Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-04

double his testy manner toward her. He would
return to Nottingham on the morrow, unless
absolutely compelled by circumstances to re-
main.
There was-there always had been-a vein of
suspicion, breeding reserve of manner, in the
Pennycomequick family. 1t was found chiefly
in the men-in the women, that is, in Mrs.
Sidebottom, it took different form. AS forces
are correlated. so are tempers. 1t chilled their
manner, itmade them inapt to form friendships,
and uncongenial in society.
Uncle jeremiah had it. and that strongly.
Toward his own kin he had never relaxed The
conduct Of neither sister nor brother had been
such as to inspire confidence. To the last he
was hard, icy and suspicious toward them. But
the warm breath of the little children had
melted the frost in his domestic relations, and
their conspicuous guilelessness had .disarmed
his suspicious. To them he had been a very
different man to what he had appeared to
Others. Philips father had behaved foolishly,
Withdrawn his money from the firm, and in a
MT of credulity had allowed himself to be
swindled out of it by smooth-tongued i'm
poster, Schofeld. That loss had reduced him
to poverty, and had soured him. Thenceforth
the PennycomeQuick characteristics which had
been in allegiance in Nicholas ripened rapidly.
Philip had learned from his father to
regard the bulk of mankind as in league
against the Few, as characterized by SELL
seeking, and as unreliable in all that
affected their own interests. Philip was
aged "a but looked older than his years. The
experiences he had passed through had prema-
turely fixed the direction of his tendencies,
and had warped his views of life In photog-
raphy, impressions made on the sensitive plate
rapidly fade unless dipped in a solution which
gives them permanency. So is it with the Incl
dents of life; pictures are formed in brains and
passed unnoticed, unregistered, till something
occurs to fix them. The great misfortune
which had befallen his father nad acted as
such bath to Philips mind, leaving on it the
indelible impression of universal rascality. He
could remember the comfort in which his
childhood had been passed, and the grinding
penury afterward. Obliged to work for his
livelihood, he had chosen the law, profession
ill calculated to counteract the tendency in
him, inherent. and already declared, to regard
all men as knaves or fools.
Nicholas last years had been spent in useless
repinings over his loss in grumbling at his
brother and sister tor not coming to his aid,
and in hatred of the man who had ruined him.
He had been too proud to appeal to his half
brother, and was angry with Jeremiah for not
coming forward unsolicited to relieve him.
Had he gone to his brother, even written to
duct it is probable, nay, certain, that jeremiah
would have forgiven him; but the false pride of
Nicholas prevented him taking this step, and
jeremiah would not move to his assistance
without it.
Thus a mutual misunderstanding kept the
half-brothers apart, and embittered their minds
against each other.
Mrs. Sidebottom had been of as little help to
her brother as had Jeremiah. Mr. Sidebottom
had, indeed, taken Philip into his Office as
clerk. but no Sidebottom contributions came
to relieve the necessities of Nicholas His
sister was profuse in regrets and apologies for
not doing anything for him. always weighting
these apologies with lecture on his wrong
doing in withdrawing his money from the firm;
but she gave him nothing save empty words
Nicholas entertained but little love for his
sister; and Philip grew up with small respect
for his aunt.
By the time that Philip had reached the Pen
nycomequick door he was in as unamiable a
temper as he had ever been during the "a years
of his life. He was damp, hungry, cold. He
more than half believed that he had been
brought to Mergatroyd on FOOLS errand: he
did not know where he was to sleep that night,
and what he would get to eat The inns as he
had heard, were full; no more trains would
leave the station that night, owing to the con-
dition of the line; there was not a cab in Mer-
gatroyd, so that he could escape from the place
only on foot, and that without his baggage.
Moreover, he was in doubt with what face he
could appear before his uncle, were jeremiah
at home. His uncle whom he had only once
seen, and that at his fathers funeral, had on
that occasion shown him not the smallest in
clination to make his acquaintance. Would it