The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-04-10
very long; but I'm glad you've come,
for I'm deucedly hungry. Rather good
=. 4 Iaa

: sitting down at the table and tapping
the call-bell "But it won't last yer,
e long. I'll venture to say that in fifteel
minutes from now your, appetite will b.
considerably diminished" ----
Every likely" said Dick, as Sarah en-
ters from the kitchen, bearing the cof
, fee-urn in one hand and a dish of beef
steak in the other. AT any rate, vii
see how far steak, coffee and hot bis
: cults will 20 toward diminishing it."
Presently there. is violent ring at th'
: door bell. 80
"Who can that bep" exclaimed Dick
inquisitively Il wonder if any of the
boys could have come out to see wha
has become of me?"
at sounds very like the postman,
adds his sister; and the postman it is
Two letters are his contribution to the
Roys this morning, both of which Sarah
hands to Miss Janet, who hurriedly
reads the addresses. One is for herself
the other is for her brother.
"'H Here is letter for you, sir, if your
name is Horatio,'" she quotes, reaching
it to him across the table.
" But my name is not Horatio," he
replies, correctingly, as he takes it.
Are YOU aware that to paraphrase is
perfectly allowable? If your name be
Richard would be much more appropri-
ate, and would sound far better"
| Janet scarcely listens to the prattle OF
her brother: the letter that has come for
her is edged with black, and she is
nervously tearing open the envelope in
her haste to see what i'll news it has
brought, whose death it has come to an
nounce.
Dick notices her agitation as she draws
out the inclosed sheet, and wonders,
even as she is wondering, what can be
its message. -a. =
"Uncle Arthur is dead" she says, the
next moment. giving a sigh of relief.
Il saw it was in Harry's handwriting.
and SO feared it was Cousin Margaret" :"
! Uncle Arthur" repeats Dick. I'm
Gle Arthur! He's one of my respected
| grcat-uncles, whom ! have never had
the pleasure of seeing: a California mil
| lionaire. l wonder did it ever strike
him that little of his wealth would be
acceptable to his great-niece and great
| nephew, who are battling with the
world far away over here in the East ?"
"Oh, Dicki' exclaims Miss Roy,
| greatly shocked, chow can you talk o
| the poor mans money when he is Just
| dead?n
Poor man. says Dick, laughing
Il always thought he was a rich one"
May | inquire" asks Miss Roy,
meekly, when her brother had twice
read the epistle he holds in his hand.
and is about to begin again, "what Nell
has to say that is so rery interesting"
A slight flush mounts to Dicks face rs
he hurriedly crumpleS. the missive into
his pocket
"Nell!" he repeats. "How did you
know it was from Nell?" ,,. ..
- know her handwriting. :--A
D,,t a., l,,,. L., r 4 :,
continued Dick, buttering hot roll in
ladies write in the same style nowadays
The letters are all very tall and all very
thin"
Each lady's hand has a peculiarity,
nevertheless
(Which nobody can deny" quotes
Richard. Some hands are pink and
some are white, some are fat and some
are lean, some wear diamonds and some
wear none"
Z" How you trip one upw exclaimed
Janet, smiling. You know very well
what | mean. Would you have me
stumble over the whole length Of CHR
ography' every time?'
by no means. 1t would only be
waste of breath, and would seem as
though you were Intentionally airing
your knowledge of Webster's Una
bridged."
Dick is beginning to congratulate him
self on the mastery way in which he has
turned the subject and escaped rudcly
telling his sister that the contents of
Miss Nellie Taylor's letter are not for her
ears, when she again refers TO his re-
marks.
-the-bye," she says, as she draws
from the urn her brothers second cup of
coffee, speaking of some hands with
diamonds and some without, Nell doesn't
wear one, does she2 When do you pro-
pose. pose ,, presenting her with one of the
:" | was not aware" with mock grav-
pected to provide their lady friends with
diamond rings"
Did the fact that there is such a
thing as an engagement ring ever present
itself to your enlightened intellect?"
Engagement" repeats Dick; "did |
understand you to, say engagement?
Since when, pray, did you conclude that
your respected brother had given his
heart to another? know of no engage
ment."
"Oh, dearr' says Janet, signing melo-
dramatically; have | really been mis-
taken? And here was already congat-
ulating myself on so soon having a sister
in-lawm
"Do you remember the nursery
rhyme?" asks Dick:
" Can the love that you're so rich in
Build fire in the kitchen
Or the little god OF love turn the spit, spit, |
spit"
| should hesitate, l think, to ask any
one to marry me, for fear of having that |
couplct thrown in my face. Now if that |
dear old great-uncle of ours had only |
taken it into his aged head to leave us a |
few of his many thousands, then perhaps |
might think of engagements and dia- |
mond rings and mothers-in-l law; and |
you might begin TO speculate on the com |
parative advantages of my various lady |
friends as a sister-in-law." :"
Poor, dear old mani" Janet con-
tinues, kindly. II can just remember |
sitting on his knee and playing with his |
long beard at the time he was on from |
the West. It's really shame, Dick, our |
being so lively, and Uncle Arthur. grand |
fathers own brother, lying dead. )"
"Well, my dear, l should be lying
GItre If said i was sorry he's gone; for
while there's death there's hope, and who |
knows but he may have thought of us?n
"Oh, Dick" beseechingly, "please
don't joke about it. Ireally do feel bad |
ly, and Cousin Margaret and Harry must
be so grieved."
So they must" says Dick, apparent
ly acquiescing in his sisters views. Il
am sure we all do. Don't YOU think. |
lam u,a had battar H., .i. l..-.I