The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-23
UNCLE JHFF'S FORTUNE

ooh, Kate. mamma has just rec eived
q letter from Uncle jeff He's really
coming back from Australia to settle at
last. All the heaps of money he has
made be has invested--yes, that's the
word--invested in sOme-something
I don't know what, but it will nearly
double his fortune T.
"Nearlv double it! Oh, Nellie"
cried Kate, dropping her aunt's dress
she was mending. "only think. We
are his only relations" |"
"W hat a selfish little thing you are,
Kate p remarked Ellen Grashaw, throw
ing herself on a couch by her cousin in
her mothers boudoir, which the had
rather inpetuouslysentered with her
good news.
"HOw can one help being selfish
when one is poor ?'' laughed Kate Wake
field. "I5 is ell very well for you,
whose father is alive and well-to-do;
but Jack and [ have only ourselves to
look to. | lave to turn and turn my
dresses until Tn quite ashamed. /
stick a new bow here and a new bow
there, but I'm not foolish enough to
fancy people think it's a new dress
All, me, Nellie! ] do-do so wish was
rich + and he clasped her hands on her
knee, and fixel her large gray eyes on
vacancy, as if she were filling the latter
with her visions of wealth; probably
she was.
"What mercenary girl you are,
coz" said Ellen. :" Yop don't think at
all about dear Uncle left himself-only
his money!"
"Each of us thinks Of what most con-
Germs us or what we most want !" re-
torted Kate. "Ho may help poor Jack,
who only gets ninety pounds year. l
repeat ynu are rich, or your father is"
"He =, rot, Kate. You know it's as
much as mamma can do to keep us up
to our position in society. But it will
be different now, for dear Uncle
jeff Gays, as he has no relations save
ourselves, he hopes we can manage to
let him live with us. He can see about
our renting larger house on his arri-
val. Mamma is delighted, and she
says he will be sure to keep his carriage;
while, if we try to he amlable, he may
keen horses for us to ride. Only
imaginel will it not be grand? How
the people will wonder and envy"
"What lot of suffers you'll have,
Nellie! Who knows but that Sir Hugh
Stafford when he comes-as they say
he will next month-to reside for the
winter at Beechholm may not be one of
them"
A bright flush rose to the cousins
CHEEK, though she exclaimed, "What
nonsense, Kate !" for the fact was Ellen
Giashaw was very pretty, and such a
union had not only entered her head,
but also her mother's---one of those
worldly minded women who render
their lives wretched by constant fight
to keep their heads higher than their
neighbors', and to make five hundred a
year pass for a thousand. Mrs. Gra-
shaw, indeed, was already secretly busy
in devising means for new dresses TO
make Ellen look her best, and to give
one or two parties, ostensibly in the
baronet's honor-really to " throw the
young people together"
Papa" proceeded Nellie, "used to
call Uncle JEFF the 8 fool of the family
"a mad speculator. l only wish in that
case papa had changed places with
him" .. -.....
"When will he be here, Nell? Does
he sayP"
"he starts the second mail after his
letter, therefore he will be here in 9
fortnight. There's mamma callingr
she added, springing up.