The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-10-19
, present to Uncle Hugh an old-fash-

Toned astral lamp, in which sperm
oil burned with a villanous odor. In
ppite of its antiquity, however. Uncle
Hugh was made very uneasy about
it. Politeness caused him to tolerate
it during his guests stay, but not an
instant longer. Hardly had the car
rage borne him from the door than
Uncle Hugh turned with q beaming
face, crying: "Thank the Lord the
villain has gone! Now for a return
to the good old ways!" And straight
way the lamp was banished to the
lumber-room, the windows flung
wide to purify the room, and the wax
candles, with their glow-worm light,
again reigned supreme.
The winter came soon and cold
that year. 1t is hardly necessary to
say that not a lump of coal was ever
burned in Uncle Hugh's domains. 1t
with it's huge open fireplaces, where
the monster logs were consumed, the
cranes, splits, and bake-pans, and the
queer oven on the side of the chimney
place. All over the house open wood
fires cracked and snapped androared;
but however agreeable as accessories,
| found them wretched substitutes
for the furnace heat of modern days.
Colder and colder grew the weather,
and vainly | strove to fancy myself
thoroughly warmed by the ruddy
glare.
"Uncle Hugh" I said at length,
rendered desperate by despair, why
do you not burn coal?"
[ knew that [ ran the risk O offend-
ing Uncle Hugh, but | was by no
means prepared for the ORR and in
dignation in his face as he dropped
the Rambler and turned upon me.
"And why should | burn coal
young LADY," he asked in a cool, in
cisive tone which was worse than an
outburst of rage. Is not the Tuel
that my fathers used good enough
for me? If the Lord had meant coal
to be used by man, would he have
shut it up in the bowels of the earth?
He has put Jul enemy under our feet,
and there let it stay. There let it
stay!" he cried again, staining his
foot as if he were trampling upon the
very old dragon himself, while a curl
Gus blaze of triumph shone in his
eye.
[ stared at him mutely for q mo-
ment, too much astonished to speak.
Then the memory of the soft encir-
cling warmth of the coal fires in my
own home came yer me once more,
and urged me on.
"All modren ways are not barbar-
ous," l persisted. "When the Lord
was ready for men to use coal he
brought it to light. If you would
but try it once you would never go
back to wood. 1t is cheaper, to-"
off it were cheap as dirt it should
never be burned in my housed" cried
Uncle Hugh, hotly. Then, master
ing his emotion with an evident effort,
he added, with his old-time courtesy:
II crave your pardon, Elinor. These
subjects | would willingly avoid; but
this 1 will say: Your last argument
is false, for cheaper it is not. The
wood lies at my door, but how far
must the coal be fetched?"
Ihad forgotten that point, and
vexation at mp slip, joined to the
effects of the miserable cold, nearly
got the better of my temper. I tried
to turn it off with a joke. "You
have only to dig up your buried
treasures"-but l stopped short in
dismay. For Uncle Hugh had start
ed to his feet, his face white, his eyes
glazing, his hair fairly bristling in
spite of his tightly tied queue.
"What! what!' he stammered,
scarcely able to speak. "Who has
been telling you! Who has been put
ting notions into your head? What
do you mean, girl?"
"Dear Uncle Hugh!" [ cried, t~errifi-
ed at his emotion. "Sit down. Do
calm yourself. 1t was only a miser-
able joke. The country people used
to say that Captain Kidd's treasure
was buried here, you know, and it
Just happened to come into mymind.
1t was stupid of me to speak of it;
but do, do forgive me-"
Uncle Hugh sat down, weak I'M
nerved, trembling in every limb.
Gradually the color returned to his
face, and he regained the self-control
which he had so strangely lost. That
l lostmyself in wondering coniectures
need hardly be said. In vain | strove
to pierce the mystery, to piece to-
gether my childish recollections and
old Andrews story. They were like
two halves of different puzzles. Do
what l would | could not fit them to
each other. IT one aided me to a
plausible solution, the other cameup
and undid all my work, until at last
l did what it would have been wiser
to do at first, simply gave the whole
thing up and tried to turn my atten-
ton to other matters.
had enough to think of just at
this time. fl have not spoken be-
fore of the part which Philip played
in my life it was because it seemed
that every one must know of it. 1t
seems impossiblefor any one to think
of me apart from Philip OF OF Philip
apart from me, so completely one
have we been since u earliest child
hood. When | went home; early in
the spring, it "a to make prepara-
tions for my marriage, which took
place in August.
The old proverb in regard to the
course of true love had not been veri-
fed in our courtship. Therefore, per-
haps, it was but just that our mar
ried life should not move on altOGeth-
er smoothly, as tarasO outward events
were concerned. If there was an I'M