The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-07-06

I'VE OAs
81 i>.',., - =: '3.. - ! .'l
dream, she came In one day to find the
house in quite commotion. Not only
Mr.. Marchant's vacant room was be-
ing metamorphosed, but the side roon
opening out Of it.
"Oh. Granny Barkers coming, II
suppose, in place Of Granny Mer-
chant p she said to herself, as she
caught sight Of Bob Barker in the
chaos Of pictures and furniture. "And
the old geutleman's to have two
rooms - she went on with her inward
comments; "a parlor and bed room,
eh :" Then aloud to her brothers chum,
in the rather patroniziDg style she al
lowed herself toward that youngster
on account Of her three or four years.
seniority, she said, "Master Robert,
lsupose this is all your taste 2" glancing
at the carpets anil the furniture.
"Master Robert" inwardly smiled on
this sweet-voiced patronage.
"All my taste except two or three
old things my uncle always will insist
on having" Then, as Miss Stanhope
was turning away, he exclaimed sud.
denly, perhaps to detain that tascinat-
ing yet most provoking young woman
a little longer-for poor Bobbie was
notoriously "spooney" on Franks
bright face and natural ways-"Miss
Stanhope, you'll be sure to like my
uncle; he's the incest old fellow in the
world !"
! "Oh ; is he 2" returned Frank, care
lessly, and then she went on her way
up to her room, to Bob Barker's great
disappointment, doubtless.
"Tn,c incest old fellow in tho world /"
she repeated I'd herself, with a little
shrug of her Shoulders. And then she
recalled her dream, and la.c .cehed' She
could not but acknowledge, however,
that this incest old fellows taste was
not out Of the way in the choice of
pictures, whso, coming down from
her room one day at the end of week,
she fingered to look at two lovely land.
scapes that faced the open door. As
sho fingered there she heard soms one
making frantic attempts with their
latch.key outside, attempts which prov
ed futile, as a sudden ring at tho bell
gave ev,, ,a""ce. Frank At this ran
swiftly down, and, opening 'ne o00''
said in explanation
| "1e' that stupid new Biddy's work;
she ~sU slip the wrong Dol. when she
Goes out"
1t was Bob Barker's face that pre-
sented ITSELF first to her, and tha t young
gentleman found tongue to at once
gl'blY and politely:
"Tbauk you, Miss Stanhope. But
1t was too bad to trouble you,' And
then, in another tone, "This is my
uncle, M. Hadley; Miss Stanhope,
Uncle Robert"
Frank looked at the newcomer, and
saw, to her utter amazement, 4 man
rather above the medium height, very
square as to the shoulders. very broad
as to the chest, very firmly knit to-
gether, yet with the 1.-the carriage such
as one inagiues an Arab to possess,
and with all this-a face that bronzed
and ruddy from travel and outdoor life,
yet intellectual and refned-the face
Of an educated gentleman, and this
gentleman clearly not day over forty.
Frank thought of her dream; of the
gray-headed, frosty.bearded old gentle
man who had hetherto hold peaceful
possession of her mothers house; and
OF her mothers intention that only such
should hold possession and the thought
was to much for her composure at the
moment. She would have given much |
to have restrained that little irrelevant |
and rather irrevereut laugh, but it was
beyond her controle. There was some
thing so merry and natural in it, how
ever, that it proved contagious, though
it oas irrelevant, Rob, in his "hobble-
deboyhood" thought, "She's laughing
at the mess I made with the latch.
key" Mr.. HadIey thought: ''Nice, |
merry little girl = and then they all |
went up stairs together, and Frank
nearly burst out again, at her mothers |
look Of astonishment when "Uncle
Robert" was presented to her.
Aunt Tom, as they called Mrs.
Alroyd, coming in that evening, Frank
could not restain her tun, and so the
story of the new arrival was chronicled |
in such merry vein as only Frank was
mistress of.
"Think, auntie, 1 fairly laughed in
bis face when I saw him, it was so
funny to imagine mothers amusement
and CONSERVATION"
Mrs. Stanhope looked excessively
annoyed at Franks merriment, and
very soon managed to send her away
on some household errand The mo.
ment she was out Of sight Mrs. Alroyd
began
"Kate, I think you are perfectly
morbid on that subject. The idea of
your supposing that every body will
suspect you Of matrimonial designs for
Frank and Ellen if you let you rooms
to young lodgers."
"Mary, it isn't merely that-though
Al