
without their knowing whence Il
| came for l feared their pride would
| be hurt if l offered it in the form Of
money. yet knew that was the only
form in which it would meet their re-
! quirements.
| The only method of giving them
pleasure without racking my ingenuity
was to ask my cousin Anna to show
me the attractions of Stuttgart, pay
, ing the expenses, of course, myself.
| Going about in that way with pretty
| girl brought about love affair. In
deed, though my father had not men
| toned the matter to me, when l saw
Anna | suspected his real motive in
| sending me abroad was to make
match between her and me. At any
rate. long before the end of my visit
proposed to her and was accepted.
The time of my departure drew near,
and had found no plan by which to
| leave my fathers gift without hurting
| the beneticiarieS. The amount was the
T, equivalent of $1,000 in American
money and could not be surreptitiously
transferred in any ordinary manner.
There was an old clock in the house
which l thought l might pay that
amount for, but when expressed
desire to possess it my aunt begged
me to accept it.
All ordinary plans tried having fall
ed, was forced to special expedient.
Anna consented to return to America
with me, and went for a tour through
Europe. l said goodby. then went -
my hotel, made myself up as an old
man. watched for my uncle to leave
the house. followed him till he entered
| trolley car, took q seat beside him
and slipped roll Of bills into his side
pocket
When l returned from my tour I