McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-08-14
MIR. BULsTEAD's SURPRISE.

NIX. BULSTEAD'S SURPRISE.
Mr.. Bulstead's third and last letter
bore the Oxford postmark; as he opened
it he frowned. His niece, who had
long ago noted that particular letter
with apprehension, helped him in haste
to the hottest and choicest kidney on
the dish. Maggie knew well that OF
late the contents of letters from Oxford
were far from welcome.
s"Now, will not stand this any long
err' cried the irritable old gentleman,
dashing his fist upon the table and
narrowly missing the just arrived and
juicy kidney. '.Now, Master Tom has
tried my patience once too often! Bill
after bill have settled during the last
three months, expecting each to be the
last; and, forsooth, listen to this, miss!
To 500 lawn-tennis, f12 10s.; to rack
cts, as per former account, fS 10s.; to
marking machines, "a; to-good grac-
ious-to half a ton of whiting, "a;
total EGG! Good gracious! l say,
does the young scapegrace live upon
whiting?'
''Oh it must be mistake uncle!'
mistake, indeed! Why, did not I
have bill of f2 10. for dog collarsP
Was that mistake toop And the
wine bill, and Symond's bill for horse
hire! All mistake, of course! You
may thank your stars, young lady,
cried the old gentleman, abandoning
the Indignantly satrical for the savage
ly personal tone, ''that I would not
let you tie yourself to this extravaganza
nephew of mine. Now I've done with
him, and so have you.''
Maggie rose from the table with a
flushed face and looked from the win
dow with eyes that saw little of the
square outside through their tears.
But, like a wise girl, she kept silence,
and the kind-hearted old gentleman
after storming once or twice up and
down the room began to cast uneasy
glances at the graceful figure by the
window. If there was one person whom
Mr.. Bulstead loved before and above
the cause of his present anger it was
his niece, Maggie Lloyd.
well, we'll, said he, sitting down
to his now cold kidney. There, my
dear, give me another cup of tea. Half
a ton of whiting-the lad must have
gone madr'
'sIt might have gone in worse things
than whiting" she suggested humbly,
but with humorous culver at the cor
ner of pretty mouth.
$50 it might; that's true" The old
gentleman was little more straight
faced than most Londoners. 'I'Il tell
you what, Maggie, I'll give you one
more chance; I'll go down to Oxford
by the II o'clock train, giving him no
notice, and see for myself what sort of
life he is living. If he is doing nothing
worse than wasting money I'll forgive
him; but if l find the young fellow is
as vicious as some of those Oxford
sparks, why then''-and Mr.. Bustead's
voice assumed a quite unaccustomed
tone of cool determination-'1've done
with nephew Tom"
Maggie trifled with the teaspoons,
her eyes bent upon the plate. Her
uncle's irritability was little to be fear
ed; it was more than neutralized by his
kindness of heart. But she knew him
to be on rare occasions, and in some
matters, a man of great obstinacy; and,
loving her cousin with all her heart,
she dreaded the result of her uncle's
projected trip. Tom would be doing
nothing dreadful, but he might be do
ing something Mr.. Bustead might OBJ
ject to. To move her uncle from his
resolve, once expressed in this way, she
knew to be beyond even her influence;
the more as the old gentleman, who
had few months before forbidden an
express engagement between the cou-
sins, was little inclined to resent any
influence she might try to exert in
Toms behalf.
81 shall not want any more tea,
thank you, SO you may 60 to your mu-
sic lesson if you like. l shall just go to
= the Atheneum for an hour, and then
to Paddington. I'll leave orders about
the carriage, and then if you like
YOU can meet the six o'clock train with
it. a3 e. rj ta.
When Mr.. Bulstead reached his club
he found to his disgust, that his favor
lite chair was occupied by a bishop.
Had it been any one else, he would
not have scrupled at attempting to
Dust him by one of those forms of STRAIT
egy so well known in club rooms; but
as it was he ran his eye over the Times
call standing" and took his seat in
cab not in the best of tempers. "Half