The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-31
o4ot eSs1
GRANDPA'S LOVE AFFAIR
BY GEORGE MUNsoN.


street in the big white house and we
Pauletts and Reynoldses and Simpsons
dwelled round about. We were all
sprung from the rauletts, and grand
father was rolling in money, and in
firm. He was seventy-six.
While grandma lived the families
stuck pretty closely together, but after
her death it was a case of catch who
can. All of us wanted Grandfather
Paulett's money. l am not ashamed
to say did, with my husband trying
to make both ends meet on fifteen
hundred. However, liked the old
| man, whereas that cat of Sarah Rey.
nolds, and that dumbhead jim Simp-
son, were simply after his money. But
he saw through them.
Grandpa's inf1rmity came from eout,
not old age. He got so bad at last
that his temper was quite altered, and
instead Of stopping to chat with us
he used to swear and look the other
| way. 1t was that tabby Sarah's fault;
he knew she was after his money,
and, as said to Fred. he would make
| things right when he came to die
And then a terrible thing happened
Grandpa was ordered to Atlantic City,
to get his gout cured by the sea air.
He was so pleased at the thought OF
revisiting the scenes Of his youth that
he got quite jolly again and invited
us all to dinner
It's many years since I was at At
lantic City, he said. Il stayed at
the Wimbledon. All, the daughter Of
Mrs. Higgins, our landlady, was a
beauty, and no mistake. If it hadn't
been for your grandmother, children
I didn't think he ought to talk that
way, with one leg in bandages and
the other in the grave. The old
wretch!" Sarah whispered to her hus-
band afterward.
Well, off went grandpa, with his
man, duly escorted to the station by
ell Of us, though only 1 wanted to see
him made comfortable The rest were
just after his money.
And the next thing we heard, grand
pa was married.
The blow staggered us all. It ap-
peared that he had found his old flame,
must have carried on something awful
while poor, long-suffering grandma was
, alive, and married her after a week s
!, courtship. We we're so shocked by the
news that we held a little meeting
, at Jim Simpsons house.
Nov, friends and relations, and re-
, 1ations that aren't friends" says Jim
land I thought that smart of him
, we've got to keep the money in the
, family. He'll leave a cool two hun.
q dred thousand to that designing mink
: who has simply been playing on the
. feelings of the old dotard-"
r rupted hotly.
Jane, are you one of US, or amt
you?" he asked sarcastically.
= Il suppose I've got to be- groaned
a And then he outlined his plan. We
!. we're to have the marriage declared
: invalid on account of grandpa being
J. in state of senile decay, and the
= estate put into court and equally dis
4 tributed. Jim had a lawyer frient
a who would arrange the details, and a!
y soon as grandpa came home a docto
? whom Jim knew was to dog his foot
a steps and try to trap him into an eS
make out a case.
. It sounded good to me. l was sorr.
d for grandpa, because I liked the oil
!. gentleman, but it wasn't right tha
a we should lose our Inheritance jus
!. because a designing mink had takel
4 advantage of his weakness. And SO
=. took it hard when Fred said to me, o.
It the way home:
s "Jane, you're as bad as the wors
a of them"
J. We had quite quarrel, but brough
"a Fred round to reason by asking ho,
IS Johnny was to 60 to college. He hadn
A. thought of that-you know what me
. are.
q tion to meet grandpa. We felt 1t wa
IS our duty to do that; besides, we wan
o. ed to see the mink.
% THE creature is sure to hav
"a red hair" says Sarah to me; she ha
# got to be quite friendly since ou
[e scheme for grandpa's benefit.
+. The train puffed into the station, an
+ you can imagine we were all afutte
"a with expectation. And there WASH
IA any red-haired mink on the train.
- fact, we couldn't see grandpa eithe
~ for long time, until silvery-haire
q lady Of about seventy years assiste
h him out of his carriage. And the
=. grandpa saw US and set up whool
10 these are my dear nephews an
n nieces, Minna," he said, whom hay
If been telling you about. Whoop it u
of girls and boys, I'm as fit as a tw
i, year-old, except for this plaguey TO-
in of mine All come to dinner"
,s And, would you believe it, this Wi
IS the landlady's daughter You see, v
had somehow not thought that gran
pas adventures at Atlantic City b:
gs occurred nearly fifty years before. Al
her hair was reddish under the silv
,e- after all.
On It appeared that she had Inherit
he the hotel and had made fortune o
,r- of it.
II. "And as my wife is richer than
e. I shall not alter my will, which divid
nv property equally among my de