Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1878 — A LUCKY TUMBLE. [ARTICLE]

A LUCKY TUMBLE.

When Mrs. Snatcham asked me, “ knowing my usual kindness,” whether I would watch the baby in her cradle, “just for half an hour,” I felt that a crisis had come. I must leave Mrs. Snatcham’s. I say Mrs. Snatcham’s, for Mr. Snatcham was not unduly prominent in his own house. He was a meek man, with tearful eyes. Mrs. Snatcham was —well, a woman with a will, and she ha<l eyes which made you feel uncomfortable. I hod been private tutor in this abode for twelve months. My charge consisted of four young gentlemen of strong bodies and perverse dispositions.. They quarreled incessantly on all points save one. Against their lawless tutor they combined heartily. Their erv was ever “ War to the knife !” I had borne it all; I might have continued to bear it all, but no, I could not take charge of the baby, even for half an hour. I must bid the Snatchams adieu. I was gloomily cogitating my next movement when a letter arrived for me from the only near relative I possessed —an old uncle, to whom I had written detailing my troubles. ‘ ‘ Look here, Harry, ”it ran, ‘ ‘ if you’ve a mind to live in peace and die worth money, you forget all about your Latin and Greek and such things. Fine things they are, I dare say, but I never saw that they turned into much beef or mutton. You put your books in the fire and your pride in your pocket, and never take it out again. You know what I was in early life, nephew. I kept a shop —a general shop—in a country town, and I didn’t do so badly. Well, I’ve just heard the good will and stock in trade of a shop of this kind in a little town fifty miles from London is for sale, and, say the word, and I’ll buy it for you. And, as your education has been so neglected that you’d know nothing of such a business, I’ll come and steer you aright for a time, until fortune is before you. There now!” Humph I I gave a gasp or two at this grand proposition of my worthy relative. Private tutorship at tiie Snatchams was poor enough, but the keeping of “a shop of all sorts,” in a country town, under the guidance of my good uncle I Well, it was the old story, “Wo never know what wo may oomo to. ” And so I left the Snatchams and the £2O n year they gave me (by-the by, I believe my successor received only 18 guineas, and did not object to mind the baby), and wrote to my uncle that I was ready to accompany him to the—the shop. Alas, for the vanity of human designs ! News camo back that my relative had died suddenly, and had left the whole of bis property to the “ Sau-sage-makers’ Benevolent Institution,”of which he had been a Vice President, in company (to his great delight) with half a dozen nobles of the land. However, all the money needful on my account had been paid, and rather than return to the horrors of private tutorship I secured the services of an experienced shopman, and determined to try my fortune in the new direction so lauded by my deceased relative. I do not want to lengthen my story, and therefore I will comprise a great deal in one short sentence—l tried and I failed. I soon began to perceive, not so very far off, not the fortune my uncle had foretold, but bankruptcy and the workhouse. And when these pleasant prospects came very distinctly to my mental vision, then it was I engaged to marry ! Thus it happened. I became attached to the only daughter of a widow, living some ten miles from my abode. It was a speedy acquaintance and a quick acceptance by the young lady, but somehow the mother, without actually objecting, would not agree, and I pressed Miss Lucy for the reason. “ I have told you, you are going to starvation,” I said. “My place is a failure, and in a month we shall be in the workhouse; the prospects are clear and charming, and you are quite satisfied. What is it then that troubles your mamma?” “ Well,” answered Lucy, “it is very foolish of mamma to conceal from you something which you evidently don’t know, though I wonder at your ignorance. It is your—your establishment” “ Shop, we generally call it, Lucv: but how do—” . “ Don’t you know it’s haunted ?” “Cannot say I do, and I don’t care if it is.” “ But, if I am to live with you there, I care very much. They say that, for several nights after his death, old Jenks, the former owner, was seen in his shop in a great nightcap and with a large carving knife. ” “A most formidable and disagreeable sort of ghost, I must say ; but how have you heard this ?” “Ah! there’s the secret, although I cannot imagine how the story of mamma’s former connection with old Mr, Jenks has not come to your ears. Now, listen to me. But first solemnly promise you will not repeat what I am about to tell you. There, hold your tongue, and don t interrupt me. You are so fond of hearing yourself talk. Men are so much given that way. I’ve told you half the truth, and that is more than you deserve. Well, the other half, which you might so easily have known if you had not been so stupid, runs thus : My mamma and Mr. Jenks were, formerly, near neighbors, and Mr. Jenks fell violently in love with mamma and offered her marriage, and mamma refused him and Mr. Jenks went mad, and one day he presented a pistol to his head and—” “ Good gracious I” “ Would have killed himself, but somebody knocked him down, and the pistol went off, and mamma was standing close by, and—” “ Mercy on me 1” “Was nearly killed—with fright. Then, when Mr. Jenks came to his senses, he was so sorry, and though he couldn’t have mamma (for she married papa, and he lived many years) yet he

