Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-05-03

business or legal point of view 1t was
not who was responsible for that act,
but the parishioners, who, having pur'
chased the rectory subject to the mort
gage, had failed to meet the interest
upon it. That is what Mrs. Burke
said: what she did not say, and what
none of you have said in public, though
reckon you've said 1t among your
selves, will take upon myself to say
for her and you"
He paused-and every eye was fix
ed upon him and every mouth agape
in paralyzed establishment: and the
said features OF Hepsey Burke were
no exception to the rule.
when" continued Bascom evenly
and urbanely, "the word went round
| that the interest on the mortgage had
| got behind, and the money must he
| collected for 1t, those concerned no
| doubt remarked easily: oh. l guess
| thatrl be all right. Bascom wont
worry about that; .e don't need it;
anyway he can pay it to himself, for
| the parish IL he does"
There was an uncomfortable STIR
ring OF the audience at this shrewd
thrust: but Hepsey could not contain
herself, and laughed right out, clap
ping loudly.
"And yet don't mind saying that
IL had thought OF suggesting to any
o..e of you such a method of collecting
interest due you, you might have kick
I'd some," he commented dryly.
"At the next step, when / ultimate
ly concluded to act upon my right to
eject Mr.. Maxwell from the rectory,
I've no doubt that on all sides 1t was:
Well, did you ever know the likes of
that? Turning the rector out Of his
house and home! Well he's skin
flint for fair!"
He paused and watched the effect.
| This time his hearers sat absolutely
motionless.
"And I agree with you,' he added
presently, in a quiet voice: Il was
skinflint for fair!"
Almost Hepsey forgot herself so far
as to clap thunderously: she caught
her hands together just in time-recoi.
lecting that her demonstration would
be taken too literally.
But ] would not have you misun-
derstand me: though it was for me to
call myself a skinflint for that act, 1t
was not for you to do SO. You did so
OH wrong grounds. Those who in
| making money have been less success
| full than others, find it convenient to
leave all such obligations upon the
| shoulders of the richer man, and to
say it's up to him: he can afford It,
| Is it any wonder that 1t makes the
| rich man sour on subscriptions and
| philanthropies? He has as much, or
more, of inducement to apply his earn
| ings and savings to his own ends and
| pleasures; why then, Is it not up to all.
IN our own proportions to meet social
needs? good many years of such
meanness among his neighbors makes
even a rich man sour and mean, /
| guess. And that's what 1t made me-
and though that isn't justification
Of my act, it gave me as much right
to call you skinflints as for you to
call me: all except one of you, Hep
sey Burke"
The meeting quvered with tense ex.
element. What did it all mean? If a
chicken had sneezed the whole gath.
ering would have been dissolved in
Mysteries, it was so keyed up with
sense of the impending disclosure of a
deep mystery. AS for Hepsey, she sal
motionless, though Jonathan believed
that he caught sight OF a tear glisten.
ing in its descent.
"Hepsey Burke had a right to call
me skinflint, because she knew VIVA:
none of you knew; but because it was
private knowledge she wouldn't make
use of it against me-not unless she
couldn't have done what was right
any other way. And now I'm going
II tell you what she knew:
"The rectory was my wifes proper
ty, and she intended it as gift to the
parish, for the rectory of the church.
was preparing the deeds of transfer,
when she died-suddenly, as some Of
you remember" his voice made hero.
ic efforts to keep clear and steady,
owing to her death before the trans.
fer, that house passed to our daughter,
snd what l intended to do was TO buy
1t of her and present it to the parish.
delayed at first for good reasons
And suppose as got more and more
lonesome and mixed less and less with
3eople, got sourer-and then delay
ed from meanness. It would have been
easy enough for me to buy 1t OF my
daughter, and she'd have been willing
enough; but as / saw more and more
put upon me. and less and less human
recognition-l was a rich man. and
needed no personal sympathy or en-.
couragement. it seemed-I held back
And / got so mean l couldn't make
friends with the rector. even.p,
He paused, and from the half smile
on his face, and the hint of brightness
that passed over his expression. ths
1