Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30

hook and eye, or even fastens with a
safety-pin across its gentle bosom. So
ciety can never cease to be grateful for
that tact and consideration-qualti
more often joined with childish intuition
and perception than with matured OBJ
servation-that they owe to it; and the
most accomplished man or woman of the
great world might take a lesson from this
little audience who receive from their
lips the lie they feel too palpable, with
round-eyed complacency, or outwardly
accept as moral and genuine the hollow
sentiment they have overheard rehearsed
n private for their benefit.
1t was not strange therefore that the
little people of the Indian Spring school
knew perhaps more of the real relations
of Cressy McKinstry to her admirers than
the admirers themselves. Not that this
knowledge was spoken-fOr children
rarely gossip in the grown-up senSe-or
even communicable by words intelligent
to the matured intellect. A whisper, 4
laugh that often seems vague and I'M
meaning, conveyed to each other world
of secret significance, and an apparently
sens5less burst of merriment i'll which
the whole class joined and that the
adult critic set down to ''animal
spirits "a quality much more rare
with children than generally supposed
was only sympathetic expression of
some discovery happily oblivious to older
preOccupation The childish simplicity
of Uncle Ben perhaps appealed more
strongly to their sympathy and although,
for thai very reason, they regarded him
with no more respect than they did each
other, he was at times carelessly admitted
~ thair npl1filnnrp aSnpni1 lly
Rupert Filgee who extended a kind of
patronizing protectorate over him-not
unmiXed with doubts of his sanity-in
spite of the promised confidential clerk
ship he was to receive from his hands.
On the day of the events chronicled in
the preceding chapter Rupert on return
ing from school was somewhat surprised
to find Uncle Ben perched upon the rail
fence before the humble door of the Fill
gee mansion and evidently awaiting him.
Slowly diSmounting as Rupert and john
ny approached, he beamed upon the for
mer for some moments with arch and yet
affable mystery.
''Roopy, old man, spose we've got
yer buds ready i'll all yer pack, eh?''
a flush of pleasure passed over the
boy $ handsome face. He cast, however,
hurried look down on the ail-pervading
Johnny.
"Cause ye see we kalkilate to take the
down stage to Sacramento ut 4 o 'clock -
continued Uncle Ben, enjoying Rupert's
half sceptical surprise. eye enter into
office, so to speak, with me at that hour,
when the sellery, SIS month and board,
ez private and confidential clerk, begins
-eh?''
Rupert S dimples deepened in charm
ing, almost feminine, embarrassment.
but dad-?' he stammered.
'Et's all right with him. He's agree
able"
.But-?r
Uncle Ben followed Rupert's glance at
Johnny, who, however, appeared to be
absorbed in the pattern of Uncle Ben's
new trousers.
"That's fixed - he said with a mean
ing smile. ''There's a sort o. bonus we
pays down, you know-for Chinyman
to do the odd jobs.
"And teacher-Mr. Ford-did We tell
him?' said Rupert Frightening.
Uncle Ben coughed slightly. 'He's
agreeable too, l reckon. That is he
wiped his mouth meditatively, "he ez
good ez allowed it in gin raj CONVERSE
ton week ago, RUPEE
A swift shadow of suspicion darkened
the boys brown eyes. els anybody else
goin' with us?'' he said quickly.
''Not this yer trip" replied Uncle
he continued, drawing him aside with an
air of comfortable mystery, "this yer
biz mess b longs to the private and con-
fdential branch of the office. From in
formashun we we received
EsWa2b' iptarruDtp1 Rupprt
4" we, that s the offs, you know"
continued Uncle Ben with a heavy as
of business Formally, "wot
we've received per several hands and
consignee-we-that s you and me, Rupe
we goes down to Sacramento to in
quire into the standin of certing party,
as per invoice, and ter see-ter see-ter
negotiate you know, ter find out
if she's married or divorced, - he
quickly, as if abandoning for
the moment his business manner in con-
sideration of Rupert s inexperience.
Z We re to find out her standin' RUPEE
he began again with a more judcious
of ease and technicality, "and
her contracts, if any, and where she
lives and her way o. life, and examine
her books and papers ez to marriages and
SIGH, and arbitrate with her gen rally in
inside the house and
me on the pavement, ready to be called
in if an interview with business princi-
pals is desired. -
Observing Rupert somewhat perpleXed
and confused with these technicalities he
tactfully abandoned them for the pres
ent, and consulting a pocket-book, said:
we made memorandum of some |
hints that we II talk over on the jour- |
ney,' again charged Rupert to be pune
tually at the stage Office with his carpet |
bag, and cheerfully departed. = |
When he had disappeared, Johnny
Filgee, without single word of explana- |
ton, fell upon his brother, and at once
began a violent attack OF kicks and blows
upon his legs and other easily accessible
parts of his person, accompanying his as
sault with unintelligible gasps and ac-
tons, finally eliminating in flood of
tears and the casting of himself |
IN his back in the dust, with
he copper-fastened toes of his
small boots turning imaginary wheels
II the air. Rupert received these char
lcteristic remarks of despairing and out
aged affection with great forbearance,
,nly saying, 'There now, Johnny, quit
hat, - and eventually bearing him still
into the house. Here Johnny,
declaring that he would kill any "Chiny-
l