West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-12-19

Lliah put hcr hands tenderly on
Bertha's shoulder.
81 would take care of Uncle Bob, said
she, ''cven if you were gone"
"Do you suppose | wouldn't look afto,
dear old Uncle Bob?" Indignantly struck
an Lofty, who was barely fourteen. an
ooth OF you want to go aud get married.
1 am old enough to keep house for Uncle
BOD! Look at that carpet! 7 changed the
breadths, so that the worn spots should
not show. See the wallpaper! | pasted
on the fresh piece to hide the cracks. So
that no one would know it wasn't new.
And Uncle Bobs coat-did you see how
l had worked over all the holes.
and mended the freyed elbows" .
Dear little Lofty, said Lillian, KISSING
the flushed checks of the baby of the
family. "You are a perfect fairy. but
you are such a mite of a thing, after all. >,
"Lllian is right, " asserted sage Bertha
lyon are so little, Lofty. And Lillian is
absent at her bonnet-frame MAKING all
day long. Uncle Bob grows feeble AS he
grows older. He must not be left. Oh,
1 can't be married this year."
But Bertha never told her sisters how,
Allan Hapgood's last impetuous words
mad contained q yelled hint that this was
the last time of asking; if he--Bertha-
dld not care for him, other girls might
His neatly furnished fat, and his salary
raised to a thousand dollars a wear. need
not go begging longl
The words had struck like borbod
arrows to her heart, but they had not
skaken her allegiance to poor Uncle Bob
81 won't leave him now, of all times. "
said Bertha, to herself. "He loved me
and cared for me-for us all, indeed
when was nothing but a trouble and an
expense. He brought us all IN. and
spent his substance on us. and I shall be
ungrateful indeed to desert him when he
Is old and poor and feeble. l can earn
something here at home, and be COM
panion for him still. Allan is young and
brave-hearted, He will soon get over
TINS disappointment. But Uncle Bob
axes every little thing to heart. oh.
no, l can't leave Uncle Bobl"
And so Bertha Bloom settled herself
down to the unlovely prospect of single
olessedness, and all for Uncle Bob's
sake.
Uncle Bob was a lawyers clerk. He
had been a lawyer himself once. in
Colorado; but his health had failed. his
small Investments had taken to them
selves wings, aud he had gradually come
down to the low estate of a clerks desk
and a clerks salary.
without his niece Lilian's wares and
ms niece Bertha's careful administration
d the slender household funds. he must
certainly have gone into bankruptcy.
But ne kept his hat carefully brushed.
wore a fowerh his buttonhoic hen If
was o~btainable, and staunchly adhered
10 the traditions Of his gentIemanhood.
lie still read the few lines daily in his
Greek Testament that kept up the memo
nes OF his college days nc looked in at
the windows Of the book stores. and non.
uered w%istfully on the books ne would
Guy, If only he could afford il.
And, most piteous Of all, he still pre.
served a curl Of bright-brown hair in
hls pocket-b book, and unused at times on
h might have been, if Nell Sandiford
bad not flung away his love, twcnty-odd
gears ago.
II think I did sight" thought Uncle
BOB, reverently kissing the curl. and re.
placing 1t in the worn Compartment RI
the pocket-book. cit seemed hard at
enc time, but I've always felt that / did
light"