The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-09-05

ne goes OIL. mex WAS Clby DISu, dUl
although little wild, was just lik,
| a fellow that Bill ought to be. II
! send for rthe boy to-day-it's time ht
saw little of the world.'' And thai
day a message was dispatched con
tanning the premptory words: "Send
Bill at once. Briggs will be at the
depot"
-Four days later, on a dreary
rainy morning, Ralph Hazelton sat
awaiting the arrival of his young
visitor. He knew he would come
to day, for Rex had sent word to
that effect. The train was due.
Briggs had gone to the station, and
Ralph Hazelton was nervous, actu-
ally nervous.
1t had occurred to him at this late
moment that perhaps Bill was not
exactly as he had imagined him.
Perhaps he was awkward, conceited
and disagreeable.
Ralph groaned in spirit. "If he's
a donkey" said he, savagely, "Pll
send him back to nightr' And
then there was a sound of a carriage
Istopping at the door, little rustic
and confusion in the hall, and then
Briggs appeared in the door.
"Has he come" demanded the
impatient gentleman. SIS he like
his iather? Where is he? You i'm
pudent young raven, why don't you
answer me?"
Briggs ordinarily solemn visage
was lightened by grim smiIe-his
eyes twinkled, and he coughed de
.precatingly. "The young person"
he began, but his master Interrupted
him fierceIy.
"Who taught you to call my rela
tives 'personsY Say gentleman or
leave the house."
''Fhe young gentleman" said
Briggs-'if must say so-which /
don't wish to, sir"
Ralph choked with anger. "Why
in the" he demanded, but Briggs
to condense his information
into two words.
"Is here" and departed hastily.
There was rustic in the hall. q
little tap at the door, and then it,
swung open, and on the threshold
stood-With Rex's merry smile and
golden hair, and with all of Rex'sI
beauty, only softened and refined in
to a sweet, girlish loveliness-a
young lady-blushing, and with al
sly appeal in her face which went
straight to Ralph's heart, grim old
bachelor as he was.
''If you please, sir" said the in
truder, dropping a low courtesy and
smiling at him bewitchingly, Il am
Wilhelmina Elliot, otherwise BilI:'
and then (as looking at the radiant
vision he saw the little anxious
shadow ir the blue eyes) he forgot
to be disappointed or to mourn over
the old allusion, but with one word |
Of welcome he opened wide his arms |
and took the newcomer to his heart. |
"You see when your first letter |
came about calling me Bill-father
laughed at the joke and let it it 90
On, until at last he almost dreaded |
to tell you Of the mistake when he
found you we're in earnest about it."
Willie (or "Bin," as herl
uncle called her still l)-and so it
vent on until your last letter, then
ne sent me to tell you all about it.
he never meant to deceive you-he
never used a penny of the money |
you sent, but he thought that you |
night some day be reconciled to
lim. He has missed you so. He
las told US so much of you, and the
Did days in this great house, and he
wants to see you so much. If you (
ire so very disappointed because l
I'm a girl, there's a boy at home
ny brother Rex-and you can love
lin. instead of me-" But 'Bill.s"
olace was never taken-not even by
handsome Brother Rex"
1t was she, who by her loving
ways and gentle pleadings broke
lown the barrier of pride, which
lad separated him from his nephew
or so long, and it was she, who in a
utter of happiness, accompanied
i'm down to Stockbridge shortly
fteF.
From that day "Uncle Ralph's'
7orldliness and hardness melted I
way, the sunny sweetness ofh IA {
orite seemed to dissipate the clouds
Thlch had hung around him for so
ong. The genial home atmosphere s
t Stockbridge seemed to change '
i'm greatly; he grew to consider
Mrs. Rex" as the most charming K
-oman in the world; the children I
ere all morvelous, and Rex was u /
lucky fellow in every sense of the t
rord.
The great house in town was no
niger silent and dreary, for after a
hile the family at Stockbridge c
anne there to live. s
a am an old man." said Ralph, a
and / have few friends, and those v
want near me" and so they came. I
''Rex, junior, was fine, handsome e
ID. Amy and Fanny were dear lit i
e girls, but the one best beloved in G
j the family circle by Uncle Ralph t
as the sweet faced girl who had '
anne to him that dreary morning d
nd brought into his life so much b
appiness and peace, gentle, loving, c
olden-haired ''Bill." g