Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-06-08


As he settled himself comfortably in
the crowded railway car, and opened
the letter, the subject again occurred to
his mind with curious persistence.
sIhe letter of my poor brothers
executor came just in time, or / should
certainly have fooled away more time
than would have been sensible or prof
liable. Poor dear Harold; I don't see
what on earth possessed him to fall
Venice, and leave his daughter on my
hands, too. Why could he not have
left a son instead OF daughters I
never did understand woman's ways,
and what's more 1 don't want to. 1 am
to meet her at Speedville, and take her
home with me- o." groaned Mr..
Verley, referring despairingly to the let
ter. "And what am l going to do with
her when I get there I'd like to know
/ suppose she's great creature, with
ringlets and ribbons, and just as likely
az not an Indian lover talking senti-
ment to her--a creaoure that reads By
ron, and keeps an album, and eats
slate-pencils and chalk. I'll send her
to boarding-school, that's what I'll do
with my neice-and, perhaps, when she
has graduated there the schoolmaster
can suggest some means or getting rid
of her OF course she III have dozen
large trunks, and handbook and a
parrot cage-that's the way women gen
orally travel, believe / am glad / am
out of the way of Barbaras fascina-
tons now"
Mr. Verley looked out of the car win
dow, in a sort of calm desperation at
the prospect before him.
II suppose she'll want piano, and
may be poodle dog, and there's no
knowing what else I don't see why
Harold wanted to die and leave his
daughter to my care just now. Speed
vile Acknowledgment miles far
Their | wish it was twenty-seven hun
dred miles-that's what | wish
And with this vindictive sentiment
in his mind, our hero tied red silk
handkerchief over his head and tried
to lose himself in series of brief,
troubled dreams, wherein the vision of
tall, nice young lady figured conspic-
uously.
:" Are you here already 2" he STAN
mered, standing to his feet as the con-
ductor bawled out, "Speedville Sta
tor, and selling umbrella, valise and
travelling shawl, with the bustling be-
wilderment peculiar to people just
aroused from sleep, he alighted.
Speedville was rather large-sized
village, situated at the junction of sew
eral railways, with an imposing Ameri-
can Gothic structure for depot. Into
the building Mr.. Verley walked, look
ing right and left for the young LADY
whose guardianship he was to assume.
"Of course" he responded mentally,
"she'll be on the lookout for me; wo-
men are proverbally curious"
But Harold Verley's daughter was
hot on the lookout for her uncle. When
the crowd incident to the evening train
had subsidized, and the people had gone
their different ways, the old remaining
occupants of the depot were Mr.. Yer
ley, lame old man who sold peanuts
and apples, and decent looking col
ored woman, with bright Madras tur-
ban on her head, who took care of the
building. Neither of these could be
his niece, so Mr. Verley, after little
perplexed hesitation, addressed himself
to the colored woman, who was busily
polishing the window with a piece Of
crumbled paper
"Ahem / was to meet my niece
here to-day, and don't see her"
"Your niece, sirl what is her name ~
"Verley."
"Oh, yes, sir; she has been here
these two hours, bless her dear heart ;
she is asleep now
"Asleepl" gasped Mr.. Verley; but
the stewardess only answered him by
busting into the inner department and
bringing out what appeared to be a
compact bundle, with pink face at
one end of it, and a mass of long trail
ing embroidery at the other.
Joseph Nerley recoiled as far as the
angle of the door would permit him.
"Why--its BABY
"To be sure it is, sir" said the wo.
man, land rs fine a little girl as ever /
saw bless her sweet blue eyes"
" But isu Z there Il nurse OF some such
person here, who would take change OF
herr"
There WIS nurse brought her on
sir, queer, foreign-looking thing, with
a yellow skin, and hair as black as
night, anu gold hoops in her ears but
she talked and talked, something about
the next stcamer-l couldn't under
stand her lingo, strand went right
back to New York on the two CLOCK
train.
Joseph Nerley stood aghast, staring
/. at the ROSY baby as it lay Growing in thl