The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-08-06

unexpected stairs.
"Where are you going, Ellen DENIM
son?'
ITO get some tobacco for Uncle
Ben"
There amt none left"
Eyes there is; in the packet h
brought from Norfolk"
.'But tell you there aim" reiterated
Miss Jemima. II sold it yesterday to 8
peddler that came along. He gave me
q for it,
"You sold it?"
Miss Jemima nodded her head def.
antly.
Eyes, sold it, and you needn't stare
at me as If I'd committed State prison
offense, miss. 1 mean to break up Eb-
enezer's miserable trick of smOkin.. An
old man that's dependent on his rela-
tives for his daily bread, ain tho business
with luxuries like tobacco-and he'll
get no more in this house while can
prevent it."
Ellen Dennison answered nothing. but
she turned and went down stairs, with
her cheeks flushed an indignant scarlet.
Miss Jemima followed her.
"Uncle," said the girl. calmly, as the
old man raised his expectant eyes
toward her, there is no tobacco
there"
"Tve sold itr' quoth Miss Jcmima,
putting her arms akimbO.
"YOu've-sold-my tobacco? My blue
Virginia brandt"
"Yes, have. and where's the harm.
I'd like to know? wasn't going to
have it clutter ng up my cupboard no
longer. have sold it for So
Then" said Ebenezer, with a sort
of stony calmness. you've sold for So
pack of the best Virginia tobacco that
was ever put into a pipe, and $500 in
money that was in a tin box in one of
the parcels. That's where had stored
my little savings. You have had your
way Jemima, and hope you feel bet
ter"
Miss Jemima's lower jaw dropped.
"Sakes alive! Why didn't you tell
me ont. Ehcnezcr Buxford?"
because didn't choose" said the
old man, bitterly. I'm sorry on FL
lens account. Imeant she should have
little money of her own. but as for
YOU, Jemimy, I'm free to say that be-
lieve it serves You right!'
Miss Jemima sank, rather than sat,
down on low chair by the table. let
ting her hands fall into her lap. To
the gripping. avaricious old woman, to
whom dollar seemed bright idol to
be worshiped and bowed down before,
this loss was most disastrous, and none
the less so because it has been wrought
through her own sptsful oificiousncss.
The tears ooZed one by one down her
red eyelids and fell on the table. But.
alas, her repentance had come too
late!
The autumn wore itself on. and when
the first snowilakes drizzled through
the dull gray air they buried EbeneZer
Buxford under the leatless willows in
the country gravey ,rd. Aunt Jemima
packed up her belongings and went
with her niece to distant State. where
they could buy little place and trv to
earn their living by means of market
garden; and SO they dwelt for two or
three years. Jemima Buxford had laid
her plans to keep her niece with her
always. But love sprang into the scale
opposite old Jemima, and love out
weighed her. Ellen promised to marry
George Stapleton. who had the largest
and most substantial farm house in the
neighborhood.
$50 you are from Millowfielde Queer
old place, that 81 d George, one cve-
ming, as he sat on Miss Terminals door
step. Il came through there once in a
peddler's cart"
"You?" echoed Ellen, much aston
ished. "A pcddlcr's cart?'
''YCs, that's the way laid the foun-
dation of nv fortunes, such as they are.
And the oldest thing happened to me
there"
Aunt Jemima put on her spectacles
and stared at MIR. Stapleton, while
Ellen asked:
What was it?"
'.Well. 1 stopped at a strange little
out-of-the-way house under q Ito get
a drink of water. and little old woman
with her face tied up with the toothache,
and sun-bonnet tipped down over her
nose. like an old witch"
..Humph"' interjected Aunt Jemima.
Game out" pursued the unconscious
George, land wanted me to buy lot of
tobacco. Well, tobacco wasn't exactly
in my line, but the old lady was very
anxious to be rid of it, so closed the
bargain at s.. Cheap enough, hut at
the same time as much as could afford
to pay. And never opened the packet
until a month afterward. when was 90
ing upin the lumber districts, where lex
pected to find good market for that
sort of thing. And just here comes in
the queer part of my story. When
was making up my pound packages of
tobacco into small parcels suitable to
nv trade. l found in one of them.
tied and papered like the rest, tin box
with
with four hundred dollars in bills in
it, fairly screamed aunt Jemima. ''Ycs.
l know. sold you that ar tobacco.
And when YOU found you'd got what
was never INTENDED for you, why didn't
you bring it back?'
Gently, gently. Mis- Buxford." said
George Stapleton. II did bring it back
the very next week, for although the
temptation to keep it was very strong.
yet it somehow lay heavy on my con-
science. And when l got back the old
house was shut up. and not 3 soul in the
neighborhood could tell me where the
family had moved to-
'.And that's true!" assented Aunt
Jemima, who had never lived on the
best of terms with her old ne ghbors.
''WeI, seein' the money is to come back
to the family again-don't blush so.
Ellen, l hain't sa no harm! But !
kind of wish l hadn't sold the blue VIr-
ginny. Not for the moneys sake-but
my poor old brother Ebenezer-"