The Dickinson press., 1884-11-29
MIR. 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 we'll that Of
late the contents of letters from Oxford
were far from welcome.
Now 1 will not stand this any long
err" cried the irritable old gentleman,
S:shing his fist upon the table and mar
ROW. missing the just arrived and juicy
kidney. "Now, Master Tom has tried
my patience once too often! Bill after
bill have L settled during the last three
months, expecting each to be the last;
and, forsooth, listen to this, miss! To
500 lawn-tennis balls. 912 los. /; to rack
cts, as per former account, 9S los. to
marking machines, "a; to-good gra-
cious-to half a ton of whiting, "a; to-
tai, G29! Good gracious! I say, does
the young scapegrace live upon whit
ing?"
"Oh, 1t must be a mistake, unclew
mistake, indeed! Why, did not I
have q bill Of co los. for dogs collars ?
Was that q mistake, too? And the wine
bill, and Symonds' bill for horse-hire 7!
All mistakes, Of course! You may thank
your stars, young lady," cried the old
gentleman, abandoning the Indignantly
satirical for the savagely personal tone,
"that 1 would not let you tie yourself
to this extravagant 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 o 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
mad!"
cit might have gone in worse things
than whiting" she suggested humbly,
but with a numerous culver at the COR
her of a pretty mouth.
$50 it might; that's true" The old
gentleman was a little more straight
laced than most Londoners. "Ill tell
you what, Maggie, I'll give Tom one
more chance. Ill so 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 lie is doing nothing
worse than waste money I'll forgive
him: but If 1 find the young fellow IS as
vicious as some of those Oxford sparks,
why then"-and Mr.. Bulstead's voice
assumed a quite unaccustomed tone of
cool determination-"Tve done with
nephew Tom"
Maggie tri1ed with the teaspoon, her
eyes bent upon her plate. Her uncle's
irritability was little to be feared; it was
more than neutralized by his kindness
Of heart. But she knew him to be on
rare occasions, and in some matters, u
man of great obstinacy, and, loving her
cousin with all her heart, she dreaded
the result Of her uncle's projected trip.
Tom would I've doing nothing dreadful,
but he might be doing something Mr..
Bulstead might object to. Tomove her
uncle from his resolve. once expressed
in this way, she knew to be beyond even
her influence; the more as the old gen.
tleman, who had a few months before
forbidden any express engagement be-
tween the cousins, was q little inclined
to resent any influence she might try to
exert in Toms behalf.
l shall not want any more tea thank
you, so you may go to your. music les.
son if you like. 1 shall Just go on to
the Athennum for an hour, and then to
Paddington:.~ I'll. leave o~rders2Gbout
the carriage, and-if you like you can
meet the SIX O'Clock train with it. ~
SWhen Mr.. Bulstead reached his
club he found, to his disgust, that his
favorite chair was occupied by q bishop.
Had it been any one else, he would not
have scrupled at attempting to ousthim
by one of those forms of. strategy SO
we'll known in club-rooms; but as it
was he ran his eye over the Times call
standing" and took his seat In a cab
not in the best of tempers. "Half a ton
of ~whiting!" he muttered to himself, in
tones Of fretful speculation, as he
passed through Park lane.
He felt a little like q spy as he
hurried across Canterbury Quad, and
made with all speed for the bottom of
Toms staircase. The scout, old "Dot
and go one," as he was called from his
wooden leg. in vain essayed to detain
him. Up went Mr.. Bulstead two steps at
a time to the second floor, where, above
the ieft-hand door, appeared in white
letters upon a black ground, his own
name. He Knocked sharply, and, hard
ly waiting for some Ii within to utter
what might or might not be "Come in,"
threw it open and entered. Lounging
upon one of the window seats, in fan
nels and a cigarette in his mouth, was q
Young fellow whose good-looking face
was rather manly and straightforward
than handsome. He was alone and got
up without much appearance of furry.
How do-you do, uncle? I thought
it was You crossing the quad. Take q
co,t vVl,v ia x,p,, N1k La $50 1-.r,