The Miser's Legacy.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 53, 16 March 1887, Page 3

The Miser's Legacy.

" Hem coino, Mr Herman." "Come? Come at last? Aro you euro of it, -loo?" " Suro as taxes," eaid Joe Poppingor, with a confident nod of his head. "He's takon the old stone houso, the Haunted Houso, tho neighbours call It, and he's moved into ie, bu;.f and baggago,which ain't much, by tho way."

"Any servants with him, Joo?"

" Only one, a crooked old woman as threw- a porriiigor of hot water ovor ma when I came around to ax if I could be of any uso. If thoy only ownod a black cat I'd have tho whole kit and boodle of 'em up for witchcraft. I nevor did come across moh a rum lot in all my life."

" Did you fiee the old man yoursel ■100.

I "Sco him, Mr Horman ? I sco a bundle of old bonos tied round the middle, with a palm-loaf patterned dressing gown and a llannol nightcap on his head, and I s'[ osod likely there couldn't be two such outlandish old customers going. Ho was v runnin'in and out the furniture cart like a crazy spider." " That will do, Joo. Here is a dollar for you." " Thank '00, sir. Much obligod to you, sir." And tho stable boy, who belonged to the inn, shamblod away, grinning and pulling at tho front of his cap, while Herman Franklyn leaned, whistling, against the pillar of the front piazza.

So old Minor Molineux had arrived at last—tho rich and eccentric relative, on tho inversion of whoso fortuno, real or supposed, ho had all his lifo beon building

rcrial castles. At last—and Herman refcolved tho vorv next day to call and pay his respects, although the woman with the hot water did not odd to the delights of contemplating this vUit.

"If I hadn't heard from his lawyer that ho had takon a loaso of tho Stone House," mused Mr Franklyn, "I certainly never should have buried myself in this out-of-the-way placo awaiting his advent; and if I hadn't thought I could work into his good graces I never should havo taken tho trouble to hunt him up. Hcigha ! .oraetimos I think it would bo easier to work for money than to inherit it."

And. so the next day Mr Franklyn call'-d. V'inor Molinoux received him very coolly,

sitting among his treasures, like Marius amid tha ruins of O .rthago. But Franklyn noticed that ho kepi ono hand on the ring of a pidlocked iron box bet-ido him aa ho talked.

" Well, young man, and what do you want?" ho asked, imp-itiently. when the old woman, who evidently considered that Mr Franklyn was no subject for the hot water treatment, showed him in.

"To inquire after your health, Cousin Miner," aaid the young man, smoothly.

" Humph ! My health is well enough I Better than you wish it, I daro say !" " My dear sir " "But it will make no difference to you," acidly went on tho old man, atill nervously fingering the rings of the iron box. "I don't deny that I have a treasure to leave behind me " Herman Franklyn's eyes glistened—" But it will be to those who consult my wishes more than you hive done." " But, my dear cousin " "Words aro aU very well," and the old miser, shrugging his shoulders, " but deeds spoak tho loudest. You know very well my aversion to matrimony—and yet you go and cngago yourself to got marriod to a girl who hasn't a ponny. Ah I Don't you ." in a rising inflection lileo a bark. " And then, aftor coolly disregarding all my wishes, you expect mo to leavo you this —this—" tapping, as ho spoke, on the lid of the box.

"But Cousin Miner, if you wish me, I will oortainly adapt myself to your opinions ! I did not know that "

" Stull' and nonsense !" yelled the old man, " What yon know or didn't know is perfectly immaterial to mo. Lsavo me to my books and my writing. That's all I ask of any man living." So Mr Franklyn went moodily away. " I must break my engagement," aaid ho tohiineelf. "That's Ihe first thing. What tho second will bo depends entirely en fate and fortune.'

Josio lla'l was silting in tho farm houso kitchon peeling potatoes. She was a blackeyed, dmiask-cheeked girl, with velvety oyobrows, and a round, red dot of a mouth ; and in those dark eyes glittered a light half-resentful, half anguish, as sho looked straight at Herman Franklyn.

" I understand,'' said sho. "Yon want to break tho engagement. Now that your rich uncle has come to the neighbourhood I am no longer worthy of you."

