Year: 1866

Job PlymptOn early gave himself up to
an iRordinate love for money.


A narrow, clOse-hsted man, never
known to give privately or to public. eb
iects, he succeeded by hook or BY crook
to accumulate some fifty thousand dollars.
He had never married, but lived only by
himself In a penuriOus way, denying him
self the ordinary comforts of life.


1t was shreWdly suspected that not a
little of his money had come to him by
unfair or fraudulent means. Some years
before he had committed to his charge
two orphan children of his brother, boy
and a girl, who lived in the house until
maturity, and were then turned adrlft
with the intimatiOn that they had seaten
him out of house and homo, and that he
could do no more for them. "


John PlymptOn, his nephew, now a
spirited young fellow Of twenty two, had
hired lodgings for himself and his sister,
obtained situation as clerk IN the VII
lage store, and was likely to do we'll. he
had supposed until recently that his faith
er had left nothing. as his uncle had con-
stantly assured him, but letter of his ia
theirs discovered since he came of age,
enlighted him on this point. To his IN
bounded establishment he learned that
his uncle had received with them In trust
the sum Of six thousand dollars, which he
had cody appropriated to his own use,
relying upon the fact that no one but
himself knew that Johns father had left
anything.


How to force his uncle to make resti-
tuition he hardly knew. He knew that
the old man would contest the matter
inch By inch Yet the money would be
very serviceable Half the money would
enable him to enter into partnership with
his employer, while the other half, which
came to his sister, would enable her at
once TO marry a worthy and industrious
young man who sought her hand, but
from poverty would be unable to marry
him for three or four years, by which
time he might have made sufficient pro-
vision to enable them to start to house
keeping.


About this time his uncle fell sick
not dangerously, but he was likely to
/ be confined to his room for some weeks.
I This gave j ohm a new idea.
The letter which he had discovered of
his fathers would probably not be suh-
cient IN the eye of the law to force res
/ titution from his uncle, through it might
produce moral conviction In the minds of
/ a Jury. and cover his unele's name with
disgrace But Job Plympton would pre-
fer disgrace to restitution, as his nephew
well understood.


But there was one other way. His un-
/ Gle was very superstitlOus, especially un-
der the influence of sickness, and his
| fears might be worked upon in a way as to
/ lead him to do justice. Even IN sickness
4 he was too penurious to have nurse IN
| constant attendance. He engaged an
/ Irish woman in the neigh bOrhoOd to come
/ in three times a day, aud bring in his
meals for nominal price. During the
remainder of the time he was alone. In
/ the midst of his wealth he allowed him
self to be neg lected, merely for the salts
/ faction Of saving up a few more coins OF
gold and silver, which, at best he must
soon part with. But great Is the folly
and Inconsistency of aVarice.


When it has become passion 1t occu-
/ pies the whole mind and soul to the ex-
elusion of everything else.


/ However slightly indisposed. Mr.. Job
! Plympton always feared that death was
/ at hand. Death seemed the more terrible
! to him because he must leave his gold be-
hind him. The only thing be had cared
/ for in life must be taken away from him
! with life


After some deliberation John Plymp-
ton decided to take advantage of his IN
cle's superstitious fears, not altogether
willingly, but without hesitation, because
he knew that there was no other way Of
rigbting his sister and himself. We will
see how well he succeeded.


Late one night Job PlymptOn lay tos-
sing about on his hard pallet. He was
unable to sleep, for it so happened that
| he had been thinking that very evening


of the wrong he had done to the children
! of his dead brother, and was vaguely


alarmed lest in some way retributiOn
should come upon him. This uneasiness
of mind was probably increased by his
bodily weakness, for he had been unwil-
ling to incur the expense of suitable food
He had long hesitated whether to order
the purchase of a chicken. which had
been recommended as suitable food fo1


one in his state, but finally decided


against it because poultry was rather high


at that time.


When his restlessness was at its height


he was suddenly startled by sound out


side the door It was not the time fOl


Bridget to visit him, and his first thought


was that it might be thieves.


The door slowly opened, the old mans


eyes being fastened upon it with glance


of terror, which was greatly heighteC


when a tall figure, completely robed il


white, entered the room and slowly ad
! vanoed TO his bedside.


job Plympton covered and shrunE


back, his hair raising on end at hi


fright


With difficulty he succeeded in gaspiul


out, "Who-aEe-you2"