The Red Cloud chief., 1881-09-01

! had been brosyht up TO tina, sort Of
thing as my cousin Cleanthe re-
marked. and the rest ol tho family.
with the exception OF uncle. who be-
came quite friendly with him. had only |
met him some dozen tiines-at which
ZINES they assumed their mos.digniied
dfynity-when he was taken sick.
Its an Old complaint. which will
carry me of some time said hs 20 me;
!" but j hope not this time. Anyhow.
Little Honesty" "a name he had given
me from the first hope I deserved ID,
Live or die. | intend to remain here.
Nowhere else could | be as comfortable.
You must engage an extra sci want. and
YOU and she together must nurse me.
! should certainly die of 8 professional.
By-the-by, who 10 your family physi.
cian?'
told him.
"If | am not better. send for him to-
morrow. | am going out now-only q
few steps" meeting my look Of sur
prise. Il want TO see nv lawyer. and
! sha'n't take to my bed for several
DAYS yet"
That afternoon. taking care no; tn re-
peat the old gent!eman's exact words.
but putting his remarks in the form oi
a request to be allowed to remain,
stated the case to the family.
Going ~ be illr exclaimed Alethea
"Dear me. how disagreeabler'
I'm sure | don't want him to stay;
he might die here" said my aunt. who
had the utmost horror of death.
Hes an Old nuisance. anyhow"
proclaimed Ethel, land ALWAYS has
been, and l blush that any relative Of
mine should have degraded herself so
far as TO become his servant-maid."
Here / will mention hat my cousin
Roland. a month or so before this. had
married a young lady with a large for
tune, and out of this fortune he gener-
ously proposed to make the family q
liberal yearly allowance, besides which
came many gifts from the married SIS
tiers. whose husbands had ~prospered,
and thereupon been obliged by their
wives TO share their prosperity with Us,
that we might live at least, as Minerva
expressed it, with elegant economy"
And so we were not entirely dependent
upon our lodger for desserts and sew
eral other things.
But TO go back. He Is not an old
nuisance" said I. Indignantly. "He
is a kind hearted old man, and I'm very
fond of him.
Good gracious"
"Yes. Miss Ethel" | went on. -
repeat it, | am very fond Of him. And
if nv aunt will allow me-Iam sure my
uncle will will take all the extra care
resulting from his sickness upon my
self, and no one else shall he annoyed
in the least. After living beneath our
roof for two years. and contributing so
bountifully to our cOm.Orts-you
needn't glare at me. Cleanthe; he has,
for | am quite certain no N else would
have paid us so liberally-it would be
the basest ingratitude, not TO say cruel
ty, to send him among strangers now
that he most needs care and kindne-s."
Are you quite through, Miss Rey-
nolds?" asked my aunt, sarcastically.
IL had no idea you were so eloquent,
never having heard YOU preach before.
But of one thing | am determined: you
shall not call in our doctor to your
patient. He is a perfect a%ristocra', and
has no idea we keep a ledger, and l do
not wish him to know it,"
There's a young saw-bones a few
doors below" drawled my youngest
gentleman cousin. who resented my
waiting upon any one but himself;
he'll do for your fine Old nuisance"
That very evening Mr.. Griffin had a
bad turn, and sent for the young
saw-bones a few doors below" in great
haste. He proved to be a DIR. Rice, a
frank-looking, brown-haired~. gray-eyed.
broad-browea young man, with gentle
voice and quick, light step. And the
old gentleman. taking n great fancy to
him, decided on retaining him "a deci-
sion that relieved me greatly, bearing
in mind As | did my aunt's embargo in
regard to our family physician.
And from that time for three months,
although very seldom confined to his
bed. our ledger never had n well day.
At the end of the three months, how
ever, he began to mend slowly, and at
the end Of two more was on his feet
again. And then he told me he had
made up his mind TO return 10 England.
81 am sorry, very sorry, to part with
you," l replied. ''But it is right that
you should GO"
swell said. Little Honesty. And
now let's begin to pack" said he.
DIR. Rice and l went with the old gen.
tleman to the steamer that was to carry
him away. and waved a last farewell to
him i the midst of a crowd also wav-
ing last farewclls- from the pier. as the
vessel slowly moved out into the strcrn;
and then we returned to our respective
homes to read the letters he hal placed
i'm our respective hands with his final
good-by.
Mine l read in the privacy of my uwn
room at first; and when ! had partly re-
covered from my aStonishment aud de.
light, l flew down stairs. called the
family together, and read it TO them.
1t was a follows:
"DEAR LITTLE HoNEsTY.-Had I died
which I didn't, thanks under God to You aud
DIR. Rice-l should have left each of my dear
young friends ten Thousand dollars in my will.
But having lived, 4 am going To do a much pleas
anter thing am going 10 give them the ten
thousand AZ once. Ny lawyer viii eco you
both tomorrow. AMOS GRIFFIN.
"P. ST have also left a slight bequost to
Miss Ethel Egbcrt. She will find il On the
lower shelf Of the closet In the room I occupied
when | was her cousin DorOthes lod ger.
Ethel for once forgo. her graceful.
gliding step. She started hastily for
the stairs. but her youngest brother was
before her, and she WAS fan 10 turn
back again as he slid down the baluster.
and landed in our midst with something
in his arms.
1t was a large framed photograph OF
Amos Griffin, with q card attached
bearing these words, IAN excellent
picture of An Old Nuisance"
married DR.. Rice.-Harper's Weekly.
Pigs Wallowing In Mire and Roofing.