News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-10
SCRIMS0N AND FULLY.

''It's no use, Mark. He won't listen
to reason.n
81 don't want to use logic with him,
Fanny. 1t isn't matter for argument" "
but you don't know papa as well as
do"
"And I don't think 1 prize his ac-
quaintance as much as that of his daugh-
ter"
"You don't know him, and"-giving
just little squeeze to the coat sleeve,
on which her glove hand rested-'Eyou
must let me say all the unpleasant things
about him. You don't know how set
he is in his way, and now he is very
angry"
II never saw a decent man kicked out
of-doors except on the stage, and he
won't begin the practice in real life on
me. Don't you believe it, Fanny"
''He didn't say anything about kick
ing, replied Fanny, with disdain; "but
when you come to the house this even
ing he will send word that am not at
home. It's no use, Mark. We must ne
patient" " emphasizing the pronoun with
another little squeeze of the coat sleeve.
''What has set the old curmudgeon"
Fanny withdrew her hand-''what has
turned the favor of your respected par
ent"-the hand was replaced-''so sud
denly against me2 What is he angry
about2" asked Mark.
''That is Just what I came out to meet
you for, and would have told you long
ago if you hadn't been so unreasonable.
You must know, sir, that am doing a
very improper thing in running after you
in this way, and walking home with you
from your Office, when papa has forbid
den me to receive you at the house; and
think, perhaps, ought to leave you at
once, right here"
"What wereyou going to say, Fanny,
when 1 interrupted you with my unrea-
sonableness" meekly responded Mark.
chad begun to tell you that it is all
about your uncle, and not about you at
all"
"What has my uncle done? He has
ten years past, and that is how we came
to know each other, Fanny. They can't
have quarrelled after all this time"
"Yes, they have. never saw papa so
angry before. He has been cross for a
week, and to-day he came home crosser
than ever, and told me he never wanted
to see any one by the name of Tully
again. He said you must stop coming
| to the house, and that if l didn't refuse
to see you, he would take care of it
and when l said couldn't, he called in
the housekeeper, and told her to give
orders to the servants to say that I was
not at home to YOU"
''And made you cry-confound him p'
interjected Mark, as, looking down at
the brown eyes on level with his shoul.
| der, he saw the lashes set in diamonds.
81 didn't cry much," replied Fanny,
with little sniff. and winking hard.
''But he talked horribly. They are go
ing to wind up the business, and we
shall go off somewhere; for he hates
the whole town, he says, and all he
wants is to come back to your uncle's
funeral Isn't it awful, Mark2 'All
want of old Tully is legal proofs of his
DEATH he said"
"H'mr was Marks inarticulate com
ment, as if the glimmer of an idea had
struck him.
"Why, he talks as if your uncle had
cheated him." continued Fanny. CHE
says that he must get out of the business
to save what he has left, and that 'old
Tully' will have to die to pay him what
he has got from him.
''They must have had lively time OF
it." said Mark. ''Bst it is all nonsense
Each of them is rich enough to retire il
he wants to; and as for that life-insur.
ance, it was only little piece of bust
ness for me. Neither of them needs it. ,
"What life-insurance" asked Fanny
"About three years ago." explained
Mark, ''when was getting business fol
the Monadnock Mutual Profit and Be
nevolent Association, I induced them tc
take out policies in favor of each other
So your father holds a policy of ter
thousand on my uncle's life, and my
uncle the same on the life of you
father. If either of them dies, the othel
gets the money. That's what he meant
when he said old Tully would have t.
die to pay him."
GLOW horriblep calculated Fanny
''Do you think your uncle feels the sam,
way about my father2"
81 don't doubt he feels great dea
worse, to judge from what | know o
the old gentleman's sentiments when h,
once gets an antipathy. But don't yol
worry, Fanny" continued Mark, in
re-assuring tone. ''Neither of then
will realize on his policy for long TIM
yet, and there'll be another partnership
of Scrimson and Tully before that"
'Oh, Markl' and the brown eye
were quickly raised and cast down.
81 won't come to see you tonight,
said Mark, after they had walked on
way; "and perhaps not tomorrow
night. have some regard for the sud
den prejudices of your respected father
and want to see how my uncle take
It. When find that out, I shall know
what to do. Trust it to me, Fanny.
will write you at the house. They can
say not at home to the United State
mail"
Mark bought an evening paper as h
went ON to his uncle's house after part