Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-12-05

tno post-omce, slowed away anu ior'
gotten.
"Don' know why l should forgit,
either; letters amt so common"
He held IL up 10 the light. wondered
who could have sent IL, puzzled over
the address. and tried. TO decipher the
post-mark In the musing, deliberate
manner that Is so exasperating to
youthful impatience. Marcia's interest
vanished, however, as soon as he
lowed IL was from Cousin David. !"
She knew David only by reputation,
and his reputation was not attractive:
thriftless, happy -go-lucky, always in
present straits, but with brilliant
prospects just ahead, who had dri fled
to the farther West years before. So
Marcia turned her attention TO her pa
pers, and Uncle Seth spread his letter
carefully on the table before him, and
perused IL in silence.
Half an hour later she looked up
and saw the sheet still before him, but
his eyes were looking beyond it in a
bewildered, troubled way.
'Why. Uncle Seth, what is the
matterp"
Nigh US ] can make out" said the
old man, slowly, david he's dead,
and he's left me little child to take
care Of"
"A childp"
Marcia dropped her paper, and
Nancy her pan of mullins.
That's it, nigh as ] can mako out, "
repeated Uncle Seth. David never
was no scholar, an he didn't write
much. He calls it a little incum'ran
like"
circumference! / should think so!'
Marcia's amazement and Indignation
flashed out. "Why don't the rest OF
his family take care of itp''
HE amt got any. He says his wife
died few months ago. an he's dyin',
an we're his next OF kin. An he's
glad to leave it to me, cause he knows
I won't use it noways but well''-
Hes right enough there. You
never mistreated even a dog that come
to you," interposed Nancy. "But q
baby! Pears to me some folks have a
dreadful knack of dyin' an leavin' al
their affairs at loose ends"
David says it's small now, but he
hopes it'll grow to be considerable use
to me some day." pursued the old man,
patiently.
"In the same way its father was, prob.
ablym commented Marcia. "You were
always helping him when he was
here" fen
"Well, considerable. You see, some.
body had to-" admitted Uncle Seth,
fumbling at the corners of the letter.
David meant well, an he was always
a-gittin' up plans that seemed 'sif they
might work, only they'd run agin 3
snag."
Marcia glanced at another paper or
the table, one In n clear, bold chirog.
raphy.
That's from lawyer out there
David's was inside OF it," explained
her uncle, placing the sheet in hel
hand. He says he s'poses my relativ,
has 'quainted me with the nature o.
his little bcquest."
well, he haintr' declared Nancy
irately. "Why under the canopy
couldn't he tell what twas, a girl or Q
boy7 'Twould be some consolation t
know whether body'd 60 to spend
their days patchin' jackets, or tuckin
petticoats."
Marcia, glancing over the brief
busincss-like cpistlc, which covered
DEFICIENCIES by the statement that further
particulars would be furnished upor
application, had found one item OF in
terest.
HE says IL you don't claim it within
three months, it is to 60, by David
direction, to another branch Of tn,
family"
"Joel's folks; that's all there is" saic
Uncle Seth. "Joers rich enough I,
take 1t, butt
They all understood the pause
There was money at Joers house, blu
1t held nothing else that was desirable
"I've been thinkin', Marshy," re
sumed the old man, after a minute
silence, ''Ive been thinkin' that your,
the one to decide about this. 'Tw ouldn'
be fair for me to do IL. I'm gittin' oil
now, an SOS Cousin Nancy, an tn,
weight OF every thing'll be comm
more an more on you. You're tn
one to have tho say about this; an i
you think it's too much--I amt do
nyin' 'twould be a hcfty care, will
clothes, schoolin' an every thing
why, then all we've got to do is not {.
claim 1t, as that lawyer says. Joel, h
has money enough, that's true"
So the matter dropped into Marcia
hands, and, though she had been quit
sure, only few minutes before, tina
she would settle 1t very speedily IL tn,
power were hers, she found IL tangled
question.
Marcia assured herself that this un
welcome legacy was an imposition, tn
idea OF accepting it preposterous; tina
Uncle Seth had done moro than hi
share OF caring for other people all hi
life, and now it was her turn to car
for him. That must be the end OF IL
she would think no moro about it.
Then in five minutes she found her
self thinking 1t all over again, wonder
ing how the little fellow would far
at Joels; or IL the little one should b
girl-Marcia shuddcrod as she re
membercd week of her own child
hood passed in that hard, penurious
selfish household.
That unknown baby was the mos
troublesome child in her school tn
next day. 1t intruded between her an
the pages of the book she held. Cues
tions concerning IL tangled in and on
among the problems on the board, an
the day became such WEAKNESS tina
she breathed sigh OF relief when
young weather-prophet, who had bee
taking Observations from back win
dow instead OF from his spelling-book