OLD ACQUAINTANCE AND NEW. Ill

folks as they were, they were like lovers to the last.
Folks said,” continued she, “ that all the trouble he
had with his apprentices made him sick of business,
and so he made Isaacs a sort of partner, and turned all
management over tohim. Young Williams was gone
too—and then after three or four years they sent for
Reynolds again—old Isaacs couldn’t do without him
—and when he came, Lord, what changes he brought
with him—he ’d got new notions in London—must
have the old shop-front out—puts up new windows.
—-Inside and outside all was changed—begins some
sort of manufacturing—gets head-man at once—
Williams then comes back too—a fine young man
indeed is he! —puts on a shop-apron again and buckles
to—but anybody could plainly see that it was only to
please the old folks. She died, however, and then
when she was gone the old man wasa regular wreck—
broken-up in no time!—Why he was only sixty-
nine when he died !—”

“ I’ve heard Nurse Gee say,” remarked Mrs. Mor-
ley, “ that it was quite cutting to hear him in his
dreams talking to her—and then when he woke and
found how it was—it was up with him for days.—He
got quite cliildish before he died.—I wonder how he
has left his property ¢”

Some weeks after this the ladies were again
together, and with them Miss Jenkins, who was
cousin to Lawyer Bishop’s wife, afid she it was who
had first brought the news to her friends that Mr.
Osborne’s will had surprised everybody—he had left
positively twenty thousand pounds, every penny of
which went to Williams, without a farthing’s legacy
to go out of it. His house and business he left
jointly to old Isaacs, Reynolds, and young Williams,