The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-02-21

so pOOr-l can tell you Az h'"' '"H' v"
morrow we shall--well, patience-to-mor
row shall most likely have my very stocl
sezad and sold" =,
"Your stock soldl Oh, grandfather!
cried Iris; "and you did not tell me! AND
l have been so happy"
Friend said Lala. "was II well TO hlde
this from meT
Foolish people," Mr.. Emblem went on
shave spread reports that am rich' ana
have sa ,ed money for Iris II is not true
Mr.. Artuthnot | am not rich. Iris VII
come to you empty handed" =,
"And as for me, have nothing" SAID
Arnold, except pair of hands and all the
time there is So we have all TO gain AND
nothing to lose"
You have your profession" said Iris
"and ! have nine. Grandfather, do moi
fear, even though we shall all four become
poor together"
II seemed natural to include Lala Roy
who had been included with them toI
twenty years.
las for Iris being empty handed" said
Arnold, chow can that ever be- Why, she
carries in her hands an inexhaustible cornu
copia, full of precious things"
''My DEAR said the old man, holding out
his arms to her, IL could not keep you al
ways. Some day knew you would leave
me; it is well that you should leave me
when am no longer able TO keep ROOF
over your head.
"But we shall find roof for you, grand
father somewhere We shall never part
The best of girls always" said MIR, EN-
blem; ''the best of girls. Mr. ArDnthhot.
you are happy man"
Then the sage lifted up his voice and sac
solemnly:
"On her tongue dwelleth music; tho sweet
ness OF honey aoweth from her lips; humility
is like crown of glory about her head, hei
eye speaketh softness and love, her husband
putteth his heart in her bosom and findett
joy"
"Oh, you are all too good to me- muir
INJURED Iris"
"A friend Of mine" said Mr.. Emblem,
now like nearly all my friends, beneath
the sod, used to say that Il good marriage
was happy blending Of the finest Wallsend
with the most delicate Silkstone. But he
was in the coal trade For my own part. |
have always thought that it is like the bind.
ing Of two scarce volumes into one"
ooh, not secondhand volumes. grand
father" said Iris
IL don't know Certainly not new ones
Not volumes under one and twenty, II you
please. Mr. Arbuthnot, ! am glad; you
will know why very soon. am very glad
that Iris made her choice before her twenty
first birthday Whatever may happen now.
no one can say that either OF you were In
Huenced by any expectations You both
think yourselves paupors; well. l say
nothing, because ! know nothing. But,
children. If a great thing happen to you,
and that before four and-twenty hours have
passed, be prepared-be prepared, ! say-t>
receive it with moderate rejoicing"
"Tomorrowr' Iris asked. why to-mor-
rowi Why not tonight, II you have a secret
to tell usl"
"Your father enjoined in his last letter to
wait till you we're twenty. one. The eve OF
your birthday, however, is the Same thing as
your birthday. We will open the papers to-
night. What have to tell you. Iris, shall
be told in the presence of your lover. what.
ever IL is-good or bad"
He led the way down stairs into the back
shop. Here he lit the gas, and began to
open his case, slowly and cautiously.
Eighteen years ago, Iris, my child, I re-
ceived your fathers last letter, written on
his death bed This Ihave already told you.
He set down, in that letter. several things
which surprised mo very much. We shall
come to these things presently. lilo also laid
down certain instructions for your bringing
up, my dear. was, first Of all, TO give you
az good an education as l could afford;
was to keep you as much as possible sepa-
rated from companions who might not DO
H. e.. %
young lady. You have had as good an edu-
cation as Lala Roy and | could devise be-
tween us. From him you have learned
mathematics, SO rs to steady our mind and
make you exact: and you have learned the
science OF heraldry from mo, so that you
may at once step into your own place in the
polite world, where, no doubt, it is familiar
and necessary study. You have also
learned music, because that is an accom-.
plishment which every ono should possess.
What more can any girl want for any
station, My dear, am happy to think that
gentleman is your lover. Let him tell us,
now-Lala Roy and me--to our very faces,
IL he thinks We have, between us. made you
q lady"
Arnold stopped and kissed her hand
''There il no moro perfect lady," he said,
lin all the land"
Crisis father, Mr.. Arbuthnot, was gon-
tleman of honorable and ancient family,
and ! will tell you, presently, as soon as
find il out myself, his roal name. As for his
coat farms. he bore Quarterly, first and
fourth, two roses and a boar's head erect;
second and third gules and fesse between
strange, now, that | have forgotten what
was between. Every body calls himself
gentleman nowadays; even Mr.. Chalker,
who is going to sell me up, ! suppose; but
everybody, IL you please, is not armiger.
Iris, your father was armiger. suppose
am gentleman on Sundays. when go to
church with Iris, and wear black coat.
bnt your father, my dear, though he mar.
ried my daughter, was gentleman by birth.
And one who knows heraldry respects gen.
tleman by birth" He laid his hand now on
the handle of the safe. as il the time we're
nearly come for opening it. but not quite
HE sent Inc, with this last letter, a small
eel for you, my dear, not to be opened
until you reached the age Of twenty one As
for the person who had succeeded
to his inheritance, she was TO be left
in peaceable possession for reason
which he gavo-quite romantic story, which
will tell you presently-until you came OF
age. He was very urgent on this point II,
bovaver apy bisnst of sick asu or ,,,isfor.