The Appeal., 1890-12-20
''Come to your what?" repeated Mr..

"Come to your What? repeated Mr..
Roman. -
ITO our nauction," the boy explained.
"Papa's gone to Heaven, and we's goin'
to have q nauction; it's to det money,
you see; we's goin' to sell all our sings.
Mamma says ye more ye folkes come, ye
more we'll det money; and if dere's
enough, we's not goin' to sell my wockin'
horse. Use dot Pickle, dis here chickie,
safe-me and Rosy. take turns holdin'
her-but we tan't hole ye horse. dess
we'll do now." .s. .=E
Ibid your mamma send you?" asked
Mr.. Roman. ,...
''Oh, no! she's cryin', an we dus
fought we'd help ask folkes. Please
tum, Mr.. Man."
And smiling in friendly but half
frightened fashion, the children trotted
down the walk AS their little figures
vanished, Uncle Peter came around the
house.
"Who are those children, uncle?"
queried Mr.. Roman, gazing after them.
"Dey's po' Massa Blake chilluns, sab.
Yo' members tole you how Massa Tom
done die las week we'll dey's his twins
Dey do say it's scan'lous how Miss
Blake's bein' treated. Massa Tom done
sign note fur genneman, an he can't
pay, an dey is ter be auction dere to-
morrow, an Massa Tom not dead week
yet scasely. Po' Miss Blake!" .--.
That night Mr. Roman sat up late in
his library, reading over letters and
papers he had not seen in ten years
not since the day he had had that quar-
rel with Tom Blake, for it was that
same morning he had received cable
gram calling him to Europe to take
possession of large estate left him,
and yesterday he had reached home for
the first time since his hurried depart
ure.
II was just beginning my battle with
the world then," he mused; "now
feel like a warrior, battle-scarred and
lonely. How enthusiastic Tom and I
were then! how close our friendship
was!"
And taking up an old letter, low
laugh burst from his lips as he read it's
witty allusions to an almost forgotten
college scrape.
A very different look came into his
face as he glanced down the pages of
the next letter which met his eye, and
read:
my DEAR FELLOW: After all, find can
lend you that money. I have seen old Brown
and he is willing to give it If mortgage the
Meadow Farm don't like mortgages, but we
must save your home Brown imagines there
is coal under that land. think not. I'll tell
you secret though. I know there is under
the field adjoining.
I'm ten years hope to have money to open
my mining land; meantime I'll use my Meadow
Farm to save your home, and you can repay me
before the mortgage falls due. I had intended
to settle both farms on Nellie as soon as we
were married; so if any thing happens to me-
my dear boy, you may consider Nellie and her
interests your legacy from
'Yours as ever, ToM.''
ITO think I threw away friendship
like that!'' almost groaned Mr.. Roman,
as he laid down the paper. Then sud-
den thought struck him, and he hastily
rang the bell.
''Uncle Peter" he said, "who owns
| what used to be Mr.. Tom Blake's
Meadow Farm?"
"Old Mr.: Brown, sab; he got power
full rich on dat farm. Yo' see, sab, hits
got coal-mine in it. Oh, yes, sab, he's
! rich" -,
''And Tom mortgaged that land to
save my old home," thought Mr.. Ro-
main, sorrowfully. II wonder if it
| could be that the check sent from En-
gland did not get to him in time? In
any case he's dead, and Nellie and the
| children penniless, and" glancing at
the letter again-''a legacy to me!''
IAN auction almost at Christmas eve!
Why, it seems fairly barbarous,"
thought Mr.. Roman, Indignantly, as
he entered what had been the pleasant
! homo of his friend Tom, and was so
soon to be- left desolate under the hands
of the auctioneer.
1t was early in the day, but already
the house was filed with neighbors
who had come from miles around to at
tend the sale; and as Mr.. Roman moved
| among them his ears were constantly
greeted with remarks on the foolishness
of ''signin' for people,"
Sick at heart he entered the little
kitchen back of the house, which was
as yet unoccupied, save by Mrs. Blake's
faithful old colored cook, Aunt Nancy.
She was sitting on a split -bottomed
chair, rocking herself to, and fro, and
occasionally wiping her eyes with her
| blue-rhecked apron.
'Where is your mistress, aunties''
| Mr.. Roman asked.
! There was a kindly ring in his voice
| that unlocked the old woman's bur.
dened heart and she sobbed aloud as
she answered:
''Oh, massa, she done took de chill
| uns, an gon' to her cousins Miss
Rachel. 1t jest broke my po' ole heart
to see 'em go! But Miss Blake say she
couldn't stand it here, an dey have to
| go soon sure. Po' things! only de good
Lord know what's to come of dem, she
| say"
'Oh, massa, hits awful hard on
| missis, dis is. She went all over de
house dis mornin' tryin' to say good
bye to it. De little ones a-clingin' to
her KEEP a pickin' up things. Mamma
dey won't take my wockin'horse, will
dey?' Mamma, will de nauction man
det my little chair?,' dey ask. Missis