The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-12-14
ONE CHRISTMAS TIME.
WHAT CAME OF KILLING nrcn UNCLE.
By MARK LEMON.

Her ample ball dress was of the purest
white muslin, fastened ut the sleeves and
round the waist with blue ribbon-blueT
"Yes," answered Lefty, Il want to
dance with you"
The dance at an end, Lefty tried to
smooth her golden curls into order with
her little hands, and then, opening her
pretty blue eyes to their full, said:
t'George Poynter, should like some
orange"
'sYes, Lefty" said the young gentle
man addressed; "and there's lemonade
and negus and such a sponge cake"
81 like dancing with you better than
any one. Lefty, said George. TO his pretty
partner.
''Do you? whyg" replied Lefty, her
voice rather obstrueted by the sponge
cake.
81 think 1t is because l like you-you
are so pretty" replied the young gallant.
You mustn't say that, or mamma will
Ecold you, Georgy. She scolds every
one who tells me am pretty" said the
young lady.
But the words had been spoken. and
from that night until the end of the
Christmas holidays, George and Lefty
said they Were sweethearts.
II
Some four or five years had passed and
sitting together under the veranda of
their pretty cottage, working, ard talk
ing of a pleasant day they had spent at
Mr.. Poynter's, when Master George came,
he said, to bid them good-by, as he was
returning to school ON the following
morning.
'tAnd want to ask you favor, Mrs.
Green, and Lefty favor" said George,
coloring slightly.
Mrs. Green would grant It, of course,
and so would Lefty, If she could.
81 want Lefty to ride Rufus, my pony,
whilst | am at school. Papa has no use
for it, and it carries lady beautifully"
''But to accept this proposal would give
30 much trouble"
Eroom-says it won't, and papa saws il
went, and say the same; so please say
you'll use the pony. Straps, the harness
maker, will lend a side saddle"
Mrs. Green accepted Georges offer, as
Lefty was rather fragile, and pony
riding had been declared to be good for
her; but Mrs. Green's income would not
allow of the expense, she said. There
were people who called Mrs. Green a
mean woman, and limited that she loved
money better than her child.
George Poynter went TO school very
CHEEKY, because he had made such cap
ttal arrangement about his pony, and he
often thought, when the weather was
6ne, of Rufus, and wondered ii Lefty
were riding him. George had not for
gotten, perhaps, that years-years ago
he and Lefty had called themselves
Bweethearts.
More years had passed, and brought
their changes. George and Lefty were
alone together in a small book room in
Mrs. Green's house, the windows OPEN
ing TO the garden. George was attired
In deep mourning, and there were strips
Of black ribbon here and there on Letty's
white dress. They had been talking of
death and sorrow until both had become
silent. After a time Lefty took Georges
hand, and said:
ssDear George, you must strive to
meet your great affiictien with brave
spirit-indeed you must"
81 have-I do strive" replied George,
hooking away from Lefty; but remem-
Der what has come to me Two wears
ago my father died. A year before that
villain, jackson, ruined my father
broke his heart-killed him. o Lettyl
what have done to deserve this? What
can dor
ssTrust still to the father of the father
less" replied Lefty. I'VE do not know
why great Affections are permitted to
Dyertake us any more than we can tell
why great good comes to us when we
least expect or deserve it, dear George
You are young, clever, good and have
many friends, and one-who Is more
than a friend"
She raised Georges hand to her lips
when she had said this (they were true
gweethearts now, and he-what could
he do but press her to his bosom, and
kiss her cheek burning with bushes?
Mrs. Green had been walking in the
She had stopped near che book room
window, near enough to hear what the
sweethearts were saying to each other,
and she appeared to be made more
thoughtful by what she heard.
When Mr.. Poynter was thriving mer-
chant Mrs. Green had been more than a
consenting party to her daughters ac-
ceptance of George Poynters attentions
indeed, she had by several indirect
means encouraged the young people to
think lovingly of each other. But now
matters were changed. Master George,
as he was generally called, had neither
houses nor lands, nor had he ''ships gone
to far countrie," and Mrs. Green was
perplexed how to act. She knew that
Lefty loved her first sweetheart, and
would perhaps love him more now that
he was poor.
Mrs. Green was relieved from her per-
plexity more agreeably than she de
served have been, as George PoynteI
called the next day, bringing with him a
letter from his uncle, rich old Silas
Cheeseman, promising to provide for his
only sisters only son, and limiting that
George might by good conduct look to be
heir to all his thrifty savings.
Silas was a bachelor, having beer
blighted in his youth. He then took tc
loving money, and had been a most sue.
cessful wooer, as those clever Fpeople
who know everybody's business but
their own declared old Silas Cheese
man to be worth his hundred thousand
pounds-s'more or less"
UnclesSilas had also procured situa
tion for George in the neighboring towr
of St. Gnats-merely probationary sit
aation, as clerk to a timber merchant
who was under pecuniary obligations tC
Silas. All this was very cheering, anC
very kind of Uncle Silas, although Mr.