Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1875-12-16
Tas LOST wAaEa.

up in the corner Of the capacious
old fashioned haIl.
How melancholy they looked,
those emblems Of parting and
Not even the merry laugh
ter of the two or three young girls,
who were gathered around q Vstal
war;, handsome fellow Of about
twenty-five, could entirely Danish
an impalpable something OF sad
ness from the scene. Cousin Jack
was going away, the general mis-
chief maker, torment, and tease
Of the whole family, and Mr.. Ches,
ter, sitting by the distant window.
wiped his spectacles every i've
minutes, and declared, pettishly,
that the type of the evening pa
per was a terrible trial to old eyes.
J ayes Soa may laugh, girls"
said Jack, applying himself vigor-
ously TO the refractory lock OF q
portmantenn. "Perhaps you may
one day discover that it lent such
q laughing matter. Think Of the
loss the family is going to- sustain
in my. excellency."" V-tr
1But You'll come back soon,
Jack, dear" eoaxed Minnie Ches-
ter, the -prettiest and most roeuish
of all cousins and the one who kept
up n perfect fire of practical jokes
and girlish tricks at his expense.
There she sat Oh the. biggest
trunk of the collection, her brown
curis hanging about her round face,
and her eyes sparkling with Gu
rieus mixture of fun and tears.
I'm not Mt all certain of that,
Miss Minnie," said Jack, decisive
ly. IF / succeed in finding To-
cation to suit me, shall probably
decide 90 settle permanently at
1'hornville, and turn land proprIe-
tor on my own account"
.Only imagine our jack a gen
aeman-of property" laughed Min
ME, appealing to her sisters.
81 don't see anything SO very
ridiculous in the idea" remarke ed
The young man, rather piqued AT
the Amusement of his relatives
events, there's one meal
culable advantage that will result
from my departure"
"And what is that Mr.. Oracle?"
% "The fact that you've played
your last trick on me, you torment
mo littl. minxp'
|; t"Don't be; 50 certain of that,
Cousin Jack" said Minnie, shak-
ing her long curls. What will
you venture don't bestow a part
Ing trick on you yet2 Ahl /
haven't settled with you for several
little pieces Of impertinence; but
pray don't imagine they are for
gotten, sir"
"My diamond sleeve buttons to
yofir coral neekirce that you don't
impose on me within the next three
months, Minnie" said Jack gaily.
90 .Doue!. said Minnie.-1aAAGirls,
you all hear the wager, don't you?
always coveted Jacks diamonds." :"
"But yon won't have them,
mademoiselle! How dark it is
getting in this cavernous old hall.
Shall ring for lights Uncle Ches-
ter? and, by the way, have you
written that letter of introduction
to Mr. Thorn?' BNJD tT.-s
"All in good time, my boy-all
in good tim" said the old gentle
man, depositing his huge silver
bonnd spectacles IN their case.-
"You youug men are all in sach a
desperate hurry. Tell Betsy TO
carry a lamp into the library. girls
And, Minnie, where is my old gold
pen?I wont be long about it, and
then we wiz have a nice long even
ing TO gossip over. Jacks pros
pectsp' 80 ~
While Mr.. Chester sat in his cosy,
red ,curtained library, revising the
letter which he had been writing
to his old friend Jabez Thorn, of
Thornville, to the effect that his
nephew, John Lacy, was in search
of an eligible piece OF land, and
wished to settle down in that vi
cinity, md requested Mr.. Thorn's
aid and cooperation in, the selec-
ton of the same, Minnie opened
the door.
"Papa there is some one down
stairs who wishes to see you imme-
diately Tor one minlite,"n -y.,.
"Very annoying" said the old
gentleman, "just rs Iwas finishing
this letter of Jacks, However, /
can seal it aftervardy Minnie, snp-
pose you glance, over it, and dot
the is and cross the is, i m not SO
be-" ''tsDaf - ptA-1 "
Aad old Mr.. Chester pushed
back his chair and rose from the
antique, table to- attend TO the
claims of his urgent guest. ID 4sa.
.. Olive Chester was brushing out
the heavy braids OF her luxariant
hair before the dressing mirror OF
her own apartment, two hours later,
when Minnie ran in, with n csun-
tenance comically divided between
dlsmay and delight.
"My dear Minnie, what has hap
penedT exclaimed the elder sister,
dropping her hair brush and letting
all the raven tresses ripple down
unheeded over. her shoulders.
1--we won the diamond sleeve
buttons, Olive! but o! / didn't
mean to. What would papa say if
he only knew it-and cousin Jack,
too?"
"Sit down, you wild little elf"
said Olive, gently forcing her sis
ter into-a chair, 'and explain this
mysterious riddle"
well, you know papa left me
to look over his letter TO Mr..
Thorn--and he was detained long
erlthan he expected; almost an
hour, in, fact, aud l couldn't help
amusing myself by writing par
ody On the letter. u I.
"Yes-you remember somebody
Was telling as What beautiful
daughter Mr.. Thorn had-so ]