Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-02-01

dition she was utterly unable to fix her
mind upon tue pages before her, so
she wandered round the room, and
took up some cases Of photographs,
which seemed companions to her in her
solitude.
There was her husband in every
phase, from infancy to manhood; but
the one that most arrested her gaze was
double picture of himself and youth
two wears his senior There was just
enough resemblance to tell them to be
brothers, not enough to make the like
ness D be striking and this brother Of
Fre1s, a clerk in mercantile house IN
China. and whom she had never seen,
was on his homeward voyage, and
might even now be setting foot on Eng
ish ground-no doubt as manly look
ing as Fred-utterly unlike the ruddy,
smooth faced Charlie IN the photograph
she held. Th n came the natural spec
ulation. ,)nall / like him will he
like me 2" when she started, and nearly
dropped the case, for a loud double
knock at the front door nearly shook
the little house.
ct is Fred came back ?" was her on
" thoughts and she rushed to open
the door, forgetting in a wife's eager
ness, all nervous tremors. Yes there
was the black leather bag, the umbrella,
the tall, manly form, which rushed in
at once but the large whiskers did
not approach her face-only the large
hands seized hers, and, as the hat was
put familiarly Oh the hall slab, she saw
that it was not her husband, nor any
one at all like him, except in height
and color of hair. She trembled and
flushed, and would have called "Bet-
sew" had she dared, when all her
fears were dispelled by the strangers
address, and she reflected how silly she
had been.
"Well, my dear sister, I'm afraid I've
surprised you. Where's Fred ~
"Oh, Charlie, is 1t youi I'm so
glad-come in ~ and then she welcomed
the traveller into snug little parlor,
called Betsey to bring pair of Fred's
slippers, and otherwise cosseted the
great big fellow
OF course it was Charlie Wilson, her
husbands brother, andas such she could
not make TO much of him.
comfy think, how unluckyl And
Fred has gone to southampton to NETT
you, she said.
- Dey-villis unlucky All, well, the
ship came in a day sooner. Puff,
pull And Ellie having assured him
that she didn't mind smoking, the clouds
wreathed up from his meerschaum.
Then he took a long pull at the tumbler
q ~ Il 40 ,t,l oil
out his legs upon an opposite chair.
Ellie found her new brother-in-law
neither ailectionate nor communicative,
and kindly disposed as she had been
! toward him before the evening was half
over she had stigmatised him mentally
as a thorough snob, utterly unlike dear
Fred But then, living abroad does
| altar men so. Tumbler after tumbler
of brandy and water were mixed and
disappeared down his capacious throat,
and q choice ham, which she had order
ed in for his repast, looking very foolish
indeed when foolishly carried out.
Still, Ellie would have forgiven this
to Freds brother but she did not see
why he should wink so Familiarity at
Betsey when she came in for the tray,
or weigh the spoons and forks so SUI
previously on his fingers, while he crit
icised the mark, to see if they were silver,
as if he did not know that a bank clerk
could not 50 well afford plate as Chi
nese merchant, Then, too, he seemed
| to care SO little to hear or ask about
Fred, or any about the family.
Poor Ellie was fairly heart sick, and
ready to cry with disappointment and
the wearisome task of entertaining this
great rough stranger, who appeared to
grow more taciturn and sulky as she
made more advances so, about eleven
o'clock, MS he seemed to be smoking
himself into doze, aided by the guam
tity of spirit he had consumed, she ven
tared to suggest that she would retire
to rest.
"Ah, yes, do, to be sure, he replied,
promptly, as if relieved "don't let me
keep you up l sometimes sit and
smoke all night"
"What brute ~ thought Ellie. q
showed you your room, Mr.. WILSON,
(No, she couldn't say "Charles" now.
He was so different to the "Charles"
Fred had portrayed)
Yes, yes all right, but-ahem-Ive
been thinking If | were to run down to
southampton early tomorrow morning
before you're up, l might bring my
brother back few hours sooner, you
see, He'll perhaps be waiting about,
thinking the ship isn't in. y
"To be sure" cried Ellie, eagerly,
"that is kind thought! Go by all
means. He's not such bad fellow,
after all-and | shall get rid of him to
morrow, was her congratulation.
,,, l,A,,,lt,-. T'vn