The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-09-21

Town u such a crowded. noisy
places ! can't see why anyone wants
20 live there" His eyes frightened
a they fell on the erect young figure nj
the window s'Home agin. Narshy?"
he said As II her coming we're a de-
lightful surprise. instead Of q daily oc-
currcncc. sHow's the school to-day?'
Marcia always had some incident
from the days experience tucked away
in her memcry for him. Not that he
ever commented much beyond a kindly
s'Sho, You don't say, now?" II was
only the light on his wrinkled. weather
| beaten face which revealed his un-
speakable opinion OF that Institution
OF learning ut the CROSSROADS. Words
were not Uncle Scth's forte, though he
had once confded TO Nancy q fear
| that some Of them town schools might
be tryin' to git U Marshy when they
| lind how wonderful well she's doin'."
But tonight the story Of Bob Tuck
er's latest piece OF mischief was cut
short By q sudden thought
%. Uncle Seth, did you get the
paper l wanted?"
Plumbing in his pocket for the de-
sired package resulted In the discovery
Of something elisa letter received a.
the p~ost-ofice, slowed away and for'
gotten
"Don' know Why / should forgit
either: letters amt 90 common"
He held Il up 70 the light. wondered
Who could have sent IL. puzzled ovel
the address. and tried to decipher tn
post-mark in the musing, deliberat'
manner that Is so exasperating Z
youthful impotence. Marcia's interes
vanished. however, as o as n
flowed il was from Cousin David
She knew David only by reputation
and his reputation was not attractive
lthriftless. happy-go-lucky. always Il
present straits. but with brillian
|. prospects just ahead, who had drifte
70 the farther West years before. ;
, Marcia turned her attention to her pa
: pers. and Uncle Seth spread his iette
! carefully on the table before him, an
perused il in silence.
! Hall an hour later she looked u
and saw the sheet still before him. b
his eyes were looking beyond it In
I b~ewildered. troubled way.
why. Uncle Seth. what Is u
mattersr
Nigh rs / can make out" said q
old man. slowly. David he's dea
) and he's left me q little child to tai
care Of"
"A child?"
2 Marcia dropped her paper, N
: Nancy her pan Of mullins.
That's il. nigh as / can make out
Q repeated Uncle Seth david nev'
was no scholar. an he didn't wri
2 much He calls it a little incum'ran'
. like"
: s.Incumbrancel Ishould think 50
:, Marcia's and i~ndignati'
y flashed u why don't the rest
his family take are Of it?"
e He amt got any. He says his wi
died a few months ago. an he's dyil
~ an we'ro his next Of kin An hs
= glad TO leave Il Z me, cause he kno'
o. won't use IL noways but we'll
e Hes right enough there Y
y never mistreated sven . dog that cor
lp 70 you" i~nterposed Nancy. But
,e baby, Pears to me some folks have
% dreadful knack Of dyin' an leavin'
their affairs at loose ends"
Marcia looked 1t the grizzled he
ne bent over the letter, the brown. ca
lined face. the knotted. toil-harden
~ hands. There had always been sol
~ next OF kin" for Uncle Seth TO he
some one sick. or poor. or worse, wi
a burden TO roll upon his kind. pate
be shoulders. He had always been sta
~ gering under such loads; never fr'
er never with a chance TO push his o.
e. way. As he might else have done.
a was old now. and she was just beg
ming TO hope that she could make III
evening easier and happier. and NJ
this. The girl rebclled-
ed 1T isn't rightf' she said. hotly.
david says it's small now. but
Is hopes it'll grow "a be consider'bl !
ut 70 me some day." pursued the old m;
ID patiently.
Il ..Int the same way its father was. pr
p ablyrf commented Marcia You W
IN always helping him when he '
nj here
well. consider'ble You see; son
Re body had to-" admitted Uncle Sc
he fumbling At the corners Of the lett
Cd david meant well. an he was alws
u, a-gittin' up plans that seemed 'sif Il
might work, only they'd run agiI
he snag."
Cd Marcia glanced 1t another paper
1T the table, one in : clear, bold CHR
raphy.
~ That's from . lawyer out the
ed David's was inside Of it, explain
I'M her uncle, placing the sheet in
hand. He says he s'poses my relat
Of has 'quainted me with the nature
his little bequest"
sswell. he haintr' declared Nan
NJ irntely. why under the cane