The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-11-19
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A DEAD LETTER.
From All The Year Round.
CHAPTER /.

Uncle Andrew Alison was not an easy
or pleasant person to live with. Audrey
and |, his two nieces, both feared and de-
tested him, and | cannot say how truly
thankful was when Duncan Ferrars
asked me to be his wife. Audrey and |
had lived with Uncle Andrew ever since
when, in my seventh year and Audrey S
ninth, our father had died in Canada
first in small house in Holloway, then,
after our uncle grew rich and was knighted,
IN large house in Bedford-square, which
was, believe, the dullest abode in all
London
Our mother had died soon after our
father and, as Audrey and | did not get
on well together, it may be easily imagined
that good, true-hearted mans love-
though that man was only poor strug-
Cling young doctor-was a real blessing to
me
Uncle Andrew was, have often heard,
one of the cleverest and most influential
railway contractors of his day. He and
my father had started in business, when
they were both young, with small joint
capital which had gradually grown into a
colossal fortune. do not wonder at this,
for Uncle Andrew was careful of money al
most to miserliness. Audrey and ! had .
small allowance, and throughout the whole
establishment any luxury of furniture
food, or culture was sternly forbidden as
extravaganza.
How my father had bequeathed his in
terest in the business he had helped to
build up, or why, in default of will,
some legal settlement had not been made
on our behalf, were questions which oc-
Cured to Duncan and me more than once
when we began to consider ways and
means. But 10 these questions | could
give DO answer at all. The only person
who might have thrown some light on the
subject was my mothers cousin, Cyril
Holmes, who was a great friend of both of
us, but especially of Audrey. However,
Cyrus. though he had been in the employ
ment of Alison Brothers for many years,
was no better informed than ourselves
As 10 asking my uncle directly, that was
an extreme measure not to be resorted to
lightly.
1t was because Cyril Holmes admira-
tion of Audrey was no secret that Uncle
Andrew frequently took the opportunity Of
telling us that he was lazy, worthless
fellow, who would never make his way in
the world or be worth the salary he drew.
To these attacks Audrey always listened
With Indifference, which would not have
been tbs case had she really loved poor
Cyril.
My uncle also took great pains to ac-
quaint me with the extremely low estima-
tion in which he held Cyril's friend, Dun
can Ferrars, but this carefully-instilled
knowledge did not prevent us from decid-
ing to ask his eonsent to our speedy mar
riage.
My lover obtained but brief audience
in which to plead our cause. From the
sitting-room window, in which Audrey
and I spent our mornings, | saw him
come to the front door, and soon after
saw him 60 1t was not difficult to fill in
the hints of that ten minutes.
The front door had barely closed behind
Duncan when Lee, my uncle's confidential
man, came TO tell me that Sir Audrey
wished to speak to me in the library.
IF Audrey had cared for me as elder
sisters sometimes care she would by that
time have been comforting me little and
trying TO keep up my courage. As it was
so soon as | told her that Duncan was.
coming across the square she began to
practice the noisy part of the Moonlight
Sonata, and only stopped playing when
Lee brought his message, to say
aMy goodness Sylvia, I wouldn't be in
your shoes-you re going to catch it.
Il don't care if | am, | replied def