Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-16

bles were as unpleasant realities as one
could experience; and that neglect by
the servants, that consignment to the
stuffy little attic in the back building,
that second table and those cold dishes
these were the grimmest kind of facts.
So in day or two poor Uncle John was
perfectly miserable. No one had any
thing to say to him, and he moped in his
miserable little den alone, wishing he
had remained at the mines, at st. Louis,
anywhere, rather than have come here
But one evening there was tap at the
door which interrupted the most dismal
reverie he had yet had, and who should
enter but Miss Fannie!
She threw her arms around the old
mans neck and began to cry little, and
he, rather bewildered, responded by such
soothing words as he could command;
and presently she said: "Oh, Uncle John,
what must you think of us all? You are
treated SO badly! l am going to tell
you the truth, dear Uncle John; it's
mammals fault Lucius says it's sin
and a shame, and so it is, and l won't
encourage or take part in it,"
There was a good deal more sobbing,
rather unintelligible and very affecting
to the listener, but the truth soon peeped
out, and John Warbeck in a flash saw
all.
The revelation was the greatest grief
of his life. His sister, the pretty, kind
Clara of long ago, changed to this!
"She loved my money and not mev he
thought. "It is worth quarter of a
million, and more, to find out thing
like this. Now, what shall do about it?'
Fannies countenance soon cleared up,
seeing he was more cheerful, and so they
talked long time in the soft twilight
of that little room, and she told him, as
he tenderly smoothed her pretty hair, a
little secret. 1t was, of course, some
thing in regard to Lucius. She and Lu-
cius were secretly engaged to be mar
ried.
"And you see this pretty ring, Uncle
John? Well, he gave me that-isn't it
beautiful?-and it's a pledge, you know,
of his fidelity and truth. We are going
to wait for each other ever so long!'
And truly they We're, if poor Fannie
was going to wait for the accumulation
of that "easy competence" upon which
her mamma insisted as a sine qua non,
but which as yet was thing seriously
projected and not begun.
All this was very delightful to old
John Warbeck, a poetical romance in
which he instantly became profoundly
interested, to the entire exclusion of his
own affairs. He got up, went over to
his trunk, and took from that capacious
receptacle pair of old fashioned ear
rings and breastpin. The breastpin
was large locket set with diamonds,
and there was faded daguerreotype in
it of lady-some one, perhaps, whom
Uncle John had once admired
Yours, my child" he said, tenderly
pinning the gift to her dress, and placing
the earrings in her hand when you
look at them sometimes you'll think of
old Uncle John, won't you?"
These things were antique enough, it
is true, but worth dare not calculate
how much. Fannie kissed her uncle so
often, between crying and laughing,
that for the first time he realized the
coveted sensation of ''being eaten up"
And SO she left him and slipped down
stairs to show them to mamma.
Mrs. Archbald's large eyes opened in
the greatest amazement.
1.-THE handsomest l ever saw" she
calculated with a gasp; and that even
ing John Warbeck was invited to sup
with, the family "to try the fried
chickenv'
Somehow he had a sort of instinct
that enabled him to see humiliation in
anything that savored of resentment,
and so he complied and greatly relished
the fried chicken. Fannie's little con-
fidence, however, was not without its
effect. He no longer remained moping
in his room, but went out every morn
ing with great regularity, and seldom
returned till nightfall He also became
very intimate with Lucius, and what
ever their secrets were, Fannie, l sus-
pect, was not excluded from sharing
them.
"Clara," said Mr. Archibald one day to
his wife, "who do you think 1 met in
Spurrier's banking house this morning,
making deposit, too?"
81 don't know, Mr.. Archibald, I'm
sure"
"John Warbeck."
"Johnw
Her husband nodded. Mrs. Archibald
became thoughtful, and something
startling seemed to have occurred to her
That night John Warbeck was agreeably
surpassed to find that he was no longer
to occupy the little back attic room.
"Why you will insist on that horrid
room, John, can't imagine" said his
sister, "when you know there are three
or four vacant chambers on the second
floor"
"Well, Clara, it's all one to me-" he
answered good hu1noredly; "but, now
that we are alone, want to be frank
with you. I've been here for some time,
and-and it, he hesitated-"it goes
against my grain to live at any place
without paying for my accommodation,
you know. | don't feel independent.
Now, here's hundred dollars-not for
my board, you know, Clara-but just as
present. I.want you to buy dress OF
something with it."
"John Warbeck," said Mrs. Archibald
Indignantly, Il do not deserve this in
| suit Your home is here as long as mine