The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-06-16

one will thing he's any relation Of
ours.
~
Martha Jane Gibbs was just dis
missing pupil when Uncle lothian
came up.
Is this Martha Jane Gibbs?' in
quired the old man as he reached
the door.
Yes, sir.
/ am your Uncle lothian. / sup
pose you don't remember me, but I
have had you on my knee when
yon were a baby.
Why, Uncle lothian, is it really
you? exclaimed Martha, cordially.
l did not expect You, but you are
heartily welcome. am sure you
must be hungry. Have you had
any dinner?
Well, Martha, / should like cup
of tea, and a bit of toast, bnt l am
afraid / am putting you out.
Not bit, Uncle lothian, I've
just got through with my pupils,
and l can devote myself to you.
Come right In.
The old man followed her into a
small, plainlY fusnIshed sitting
room which WIS III marked contrisat
to the snowy room he had just left
at Mrs. Granger s. 1t was neat, but
spoke of narrow means In fact,
Martha barely ..ade both ends
meet, but she was always cheerful,
and always puts her best foot for
ward. She was own cousin to Har-
riet Granger, bnt the latter took
very little notice of her and never
invited her to her parties.
l suppose you have just#szlehed
town, uncle, said Martha aane, as
she poured out her uncle's tea.
Almost. / have had time to
make another call.
Where was that?
At Sophrony -Grangers. She lives
in style, Sophrony does.
Yes, that snits her and Harriet.
She said she was in poor health,
and l had better come here and
make a visit h.st.
| never heard that her health was
particularly poor. Harriet gives a
party--a musical party-to-mor-
row evening.
Sho! Are you gong?
Oh, no, said Martha, smiling. She
would not think of inviting me.
Why not? asked the old man,
warmly. Amt you cousins?
l don't think Harriet cares to
own the relationship, and l can do
without them, answered Martha.
She smiled.and there was clearly
no envy or jealousy covered by her
smile. She appeared to be quite In
different.
Four weeks passed, and Uncle
lothian was still visitor at the
little cottage. He had received no.
intimations from Mrs. Granger that
she was ready to receive him, and
had ceased to expect any. In fact
Uncle lothian, who was a lshrewd
old man, understood by this time
that his pretentious niece did not
care to have it supposed that there
was any relationship between them.
just then Mratha Jane. Gibbs
selbaia} Probably she had uncora
still she tried to aGttnt. e.a.ay
duties.
Martha, said Uncle lothian, this
can't 90 on so. You must have q
girl to help you
Martha smiled forlornly.
/ can't afford it, Uncle, she said.
Well, if you can't can SAID the
old man, stoutly.
Martha gazed at him in astonish-
ment.
l thought you were very poor,
she said.
l know you did, laughed the old
man, and so did Sophrony Granger.
but I've got forty thousand dollars
in government bonds, and I've made
up my mind you shall get some
benefit from 'em. You can give up
your teachin' just as soon as you
please and will pay you a thou-
sand dollars a year if you will let
me live with you. l guess you can
keep..a girl ON that.
But, Uncle lothian, that is four
times too much.
No it amt. / expect to fret and
fuss a good deal, and give you lot
of trouble. 1t will be worth it.
There was a quizzical smile on
the old mans face that belied his
words, but he insisted on paying
his niece a thousand dollars a year,
quarterly, in advance.
Martha Jane soon got well. In
truth it was anxiety about the ex-
pense of housekeeping that was the
chief cause of her sickness, and now
that was removed.
When the news of Uncle lothian 8
wealth reached the Grangers they
were provoked to think of the
chance they had lost, and imme-
diatelv sent over a pressing invita-
tion to Uncle lothian to come and
make them visit of indefinite du-
ration. But the old man shook his
head
Martha Jane suits me, he said.
She was kind to me when she
thought I was poor. I will stay
with her.
| Five years later Uncle lothian
died, and Martha inherited the
forty Thousand dollars, greatly to
the disgust of the Grangers. BE-
fore that time Martha Jane had
married a young lawyer in the
village, and, both in wealth and
social position, cclipsed the fash
lionable relations who had once
looked down upon her.
:, Wonders of Broom Corn.
Broom corn is likely at no dis
4 tant day to revolutionize the bread