Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-02-01
Grandpa Wakes Up
Titled
BY MARVIN ST. JOHNS

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Copyright 1922, Western Newspaper Union.
There were-let me see, there were
Cousin JAS per Haynes, Cousin Maria
Haynes, Cousin Thomas and Saman-
tina Biggs, Lucy and Paul, and myself,
not to mention Grandpa and Grandma
Chittenden. They lived in Washing
ton, but the rest Of US inhabited TIL
field.
Grandpa Chittenden was Civil war
pensioner, and in the middle part Of
his incredibly long life he had found
oil, l believe. Anyway, he was reput-
ed awfully rich, rich enough to make
all his grandsons and great-grand-
daughters, which means Lucy, wealthy
for life. And he was eighty-seven
years old, and Grandma eighty-dve.
Tlfield was not the place that one
would choose to live In. It was a
little, New England town, very Sabba-
tartan, amateur fire brigade-you know
the style. Some folks might like 1t. Of
course, but. frankly, we Hayneses and
Biggses and the rest Of us lived there
because we had been born there, and
we were too poor to move away.
That IL, till grandpa died. Every
year each of Us would receive a let
ter from him ON the anniversary Of
the battle Of Gettysburg. in which he
lost leg. I'm growing very feeble, "
he would say, land SO Is my dear wife.
l hardly hope to survive the coming
winter. God bless you, my dear
Paul, Lucy. Samantha, Jasper, Thorn
as or Maria, as the case might be.
We had reck0ned that there ought
to be at least ten thousand apiece and
some of us were getting on in years
and anxious to see the last Of Titled.
Lucy was twenty-seven and Paul two
years older. oh, why did Grandpa
Chittenden hang on so?
Then an amazing thing happened
A brief letter came to each Of US in.
forming US that grandpa and grand
ma were going to pay Us visit.
The day arrived and the tribe was
gathered at the station to welcome
him. But grandpa wasn't on the train
Il guess he wasn't feeling we'll
enough to come" said Cousin Thomas
meaningly.
Just then . smart touring car came
to q standstill near US and an old
gentleman, who was at the wheel,
seated beside an old lady, turned and
looked hard. 1t was grandpa!
welcome, grandpa we all shout.
ed, eagerly.
"Ha, hal" chuckled grandpa. "Fooled
you young folks, didn't II We thought
we'd motor over instead Of taking the
train, and enjoy the country air"
"Motored from where?' we asked.
FROM Washington" said grandpa
with a chuckle.
Grandpa fell in with our plan to
have him one day at each house, and
after he had made the round he made
1t again.
Il tell you young people, I'm falling
In love with Tlfield," he said.
Everybody was pretty glum by now
for grandpa looked good for dozen
years or more. And then came the
day Of the state fair.
By this time, in spite Of our disap.
pointment. we couldn't help liking
grandpa. He had told us that he was
worth hundred thousand dollars, and
was going to divide it up among us
equally, or, If we didn't outlive him
among our heirs. But, as l was say
ing, the state fair came along and
Howson in his new airplane, the new
sort that turns somersaults in the air
without upsetting.
where's grandpa?" l asked one OF
the assistants who had charge of the
airplane fixtures.
What. the old gent with the wooden
leg?" he answered. "Why, he's up in
the machine"
"What, up there?" cried Cousin
Jasper, pointing to the airplane, which
was doing the dip of death about Il
mile over our heads. And where's
grandma?''
what, the old lady? Why-she's
there, too"
l heard q scream behind me. Cousin
Maria was having Mysteries. And ther
the cry was drowned in the delighted
yells of the crowd as the machine, like
great bird, righted itself and came
floating gracefully down and lit with
In twelve feet Of where we stood. AnC
out stepped grandpa and grandma.
Boys" said grandpa, when they Sc,
him down, that was foolhardy thlns
to do. amt as young as I was-Im
going on for eighty-eight-an I'm g
family man with responsibilities. Nc
more airplanes for me. l stick to the
good old-fashioned auto now and hence
forward"
Now, the strange thing about it is
grandpa was such good sport that
instead of wishing him dead. from that
minute we began to think out plans fol
prolonging his life. And the things he
did to Titled! Why, all the reporters