made a will in mamma’s favor, leaving her everything. He told mamma so positively one day when he was poorly, taking some gruel. Then he died; but though search was made, high and low, no will could be found, and a rich old heir-at-law came in for everything. And there’s the reason mamma cannot bear that place. And, please, what is to be done ?” It was a curious story, and I had not heard a word of it before. And as to what was to be done, that was a puzzle. I could move, of course, but where to, and with what prospects of doing better, and where were the costs of removal to come from ? So I said I must argue the point with Mrs. Barton, and this I did, and, having overcome her scruples, it was agreed the marriage should take place at once, and that we should all live together and face the ghost, if need be, and, which were of much more importance, the difficulties of the situation. And so Lucy aad I were married, and, of course, were supremely happy, and it was not until three writs had been served upon and four lawyers’ letters been sent me, and the gas company had out off the gas, and the landlord given me notice to quit, that with just a little feeling of apprehension we began to consider what next. One night, after rather a long conference on the state of affairs, when Lucy had apparently fallen into a deep sleep, I roused up suddenly, fancying I heard a sound below. Very gently rising so os not to wake my wife I left the room and looked down the stairs into the shop. A little light entered through some apertures at the top of the shutters, and to my astonishment and alarm I saw a figure in white behind the counter, in the act, as it seemed, of opening one of the canisters. Was it Mr. Jenks’ ghost? The light was insufficient to show me more than the bare outline of the figure and the slight movement of the arms. I watched with rather a beating heart, I confess, for a minute, and then I thought that before seeking closer quarters with what might be an apparition, but which much more probably was a burglar in his shirt-sleeves, I would don some garments ; so, refraining from going back into the bedroom and frightening my wife, I went to an upper room and procured some there. Then I again descended, and the figure was gone. I went into the shop—all in order. So, much marveling, I went to bed. When next morning I told the story my companions were scared. “ Let us go—let us go out of the unlucky place,’’said my wife, passionately. “ Whatever theie is, Harry, sell it at an ‘ alarming sacrifice, ’ and then you must get a Secretaryship under Government, or a Judgeship in the colonies, or something of that kind. Mamma’s sixth cousin’s husband is—is—well, I forgot what he is, but there’s some connection or other between him and a member of Parliament, and he must do something for you, that’s what it comes to. So now, please, we’ll go as soon as possible.” It was painful, but it was necessary, to explain to my dear young wife that the powers of her mamma’s distinguished relative, even should he be willing to exert them, were probably limited. Lucy would not believe it. And the letter was written and was not answered. Well, now for the workhouse. And upon my word I do think something dreadful would have occurred, butA few nights on—again that sound. “ Lucy,” I said, gently, but she did not rouse, and I thought perhaps I had better not disturb her. It was quite dark as I very quietly dressed, in part, and stepped out on to the stairs. Again, a little light of the very early morning coming through the shutters revealed faintly a white figure behind tie counter in the shop, its arm waving to and fro and its head bending over as though speaking to a customer. I strained my eyes, but nothing more could I make out than that the head of the figure was white. “It must be the veritable Jenks,” I said to myself; “ and that is his nightcap. Where is the carving-knife, though ?” One would have thought the apparition heard me, for it moved aside, took up something and waved it in the air. It was my shop carving-knife. Presently the figure rose and began to ascend the stairs. It was a hard matter to stand my ground, but I did, and then I saw before me Lucy, my wife I She was walking in her sleep. Fearing to wake her, I stood aside to let her pass, and my foot slipped and I fell heavily to the bottom of the stairs. Directly all was confusion. Mrs. Barton, the shopman and our small servant ran out of their bedrooms, and Lucy, awaking, shrieked and fainted. But I was the worst off. So heavy had been my fall that I had actually broken in the flooring at the foot of the staircase, and it was with some difficulty that they extricated me. Putting my hands behind me, to assist myself, they touched what seemed to be a small leather bag. I drew it forth. “A money bag, I declare, and full of coins I” The shopman and the small maid had retreated, having respect for the proprieties, but my wife and her mother looked on with astonishment. “Sure enough, money,” I continued, jingling the contents of the bag. “ Why, there must have been some secret receptacle there, where my venerable predecessor kept his valuables. Here is a paper. Good gra— What in the world is this ?” They bent over my shoulder as by the light of a solitary candle I read the indorsement—“The Will of Simon Jenks.” It was not in any cover, so we read it at once. It was very short, and was roughly drawn and written, as though the form had been copied. But it was duly witnessed and was perfectly intelligible. The testator bequeathed all his property to Lucy Barton. When we had drawn breath—“ A very lucky tumble,” I said, “ and my bruises are cured already.” The will was proved under £20,000. — Cassell's Magazine.