Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-05
M0NA'S CHOICE.
BY MRS. ALEXANDER.

I5u arr right to be cautious. mem.
hSve Z Letter from nay nj : ,eran,iEla1sl-
e., written near 6steen ye;l s r y, e.
t. ta.se her an! provide for hey, ii q =
fathers people would End rtake never 10
come GiSn her or intersere with he. I
was bachelor, and q busy man. I nev"r
approved OF my brothers marriage lie
tooG q wife from class that despise,l liis
own, so jHss lee the poor wean 90
loved your father he continued, looking
at Mona, almost like son. You have a
look Of him, and bonnie reed held ike
his. Your mother was a pretty, dark
haired lassie; but [ lost him when he mar
RED. she was too fine for me, ana I lived
away from them Here's your grand
mothers letter" He took out a large
p3cket-book, from the recesses OF which he
drew letter, and, handing it to Mona. OBJ
served-''lt's not over ceevi. She is Just
ane OF those aristocrats that think a. the
worlds dirt but themselves
Mona took it, and read the short, sharp
statement of Mrs. Newburgh's require
ments, which was addressed to Mr.. Alex
ander Craig"
1T is indeed poor grannie's writing" she
said, passing it to Mime. Debrisay. Il am
glad to fad you, uncle"' and she gave her
hand to her new-fonad relative.
Thank your' he exclaimed, holding it a
minute. cit was just the guidin' o Prov
idence that brought you to yon fearsome
street to help me. When | looked in Your
face | felt you were nae that strange. But
whar's your grandmither?"
''In her grave" said Mona, sadly. ''She
died suddenly-in my arms''
81 hope she was weel prepared And
when was she called?'
''She died last Novemberp'
''Ah, aweel! she'll have fund cot by this
time that the poor and lowly of this warld
are the elect of the next"
Mrs. Ncwburgh was q true Christian
and real lady," put in Nine. Debrisay,
emphatically.
''They dinna always hang together, re-
turned their new acquaintance.
She was very, very good to me-" said
Mona.
"Any way, you've had wise-like up
bringing. You are not ashamed of your
uncle Sandy, though he is a plain bodice"
Ashamed! No, indeed"
''Now'-be called it "noo''-''teH me
L
thought the Honorable Mrs Newburgh''-
with somewhat sarcastic stress on 1.-The
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to leave you forttn'"
ALAS! my dear sir, my dear young
friends story has been a real tragedy be-
gan Nine. Dabrisay, who proceeded, with
suitable modulations Of voice, to ''recite"
the tale Of Mrs. Newburgh's losses, and
Mona's consequent poverty-of the neces-
8 1ol~
being reduced to her present position.
Reduced, We ca it," he said. Its no
reducing for an honest lassie to earn her
own bread, which IS mair honorable than
the honors of the peerage! So you live
here, my dearie! All, there's good drap
of Craig blUid in yer veins, or you would
not have set up for yourself, like wise
lassie. If We can keep Il roof like this over
your head, you Gamma be doing so bad'
Perhaps" said Nine. Deb:isay, insina-
atingly, perhaps your uncle would stay
and share our modest midday repast We
have but Il little cold roast beef, Il salad,
and 'o1neIette GuC fines berbeS, but at least
it will avert the pangs of hunger"
'R0dSt beef, did you say?" asked Mr.
Craig, anxiously. 81 gamma digest b0iIeIl
But YOU'RE varra good, ana small b, ha"1y
to join you. l am yarra fryil. ( word
hard "a my youth under 4 fine nan, Mr..
Kenneth Maceachern OF AIaoeacher& s.
Leslie's, the great jute manufacturer He
retired, but he just missed the occupation,
and went off like puff of wind. kept it
on, and saved a bit, and my old master re-
membered me in his WILL SO, as l found
my health failing, and new men coming
into the firm, | thought would rest and
try to recover. [ took a cottage an a bit
farm AVA in the west, but got rheumatice,
and grew worse, so i cam UP to try a great
London doctor, and was recommended TO
yon place in Camden Town The son of
one of our clerks lodges there: but he is out
a. day, and | suspect a the night, too. [
am just wearyin' OF: but l am not half
cured yet. l wonder now If this place is
much further from Harley street?'
by no meane my dear sir.'' cried Nine.
Debrisay. 1T is shorter and a ple&sJnter
drive. presume you are consulting the
famous Doctor Swaithem:
That's the man. He is awfu' costly."a
what matter! so long as you can regain
your precious health. think you would
find this neighborhood more salubrous.
and in every way preferable"
Here Nine. Debrisay slipped quietly from
the room-to make some addition to din
ner, Mona did not doubt.
"Tell me-" said Uncle Sandy-the hoarse
whisper in which he usually spoke intensi-
f1ed-"tell me, what does she make you
pay her for living here?"
She does not charge me anything.
pay my share of our food and fire-thar is
all"
'Ah! and she is no of your blood"
mo; came to know her seven or eight
years ago, as told you"
'Tt us just wonderful he calculated,
and sat Silent for some time, with a curl
Gus, half-satisf1ed, half-mocking smile in
his face.
Then the prim CURE of Jane appeared,
and she proceeded TO lay the cloth.
The dinner was very successful. Uncle
Sandy was exceeding communicative as to
what he might and might not eat. Atfirst
he said he would take nothing but cold
water to drink; then ne fancied there was
slight taste-he could not exactly define
what-in the water, and when he per-
ceived this, he had always been warned to
qualify the water with a drop of spirits.
He supposed they hadn't any whiskys No;
we'll he would do with a trifle of brandy.
IU0 next tlLIlo L COlIS w Scc We, Htt Sttli,
with an air of great generosity, ''I'll bring
you bottle of real good stuff-its far
wholesomer than brandy" He seemed to
enjoy his repast, and afterward made
many inquiries into Nine. Oebrisay's his
tory. he was also profoundly interested
in the prices current of all articles OF con-
sumption in London. Then, noticing the
piano, he begged his niece to sing him
song. She complied. Before she was half
through it he stopped her by observing that
he had an uncommon ear for music. but
that it must be Scotch music. So Mona