The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-25

AtluoOu-tulS 8IlernOOu, i say, just dS
l was locking up my desk. l heard a
step which sounded familiar, followed
by an inquiry in voice more familiar
still. and looking up saw my cousin
William.
There was no installing him; he was
decidedly shabbier than of old. he had
more hair on his face than before, and
what there was was rougher and wilder;
there was also harder look about his
features altogether; but ne was William
Anstream for all that. and, as he caught
my eye, he came with his old smile and
jaunty step toward me. For the mo-
ment l was heartily glad to see him. but
when l recalled my projected visit to
Emma Matilda my exhilaration faded,
for 1 saw 1 must either forego that pleas
ure or slight William.
'.Hallo, old fellow" he said; "you
look as if you were going out. Were
your
"Yes. William, was." 1 said; chad
you been ten minutes later you would
not have caught me-"
How lucky dropped in at the mo-
ment," said he, "because shall not
have such a chance again. You must
put off your trip, Sammy" Samuel
Robinson is my name in full,) ''and
send shillings-worth of the electric
fluid. if it's important; but l must have
YOU this evening to myself, for I am
here to bid You goodbye"
"Good-bye!" / echoed.
Goodbye it is" said William, ..for
I am off to Queensland the day after to-
morrow, per Cormoran, seventeen hum
dred and three tons, Captain CREDIBLE,
if that interests you, but am going for
good and all. l shall never see you and
your well-selected stock again, nor can
l hope to see your assistants wait
upon families daily for their esteemed
orders. You recollect your old circu-
lars, Sam? l helped you to draw them
up, you know. Well, shall bid long
farewell to all my greatness, Sammy,
and so l want to have good steady Cos
sip with YOU l would pay you that trifle
of money if l could, but as l can't, that
settles the question in one way, if not in
another. You will give me the evening,
won't you?h
What could do! 1t would have been
very harsh to refuse; with all his faults,
William had great deal of sensibility,
and l know he would have felt such a
slight very keenly. should have liked
to call on Emma Matilda that night, for
as we were to be married in fortnight
we had. of course, thousand things to
talk about, but could see should have
to give it up.
As the reader may naturally feel
anxious on the subject, will say here
that was united to Emma Matilda at
the time named-the 10th of September
it was-and We spent our bridal trip in
the South of England-at Brighton; di-
versitied with excursions to Rottingdean,
Shoreham, etc.
invited Anstream up stairs, where
we could have quiet cup of tea and a
gossip, but he declined. He was always
for something irregular.
mo, SAM" he said, "that won't do.
You don't mind my smoking. l know,
although you were the most awful ex-
ample in that line, the most preposter-
Gus failure ever saw. But you will be
having some one in your rooms who
will sniff and find fault and be disagree
able if smoke for an hour or two, and
my yarn will last pretty good time,
you will find. So let US 60 to the Humpi-
gram Arms-they keep capital whiskey,
l know-and they will let us have that
little room off the landing, where
L have smoked many cigar. Come
along; don't be shy; you will not
put me to any expense that l cannot
afford, which is what is running in your
head, l have no doubt, like q good old
soul as you are, for mean you to pay
for the evenings entertainment. 1t is
the last time, that's one thing, and you
never got out of one of my visits so
cheaply, that's another"
Well, yes, as he said it was the last
time, and perhaps on the whole he bet
ter not stay at my place, or he would
propose to remain there until he sailed;
so. although did not like the idea Of
sitting in a tavern in my own neighbor-
hood, yet the Humpigram Arms was a
house, and Mr.. Guilaby, the
landlord, was very respectable man.
So went.
We got the little room-that is, Cousin
William got it; he never minded what
he asked for, or whom he asked for it;
he got, also, his cigars and whisky-I
took a bottle of stout and as soon as
his cigar was fairly alight he began:
81 suppose you have wondered what
has become of me during all this timer"
he said.
Every often" 1 replied: s.indeed, 1
had given you up for dead"
Had you really?" he exclaimed;
swell, come now, that was more charit-
able than expected. There were some
among your friends who thought l had
come to a worse fate than that, I will bet"
He was exactly right there, but did not
tell him so. "No, Sammy" he con-
tinued; "you were all wrong. l am
not dead, as you see, and 1 have not
been in 'quod;' at present l owe her
Majesty nothing for board and lodging.
Nothing of the kind, old fellow, but 1
have been engaged in speculation; a
big thing for me. Had it succeeded 1
should have gone to Australia, and 1
am going to Australia because it did not
succeed; so, in the essential fact of
my emigration, the result of the specu-
lation was of no consequence; in
the manner, style and prospects of that
emigration it made all the difference.
You knew Jem SHELDON, think?''