Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-10-04


the window. Home agin, Marshy?"
he said as if her coming were a de-
lightful surprise. instead OF daily oc-
currence. ..How's the school to-day"
Marcia always had some incident
from the days experience tucked away
in her memery for him. Not that he
ever commented much beyond kindly
..Sho! You don't say, now? 1t was
only the light on his wrinkled. weather
beaten face which revealed his un-
speakable opinion of that institution
of learning at the CROSSROADS. Words
were not Uncle Seth's forte, though he
had once confided to Nancy fear
that some of them town schools might
b., tryin' to git our Marshy when they
find how wonderful well she's doin'. :"
But tonight the story of Bob Tuck
er's latest piece of mischief was cut
short by sudden thought.
20. Uncle Seth, did you get the
paper wanted?"
Fumbling in his pocket for the de-
sired package resulted in the discovery
of something elsa letter received at
the post-ofiice, slowed away and for
gotten.
don know why 1 should forgit,
either; letters amt SO common"
He held it up to the light, wondered
who could have sent it, puzzled over
the address, and tried to decipher the
post-mark in the musing, deliberate
manner that is so eXasperating to
youthful Impotence. Marcia's interest
vani shed, however, as soon as he
flowed it was from Cousin David. y
She knew David only by reputation,
and lis reputation was not attractive:
thriftless, happy-go-lucl5y, always in
present straits. bet with brilliant
prospects just ahead, who had drifted
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, ard
perused it in silence.
Half an hour later she looked up
and saw tie sheet still before him, but
his eyes were looking beyond it in a
bewildered, troubled way.
''Why, Uncle Seth, what is the
mattcr?'
Nigh as / can make out" said the
old man, slowly, David he's dead,
and he's left me little child to take
care of. "
"a child?"
Marcia dropped her paper, and
Nancy her pan of mullins.
That's it, nigh as l can make out, u
repeated Uncle Seth. David never
was no scholar, an he didn't write
much. He calls it little incum rance
| like"
circumference! I should think SOP
Marcia's amazement and indignation
flashed out. .Why don't the rest Of
his family take care of it?"
He amt got any. He says his wife
died a 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 know:
l won't use it noways but well''-
Hes right enough there. Yot
never mistreated even a dog that come
to you," interposed Nancy. But ;
baby! Pears to me some folks have ;
dreadful knacl of dyin' an leavin' al
their affairs at loose ends.
Marcia looked at the grizzled heat
bent over the letter, the brown, care
lined face, the knotted, toil-hardenet
hands. There had always been some
next of kim for Uncle Seth to help
some one sick. or poor, or worse, will
a burden to roll upon his kind, patien
shoulders. He had always been stag
gering unde,. such loads; never free
never with chance to push his owl
way, as he might else have done. H,
was old now, and she was just begin
ming to hope that she could make life
evening easier and happier, and nov
this! The girl rebelled.
ut isn't rightr' she said, hotly.
David says it's small now. but h,
hopes it'll grow to be consider BILE us,
to me some day." pursued the old man
patiently.
I'm the same way its father was, prof.
ably!' commented Marcia. You wer
always helping him when he wa
here"
''Well, consider You see, some
body had to-" admitted Uncle Seth
fumbling at the corners of the letter
David meant well. an he was Away
a-gittin' up plans that seemed 'sif the,
might work, only they'd run agin
} snag."
Marcia glanced at another paper o.
the table, one in a clear, bold chirog
raphy.
That's from a lawyer out there
David's was inside of it," explaine
her uncle. placing the sheet in he
hand. He says he s'poses my relativ
has 'quainted me with the nature @
| his little bequest-"
''Well, he haint!' declared Nancy
irately. why under the canop