St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-26
THE WRONG MAN;
Or. Her Great Mistake.

Jones, fretfuliy. i've written to him
that he can just stay away"
Kitty, her daughter. picked up the
letter and read it over. "But he said
he would be here Tuesday, and that's
today
"Well, if he comes he can CO." said
Mrs. Jones. grimiy, as she went about
her household work.
Kitty said nothing, but sat III her lit
tie emu room reading until she heard a
soft rap on the front door.
ut must be Uncle Joen she eX-
claimed in tremor of excitement.
Il can't let you in" she said, when
she opened the door and saw a stout
man standing there.
"Why not?" he exclaimed. s'I'ye
walked five miles in this rain and will
come ill.,"
The window sash above was slid
lightly up at this iuncture, and Mrs
Jones night-capped head appeared,
dimly outlined through the rain, like a
study in dissolying eolors.
go away" said she. 'l'll harbor nc
poor relations, Where's that S46 you
borrowed of Jones? Eh?"
Would yOu turn dog from the door
such night as this?" shouted Uncle
joe.
Clear out, L say!' reiterated Mrs.
Jones. do you hear me? L won't have
you in the house"
Kitty's heart aehed for the drenched
pilgrim outside.
Hush she whispered as he was
about to respond in no measured &C.
cents to the defiance from above. "I'll
let you into the little room at the end of
the woodshed. There's very com
Portable bed there, and I'll dry your
clothes before the kitchen fire while
you sleep. There's life ill the Goals
yet"
I'm half starved" said the man.
Can you give me q bite of something
to eat, my giri?s''
Bread aud milk" said Kitty. "Noth-
ing else. Come in softly, Uncle Joe, or
mother will hear"
"Humphr' said Uncle Joe. "You're
good girl! But the old lady-isli't she
crab-stick, thought
Kitty blushed scarlet.
Mother is peculiar" said she.
mother has always had to struggle
with the world"
And the world with her, l should
think" observed the unwelcome guest,
with shrug of his shoulders.
He ate his bread and milk like fam
husk bed in the shed room, while Kitty
sat up nearly all night to dry his wet
clothes by the uncertain blaze of the
few cOrncobS which she ventured to
light. At daybreak she tapped at the
door.
Here are your clothes. Uncle joe"
she whispered through the crack. And
another bowl of bread and milk. The
sun is rising beautifully"
Fifteen minutes later Uncle Joe came
into the kitchen. Kitty grew very red,
for at the same moment the door at the
foot OF the winding staircase opened, and
in walked Mrs. Jones, with particular
checked handkerchief tied around her
head, which She never wore except
when she was in an especially i'll
humor.
What" she cried, shrilly. Hasn't
this old tramp gone yet?"
Excuse me, Abigail JONES'" said the
stranger. Il am no tramp"
Mrs. Jones gave conclusive start.
why" she exclaimed. lit amt Joe
Jones at ALL"
No, ma am said the stout man.
Its Joe Fenneli, your granduncle,
from Michigan"
Mrs. Jones gasped. Mr.. Fennell!
The one rich member of the family!
The man who. it was currently reported,
could buy them all out and never feel
the expense! The well-to-do relation
whose acquaintance she had always
yearned to make. And it was thus
thus-that she had welcomed him.
Il am sure she began, in half
suffocated voice.
''Oh. make no apologies. make no
apologies" said Uncle Joe Fennell,
with chuckle. you amt one of the
sort, see, that believes in entertaining
angels unawares. ha. ha! hal"
IF had only known" began Mrs.
Jones.
But this little girl" said Uncle Joe
Fennell, patting Kitty's curly braids,
lis quite different. She is made of diff
ferent metal, she is. Don't look so
frightened, my bonnie maid"
Il thought it was Uncle Joe Jones
just getting over the scarlet fever" fall
tered Kitty.
You thought it was some poor,
wearied soul, and you were right" said
Mr.. Fennell. ''And you took me in and
sheltered and fed me, and sat up half
the night to dry my clothes. All, little
Kitty, you were true Samaritan.
There's not much of the mothers blood
in your veins I'm thinking, and perhaps
it rs just as we'll"
He kissed Kitty when he went away;
to Mrs. Jones' infinite chagrin he would
not stay to formal breakfast of coffee,
rolls, ham and eggs, and the girl could
scarcely believe that she had in reality
sheltered Uncle Joe Fenneil from the
storm. instead of that other relation
who was below par i'll her mothers eSti-
nation.
"It's all Joe Jones' fault Mrs. Jones
declared, with asperity. 'If | hadn't
been so upset with that bold, begging
letter of his, this would never have
happened"
But the poor relation did not come to
the mountain farmhouse, after all. He
succeeded in getting a place as oyster
opener at seaside resort, where he
could breathe the salt aif aud earn his
own living.
"Abigail's tongue would have beaten
out what little life there was left in
me-" SAID Joseph Jones. shaking his
and serewing up his eyes. Nobody
but them as has heard it knows what
Abigaifs tongue isl
Uncle Joe Fenneli never came to the
| mountain again. But when he died,
ten years afterward, he left $500 TO his
niece Kitty.
And never mentioned my name at
alI,'' said Mrs. Jones, with acrimony.
How unlucky it was, his happening to
come lust as he did,"
Mother" said Kitty, timidly, 'Ive
been thinking that if we were kind to
every poor traveller who came along, we
should be sure never to offend any one
by mistake
''Psliaw!" said Mrs. Jones. "That is
girls logic"
But perhaps innocent Kitty was right
after ALL