Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-08-19

She turned back to the first Of the
pinned leaves, and drawing out the
pins. opened the pages. There was
one letter, at least, lying before her,
but-there was something else, tool
She gave vent to scream of sur
prise, for something else" was coup
lie of narrow strips of a peculiar paper,
with figures on--in short, two fifty
dollar bills
With a second cry of establishment,
she hastily unpinned the next set of
leaves, and found the same wonderful
thing! Another, and another-why,
the old scrap-book was literally cram
med with bank bills! Rosa took out
and counted until she had one thous-
and dollars lying under her hand.
And then she read the letter she had
found on the first leaf 1t was written
in Uncle Joels crooked characters,
and ran thus:
"DEAR NEPHEW AND NIECE -
When you find the money which I
have placed in this book for you, you
will have learned the true value of
your uncle's wedding-gift. You will
not find it unless you have cared to
keep the volume which is precious be-
cause the hands which arranged it
have so long been turned to dust. In
that case, give you my blessing, and
may the gift prove also blessing to
you, is the earnest wish of,
"UNoLE JOEL"
Oh what a blessing indeed it was !
And how strangely it had come to
them, in this "hour Of needp Laugh
ing and crying were both mixed, as
Rosa carefully put her treasure back
into the old book, and locked it Sc
curely in her bureau, while she got
Harry's supper.
She was not afraid, now, to spend
the little money she had, so when he
came in, at last, his first greeting was
the savory aroma of his favorite oyster
soup, and glance at the flushed, hap
Ply face of Rosa, setting the table.
"Why, little woman, I'm afraid you
are getting extravaganza" he said,
trying to smile, though his gloomy
face had already told her what to ex-
pect.
"Well. yes, for once," she answered,
merrily, coming over for his usual kiss.
"What is your news, sir ?"
"The very worst, my DEAR" he re-
piled, as the faint smile left his face.
"The house is closed-won't pay ten
cents on the dollar-and ] have no
longer a situation"
"Well, you wouldn't mind that
much-.if you had plenty of money
ahead, would your" asked Rosa.
"No, not for awhile. But you don't
seem to realize that we are almost
penniless, Rosa !" Harry said, grayely.
Then she shook her head, and still
gayly she answered -
"No, l don't realize any such thing.
Let's see how much we really have on
our hands. You speak first"
II have about five dollars in the
world" said Harry, gloomily. "How
much have your"
"Well-a triAe over one thousand
dollars !" she responded, with smiling
lips and dancing eyes.
Rosa Haye you gone utterly
crazy?" demanded Harry.
"No! have only found Uncle Joel's
wedding-giftl And, oh Harry how
ashamed we ought to be for wronging
the dear old fellow, and how glad / am
that kept the book Come and see |"
with which rather incoherent declara-
ton, she led the wondering Harry to
the drawer and revealed her newly dis
covered fortune.
And then-oh! but l could not de-
scribe how happy they were But
oysters never tasted so good as in that
home, on that cold evening when they
found that old mans kindness would