Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-02-11

session of his soul and he broke out,
calm enough without, but surgin g
within:
'Uncle. when will you give us your
blessing?"
''Give you my blessing? What do you
mean, lad? Are you about to make
your old uncle happy by settling down
in life, as a young man should?"
Jed was not surprised at this, al
though he had always been somewhat
at a loss to understand why his uncle
was so anxious that he should marry,
when he himself was bachelor.
Perhaps the hope of keeping his
nephew with him Influenced the old
gentleman in this desire, for he loved
the ungrateful Jed as. he assured him
self, he might have loved his own son.
'Who is the fortunate young LADY,"
he bethought himself to ask. after the
first flush of his happiness was over.
Jed grew red and white by turns,
but he had resolved to face it out bold
ly. SO he put on cool front and re-
piled:
cit is Miss Helen Dav-Davis, un-
cle.''
To say that the old gentleman turned
purple in his rage would not be putting
it too strongly; indeed, Jed rushed for
ward in some alarm, fearing that apo
plexy had attacked his dearly beloved
uncle.
80, uncle -" he began. but Mr..
Brown waved him away.
"Don't speak to me!'' he cried, when
at last he found words to utter his in
dignation. "That chit! that" but his
emotions again overcame him and he
retired to the library to recover him
self, dropping his newspaper under the
table and his spectacles in the hall
Its all up with me now!'' thought
Jed, and indeed it was, for that even
ing his uncle called him into the IL
brary, and although he at first ex-
postulated with his nephew-but to no
avail-he ended by disinheriting Jed
for evermore.
ITO make this doubly sure,'' he
added, his face ruddy with anger and
his hands clinched on the arms of his
chair, ito make this doubly sure, l n.y.
self shall marry
Every well!'' answered Jed, coolly,
and left him without another word.
Jed went straight to Helen and told
her all. When she still refused to be-
come Mrs. Jedediah Brown, he accuse d
her of wanting his uncle's money, but
a moment later threw himself at her
feet and implored her forgiveness,
which, it is needless to add, was
granted
On the morning of the fourteenth of
February Jed strolled into the library,
for his uncle had deferred the day of
his nephew's departure until his own
marriage, and Jed fingered, hoping
that the old gentleman would relent
Not that he cared so much for the
property, for he was a strong, manly
young fellow and felt, with the conf
dencc of youth, that he could easily
earn enough for two; but he loved his
uncle too dearly to wish to part from
him in anger.
He dropped into the huge leather
chair which always stood before the
library table and, unconsciously, his
eye fell on letter which lay open, so
that he took in it's import before he
knew it.
"DEAR MISS RoBINs;' it ran
Twill you consent to be my wife as soon
as possible? HIRAM BROWN"
This was certainly short, but, of Jed's
knowledge Of Miss Robins, he came
to the conclusion on the instant that it
would seem sweet to her vision.
''Poor old gentleman!'' he muttered.
HE has always kept himself shut up
in this musty library, and knows about