Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-08-26

pers already. You can have all of them
for five dollars; and I warn you that it
will prove poor investment at that.
l can give you some advice, though,
which if you'd follow, will be worth to
you good many times over the amount
you ask. But you won't do it,"
"How do you know that ?" said Edward
with smile, who began to feel more at
home with his eccentric relative. "Pd
like to hear it, anyway"
Well, here it is. Go back to your
place in the store, and save three dollars
week from your salary, which you can
easily do; learning, in the meantime, all
you possibly can in regard to the bust.
ness you intend to pursue. At the end
of four years you will have the capital
you seek, together with sufficient ex.
perience and judgment to know how to
use it, And, better still, it will be yours,
earned by your own industry and self
denial, and worth more to you than ten
times that amount got in any other way.
Then come and see me again. You'd
rather have my money than my advice
l dare say," added Mr.. Stone, az Edward
rose to go; "but we'll be better friends
four years hence than if I let you have
it. Sit down, nephew; the train you
will have to take won't leave until six
in the evening. You must stay to tea;
want you to see what complete little
housekeeper have, and make you ac-
quainted with her. Pollyl' he called
out, opening the door into the hall.
In prompt obedience to this summons
a rosy checked, bright.eyed girl tripped
in. The neat pink dress had been ex-
changed for pretty merino, but our
hero did not fail to recognize her, and
his face flushed painfully as he did SO.
"Polly," continued her father, ''this
is your Cousin Edward. He leaves on
the six o'clock train; and 1 want you to
make his short stay with us as pleasant
as possible. Polly is my little house.
keeper" he added, turning to his
nephew; ~ hire woman for the rough
work, and she does all the rest. When
she's eighteen she shall have all the
servants she wants, but she must serve
her apprenticeship first. It may stand
her in good stead; she may take it into
her head to merry poor man, as her
mother did before her. Eh my girl p
Mary's only reply to this was smile
and blush. Our hero was considerably
embarrassed by the recollection of the
mistake he had made; but the quietly
cordial greeting of his young hostess
soon put him comparatively at his ease.
At her fathers request-who was very
proud of his daughters varied accom-
plishments-Mary sang and played for
her cousin; and his visit ended in singu-
lar contrast to the way it commenced.
Edward refused the five-dollar note
rendered to him by his uncle at parting
for his travelling expenses. The old
man smiled as he returned the note to
his pocket-book.
Hes sensible young chap, after all, "
he remarked to his daughter, as the
door closed after his guest. "It's in
him if it only can be brought out. We
shall see we shall see."
"a good deal for father to say" was
Mary's inward comment, who thought
her cousin the most agreeable young
man she had ever met.
Three years later, Mr.. Stone and his
daughter passed in front of small, but
neat and pleasantlooking shop, on the
plate-g glass door of which were inscribed
the words, edward Stone, Stationer
and Bookseller"
1t being too early in the day for
customers, they found the proprietor
quite alone his face flushed with pride
and pleasure as he rose and created
them cordially.
Il got your card, nephew" said the
old man, with a hearty grasp of the
hand, "and called around to see how
You were getting on. thought it was
about time I gave you the little lift you
asked of me three years ago. You don't
look much as ifyou needed it, though
''Not at present, thank you, uncle, 4"
was the cheerful response. "Curiously
enough. it is the same business that 1
wanted to buy then. The man who took
it had to borrow the money wherewith
to purchase it, getting so much involved
that he had to sell at sacrifice"
'Just what you wanted to do"
Edward smiled good-naturedly at the
point made by his uncle.
'It isn't what 1 have done, though,
I have saved four dollars a week from
my salary for three years, and SO was
not only able to pay the money down,
but had fifty dollars beside"
"Bravo, my boy |" cried the delighted