The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-19
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1.-The carriage Is here already" /,
e1dizs;s:1iisss4s, & ssseei,,g as thought. the
identical eqnipage we had left behind
us standing st the hall-door. But no,
hare. wefe servants running about,
dragging down luggage, and carrying
in wrappings, whi1ea black man was
4esticulating : la Sthe pertico, and
giving gaorders which nobody seemed
to- understand What was this?
Some wonderful arrival, unexpected
asssCinderella's at the princes bail?
0n;the stairs half a dozen men were
staggering under the weight Of Il
large iron Golfer, or safe, while at the
top OF, the first fight stood curious
figure, eagerly watching their opera
tions.s. This figure was thin y elbow
faced little man, wrapped in n fnr-
lined gown Of vivid eastern coio,ine.
III health and discomfort were in
every line Of his face, and his eyes
were fixed with anxious greediness on
the ascending box. The. keeper
was below in the hall, wringing her
hands, because there was Io room
prepared for ''masther's uncle"
From this I knew who my visitor
was: Giles Humphrey, my fathers
only brother, who had gone to India
when q boy, and had scarcely been
heard Of since.
Ipressed past the burden carriers
on the staircase, and presented my
self to my strange relative. He had
at the moment no thought to bestow
on me, and merely replied to my
words OF welcome by beseeching me
to show him the way to the securest
chamber in my house, SO that he
might direct the staggering men to
deposit their load there.
1 took him to my own room. This
was large apartment at the end of a
long corridor, lined with doors of
other chambers. It was reached by
ascending three broad steps, and q
good sized dressing-room opened off
it. Into the furthest corner of the
dresslng-room my uncle's Golfer was
carried, and then Giles Humphrey
himself began examining the thick
ness OF the shutters and the weight of
the bars that held them fastened, the
stoutness of the paneling of the
doors, the trustworthiness Of the
locks, and even the ward of the KEYS.
had thought the shutters good, but
they displeased him. On his open
ing one a little to glance suspiciously
out on the white moon and the snow.
q shock-headed bush of ivy bobbed
suddenly against the pane, and
almost scared his whimsical senses
away. he Immediately had the
window fastened up, and sent off a
messenger post-haste for the smith
who had mended our carriage, to
make him wonderful iron shutter
bar, twice as large and as weighty as
those which had for generations
sufticed to guard the lives and proper
ties In Ballyhuckamore Hail. He then
ordered second set of curtains to he
put up within the already comfortable
and carefully-drawn. hangings, sand
bags, to be laid down at every spot
where there was possibility of crevice
IN the wood work, at the same time
heaping fuel on the already blazing
fire, till the fireplace began to glow
like furnace. Only then did he
think proper to notice me, as he sat
80 AAAJ eAAAAA SA&~AAs CIV COHdTuS
tho fire, and warming his skinny
fingers at the flames. He had arrived
in England only few days before,
and not finding me at home, had
followed me here joked him about
his wonderful strong box.
Hist! nephew" he said, with
look OF alarm, which the dancing fire
light extravagantly heightened on
his parchment face, ''it holds money,
riches, gold, jewels! You don't
think sold my youth and health for
nothing, boy, out there? You don't
think sold my youth and health for
nothing? Eh?'
But why bring it here to torment
you with anxiety? Why not leave it
safe in bank in London?"
"Leave it?" staring at me as if I
were q burglar; part with what l
earned SO hard? Make present of
my savings to Messre So-and-so?
Eh, nephew, what a silly school-boy
you are still! By-and-by you will
know the world, my lad. .
We'll, well!'' l said; ''you will
come down and see my friends