UNIVERSITY COURIER.
9
"I congratulate you, uncle,you are certain to receive the thirty thousand gilders."
"Yes, I believe you, Jan; Myheer Artaveld is not of so long-lived a stock as I, and he is older. And Jan, you have worked hard and well for me—if this goes well of course the business goes to Willem—if this goes well, I say, you shall have fifteen thousand for yourself. Then you can marry the daughter of Mynheer de Lesken, who has no son to succeed him; or better still you can enter with Willem. How does that please you, eh?" The old man was in an unusually good humor and chuckled repeatedly to himself.
Jan thanked his uncle calmly, as became a man of business. "Now go, Jan," said the old Mynheer," and finish that letter about the herrings."
The old man remained thinking; "He shall enter into partnership with Willem and marry Juvroun Marie de Lesken. Then he can join de Lesken's business and mine. Willem and Jan will be therichest men in Arndt."
Outside the door Jan walked away in a brown study, shook his head several times and said to himself: "I shall never get the fifteen thousand gilders—but to be Willem's chief clerk all my life?—We shall see, we shall see."
Mynheer van Artaveld rolled away in his lumbering carriage, behind his fat horses, and in process of time arrived at his own house. It stood on the outskirts of Arnheim, near the Rhine, and had large gardens attached.
II.
Mynheer van Artaveld was a well-to-do man, but that was contrary to his own opinion. He had a flourishing wholesale grocery and East India trade to leave his son Peter. But he had sustained heavy losses of late, by shipwrecks and otherwise, so that he could not see how to provide a dower for his daughter, the charming Miss Katho.
Jufrow Katho was a most energetic little lady, and had been her father's housekeeper since the death of Merroun her mother. She had a lover also, young Dietrich, a son of the good Dominie Ten Broek. But alas, Dietrich was poor, and his father had a large family.
It was only Mynheer van Artaveld's warm friendship and great respect for Dominie Ten Broek, that prevented his forbidding the match altogether. As it was he gave a conditional assent, but bade the young people wait till Dietrich should receive his final degree and procure a pastorate, and until he should increase in wealth sufficiently to give his daughter a fitting dower. The young people assented, for how could they, as dutiful children, refuse?
Jufrow Katho met her father as he came in. He laughed and stroked her cheek; "Aha, Kattie, where do you think I have been to-day? At Mynheer van der Werde's in Arnheim, and his daughter, Mistress Babette is coming here next week."
"I am glad, father" replied Katho, "for I have no time to visit her."
"You are a good girl, Kattie, your old father could not get along without you. What do you think I have done to-day," and the old man laughed again. "I have made my will," he continued.
"Made your will, and why?" "Ah child, I am getting along in years,but not so far along as Mynheer van der Werde.I think you will get your dower soon.Does that please you,Kattie?"
Mistress Katho blushed becomingly, but like a practical Dutch maiden asked; "What has Mynheer van der Werde to do wit my dower, father." The old man stroked her cheek again, he was sitting in his arm-chair now, and she standing beside him.
"More than you think; the fact is we—each leave a legacy of thirty thousand gilders to the survivor. And I think that one will not be my friend van der Werde. He looks much broken—much broken. I should be sorrier to lose my daughter, but you shall have the thirty thousand, there's my word on it."
Mistress Katho, being rather more impulsive than most of her race, thanked her father warmly, but in a business like way.
"Now I must order up your dinner she said, and tripped out of the room.
Mynheer van Artaveld sat a while thinking after she had gone. "She is a good girl and Dietrich is a fine young fellow. Perhaps,—if I were not afraid of crippling the business,—I might arrange the matter without waiting any longer. But they are young,—they are young,—they can wait. With this money from van der Werde, Dietrich can get himself a pastorate; or better still, Peter shall take him as a partner. Dietrich has a capital head for business; the work has grown too large for me and soon may for Peter. I will think of it, and speak to Peter."
And Mistress Katho went away thinking also. "So, so, this is a fine idea indeed. I have waited three years for a house of my own, and am likely to wait ten years longer. But to whom does the possible legacy from my father go? Never mind, Babette will come next week, and perhaps with her Mynheer Jan. I can get it out of him."
Then dismissing the subject from her mind, she scolded the cook roundly for delaying dinner three minutes. But the cook was used to it. * *
The next week, when Mynheer Jan brought over his sister Babette, Mistress Katho found opportunity to have a long conversation with him in the garden. After some fencing on either side, they agree to make common cause for the furtherance of their plans.
Said Mynheer Jan as they parted; "My cousin Willem remains in Amsterdam for two months yet."
"That is well," replied Jufrow Katho, "if he does not return inopportunity, we shall only have to wait about three weeks, until my brother goes on his trip up the Rhine." * * * * * * *
Babette returned; the wills were safely locked up in their maker's strong boxes; all concerned went about their usual business. Thus passed nearly a month.
Q.
ZOOLOGICAL TRIOLET.
O bug by the roadside met
Why is your breath so fragrant?
With what is your head so wet?
But bug by the roadside met
You are a prize, you bet,
To the weary Sophomore vagrant,
O bug by the roadside met—
In spite of your breath too fragrant.
SOPH.