The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-09-12

made ducks and brakes Of itl Lent il
to JaredP'
"He needed 1t, Uncle Phineas,' y
pleaded the girl. "And, after all, he,
my brother"
"And you never asked me?"
81 was afraid you would not consent,
Uncle Phineas."
The old man snarled like an infuriat.
cd wolf; his wrinkled skin turned a dull
yellow.
''Ef ye're so independent" said he,
'ye can clear out of this house; my
roof shan't shelter ye no longer. Clear
out, sayp
Rosamond stood appalled,.
But, Uncle Phineas, I've nowhere to
CO. she faltered.
'Ye'd oughter have thought of tha,
afore ye was so free with your money,
growled the old man, as he held the door
wide open for her to pass out.
But it is dark, Uncle Phineasl And
1t is showing hardP
What is that to me?' shouted the old
tyrant. DO you mean to start, or must
! take ye by the shoulders and put ye
outP Go, l sayp
There was something in the savage
hight of his eyes that appalled, his niece
even while she had opened her lips tc
demonstrate still further. Without an.
other word, she glided out into the twi
light tempest.
Everybody in Beckersfeld remem.
bered that January storm for years af.
terward. Young people dated back tc
1t; old inhabitants compared it with the
memorable storms of their youthful
days. The snow lay for weeks, full six
feet deep. Wild creatures, like foxes
wolves and weazels, crept out Of the
woods, and, turning traitor to their in
stincts, sought food and shelter neal
human dwellings. Roads were impass
able for weeks; railways blocked up fol
days. And not until the spring sun.
unlocked the icy chain of Plimmit':
Creek lone of the deepest and most dan
gerous streams in the neighborhood,
did they discover the scarcely recogniz
able remains of human body, wedgeC
among the roots of a submerged tree
Had it not been for the scarlet shaw
which Rosamond Foster had worn wher
she leftthe farmhouse, her remains coulC
hardly have been identified.
But they brought her to the old Foste
home, and Uncle Phineas gave her de
cent burial. From that moment, howev
er, he never held his head up.
4 know they couldn't convict me II
a court of law he said. But it Il
murder, all the same-it's murder
And l didn't never know afore how
fond I'd got to be of Rosamond. Their,
amt no hired help I've had sence al
ever done as she done. Poor RosamonC
poor little girl! And it was me killed
hcrp
They sent for the doctor; but the doc
tor shook his head.
1T is not a case for medicine said he
The man is not sick. He has some
thing on his mind
'Ye don't keep no medicine to make
a man forget, do ye, squireP' inquired
Uncle Phineas, with ghastly sort o.
smile.
If we did our fortunes would bC
made said the doctor. No, my
friend, there's nothing in the Phar
macopGia TO meet your case, worst
luckp
SO the solitary old man peaked and
pined as the days went by, hanging
moodily over his handful of fire, and re-
fusing to speak to the esyInpathetic neigh,
bors who came and went.
But one day, when the chestnut trees
were all in blossom, carriage drove up
to the door, through weeds that had
grown knee-deep.
'Company?' said Uncle Phineas,
with a side-long glance at the window.
Tell them to go away; l won't see no
body
But you will see me, Uncle PhineasP'
cried a CHEEKY voice. "You will see
Rosamond?"
Rosamond it was, alive and blooming,
with cheeks like her name-1ower, and
blue eyes shining. Uncle Phineas looked
at her with troubled face.
'Rosamond was drowned said he,
How is this? Are there two Rosa
monds?'
Dear Uncle, / am so sorry! ex-
planned the girl. But 1 never heard
until yesterday of the girl who was
buried in my name. ! met the poor
thing shivering on the road; she seemed
to have lost her way, and l directed her
as well as l could, and gave her my lit
tie red shaw TO tie around her neck.
took the train to Scranton, and went to
Jared. didn't know vi hat else to DC.
And oh, uncle, my hundred dollars has
more than quairupled itself, and Jared S
patent sieam-saw is success! He is a
rich man, and We can pay you now for
all your kindness to us when We were
children
i reckon it won't take much to do
that said Uncle Phineas, with grim
sarcasm. 'Eut Eosamoni, ye've lifted
a thousand-pounl weight OF my beart