The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-04-23

VI must really claim your passive as
sistance, my dear sir. Without that,
my little plot would at once break
down"
Mr.. Gimp lay back in his chair, with
sigh of resignation, and began to pol
ish his double eyeglass. Mr. Frobisher
was evidently most determined young
man, and some concession was due to
the whims Of client with eight thou
sand a year.
"And now for my instructions" cried
Dick.
"They are of the simplest possible
kind. The moment my uncle is an
nounced you become Frank Frobisher
and become Dick Drummond "
'1n other words, | become you and
you become me--for the timeH'
"Yes, till give you leave to resume
your own identity"
ITO hear my lord, is to obey"
Frank turned to the lawyer. Have
you a confidential clerk, Mr.. Gimp,
whom you can place at my disposal for
week or two. !"
Certainly, Mr.. Frobisher. Our Mr..
Whitiles, although young, is discretion
itself, and by no means devoid of intel
ligence. l shall be happy to place him
at your disposal"
'Be good enough to send Mr.. Whit
fles to me at ten O'clock tomorrow, and
advance him fifty pounds before he
comes"
"Beg pardon; but any Instructions
that can give Whifiles from YOU"
Thanks; but prefer to instruct him
myself. The business on which L am
about to employ him is strictly con-
fidential-at present"
"Just so. No doubt. Whiffles is
your man, SIR"
For the second time a knock; and
next moment the maid-of-all work 8
somewhat clouded face was visible.
"Another gentleman to see Mr..
Frob' b'sher," was all she said.
"My unclel' exclaimed Frank.
"Oh, my prophetic soul" cried
Dick.
Mr.. Gimp fumbled nervously with
his eyeglass. but did not speak. The
three men glanced at each other with a
sort of guilty consciousness.
"Show the gentleman up" said
Frank to the servant. "Now, Dick, at
tention. Now, Mr.. Gimp, if you
please" His face had .darkened again as
1t had darkeded when his uncle's name
was first mentioned. In his eyes there
was an expression such as Dick had
rarely seen in them before. He went
back to the sofa between the two win
dows and resumed his seat.
Footsteps were heard on the stairs.
Mr.. Gimp crossed to the door and
opened it. "Mr. Pebworth and Miss
Deene," he announced in his blandest
tones, but despite himself there was a
tremor in his voice.
Mr.. Pebworth was the first to enter.
He was q stout-built, big-boned man of
fifty, with iron-gray hair and closely
cropped whiskers; he had a broad ex-
panse of face, with cheeks that were al
ready becoming pendulous from over
feeding. The normal expression of his
small keen steel-grey eyes was one Of
suspicious inquiry-they were eyes that
seemed to be for ever interrogating you
but he could, when il so pleased him,
charge them with sort of cOld-twnklc,
which the world in general accepted as
an outward and visible sign OF an inborr
geniality of disposition, such as those
who knew him best-say his wife OF
daughter-would have been the last Ia
give him credit for. He had mellow
and unctuous voice, and q slow rotund
way of rolling out his periods that lent
themselves readily TO the same decep.
ton. In point of dress he'was studious.
! ly plain and precise. He wore a black
tail-coat and vest, pepper-and-salt trou,
sers, and shoes that were tied with broad
black ribbon. He might have worn tn,
same carefully-tied checked neckclotl
and the same high stand-up collar from
January TO December, seeing that they
never varied in the slightest particular
His silky, broad-brimmed hat was worr
well back on his head, as II he courteC
the world to look in the face of an hon
est man. Finally. he was seldom seer
without handle of papers tied will
red tape, either under his arm or bulg
ing from one Of his pockets.
This parsonage came forward SLOWLY
and with degree of hesitation very un
usual with him. His small gray eye
quickly took in the room and its occu
pants, resting finally and for the seconC
time on Frank, who from his seat on th,
sofa was regarding his uncle with NJ
favorable eyes.
"Where is my dearest FrankP" demand
ed Mr.. Pebworth. "Where is my scape
grace boy, whom | have never ceased t
cherish in my heart as though he wer,
q son of my own?" Without waiting
for an answer, he crossed the room will
sort of elephantine lightness, ant
made his way direct to Franks sofa
"Ah, here the rascal is. But not i'll,
hope. God bless my heart, not illp'
Dick had started to his feet by thi
time. "Why, uncle, don't you know
meP' he cried "Don't you recogniz,
your long-lost nephew? I'll never be
lieve in family likenesses again!"
Mr.. Pebworth turned with quicknes
that one would hardly have given hin
, credit for. II Disconnected at all, IL wa
but for a moment. "What! Oh, ah, to b,
surer' he exclaimed "Very stupid o
/ me. Rather short-sighted at any tim,
of life. That must be my excuse" Hi
back was turned to frank by this time
and next moment he was shaking Dicl
warmly by the hand. "My deares
. Frank, l am delighted TO find you