"It isn't thai, Josie, believe me," said Franklyn, twisting himself about, witn the rod signals of keen mortification blazing on his cheek. " But I think perhaps it would bo hotter for us "

" And I haven't the least doubt of it," passionately interrupted Josie, with heaving brea.t and quivering lips. " A thousand times better; for I value the love ot no man who cm leave me thus. Pray don't waste your timo in conjuring up any further excuse. They are quite unnecessary. I wish you a very good-morning "

And she wont on peeling her potatoes, while Herman Franklyn crept out of the hoi:s3, feeling very like a whipped cur.

For a day or two he felt heartily ashamed of himself, but the reward-aa at least he esteemed it—came at last.

Mr Minor Molineux fell ill. Being ill,he was frightened. Being frightened, he was solitary. And consequently ho sent for his cousiu Franklyn, a thing ho never would havo dono in health.

" You don't think I'm going to die, do you, Korman ?" he asked, tremulously. " Oh, there's no danger at all," reossurel tho young man, as tho doctor had that morning said that the pationt's spirits must bo kept up at all hazards. "And you won't leave mo?"

"Certuinly not, if my presence can be any satisfaction to you," responded the delighted fortune-seeker. " But that girl that you're engaged to," grumbled Mr Molineux, "sho won't like it."

"Do you think that I could persist in anything contrary to your wishos ?" reproachfully asked Herman Franklin. " The engagement is brokon."

"Good!" croaked the old man. "Engagements are a humbug, in any event. Engagements to girls that haven't anything aro still worse. Cousin Franklyn, you've more sense than I gavo you credit for."

Day by day Miner Molineux grew worse. On tho fourth afternoon ho sent for a lawyer and made hia will. On the fifth ho bo camo speechless. On the sixth he died.

"My fortune i-i made noiv," thought Herman, who had listened at the door during the interview with the lawyer, and hoard directions given connecting his namo with tho padlocked iron box, whereof the key hung around tho dead man's neck And ho folt that Joaie had boon woll sacrificed.

"You wasn't at, the funeral, eh V" said Mrs Pierco to tho Widow Hall, whilo Josie's needle Row faster than ovor through tho cambiic she was hemming.

"Well, no," said the widow, "I ain't partial to funerals in general. And I didn't feel no special call to put myself out to see an old miser buried that I never saw nor spoke to while he was alive." "A man can't be a miser without he's got money, can he ?" said Mrs Piorce. " I don't rightly know about that," aaid W'dow Hall. " But you don't moan to say that old Molinoux hadn't anything, after all ?"

"Nothing but a few sticks of furniture and somo vuaty coins aa no decent storekeeper would givo change for." Tho widow's eyes shone through hor spectacle glasses. " Land o' massy !" said sho. "And what was in the iron box as everybody had so much to say about— the iron box as was willed to Herman Franklyn ?"

" Just the sheets of paper as held a dictionary the old man had been writing all his days. Manuscript the lawyer called it, whatever that may bo. He thought it waa worth a deal of money—and he'd spent his all hunting up old books aa nobody but himself ever heard of, and travelling about the country to pick up information."

"Humph I" said tho Widow Hall. "And what did young Franklin say J" "I didn't sit near onough to him to rightly hear," said Mrs Pierce, " but them aa did tells me he swore an awful oath when he saw what was in the box and flung the whole bundle on the back of the tiro. I see it blaze up myself." " And was that all ?" asked the Widow Hall.

"That was all," responded her informant.

"I am glad of it !" cried out Josie, springing up with sparkling eyes. " I never was so glad of anything in my life. He's served right, for once." Mr Franklyn called the next day, meek and subdued. If Josie had been a model

heroine she Would haVe thrown both bor arms around bin neck arid vowed that she loved him better than over. But she was only a very human little girl, so she stood up with dignity and said : " I wonder at your assurapce in coming horo after ail that has transpired, Mr I Franklyn." " But, Josio " "There is the do ir. sir l" said Josie, " 1 .oaeo to wallr out."

And there.was nothing loft for it but to " walk out."

Old Miner Molineiux sleeps quietly in the villago graveyard, and public rumntir has addod yet another ghost to tho spectral population of tho Haauted House—a yellowvisaged old bogey, who wears _. wig and cirries in his hand a .padlocked iron bo__, — " N.Y. Daily News."