Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-09-02
A COOL MILLION.

"A cool millionl" said Mrs. Archibald
| Of New York. oracularly II know 1t IL
not less than cool million" She WA
very exact, you win observe, In stating
the precise temperature Of this large
sum of money
She meant John Warbeck's fortune,
made in Colorado. with which he was
now on his way, after long years of abb
sence, to his sisters home. There GER
tainly never was family in such state
Of excitement over an approaching event
as was ours now. Nothing else had been
talked Of for weeks The only person
/ who appeared the least bit calm was
Mr.. Archibald, but then he, you know.
was nonentity
After his wife had spoken the above
words he folded up the letter he had
been reading sheathed it in its envelope.
and resumed his breakfast
Mrs. Archibald eyed him impatiently
for some time. arid then said rather se-
verely. We'll. Mr.. Archibald, if you can
! find time TO tell me. should like to know
what my brother John says. When will
he arrivef Pray don't choke!"
Tomorrow morning." answered the
old gentleman. 'but not with a cool mill
ion
Something very near it then--only a
little less"
Considerably less. my dear twenty
dollar note"
What Please talk sensibly, Mr.. Arch
bald hate jokes and riddles; don't
understand them.
He said he never had more than two
hundred thousand dollars, and that he
lost last week in st. Louis at cards. You
know his weak point. He always would
play Everybody CANDLES at the mines.
He sat up two days and two nights over
the game they call faro, and left the
table with fifty dollars in his pocket.
When he arrives here he will have about
twenty. He intends to begin the world
again. and suppose we shall have to
take care of him till he can get an open
ing"
| Mrs. Archibald had turned deadly
pale. She seized her husbands letter
and hastily read it through. Yes, 1t was
quite true, and John Warbeck was COM
4 ing back after SO long an absence. just
as he had gone-a beggar.
Very well" said his affectionate sis
ter. "I'll take care to teach the gentle
man that this is not the almshouse He
/ always was fool. but he shall find that
! am not one at any rate"
| Fanny eyed her mamma with some
curiosity. All the past week she had
heard nothing but praises of Uncle
Johns shrewdness and industry, and
particularly OF his self sacrifice and good
sense in never marrying.
III anything should happen, my love
The is old. you know. and has led a
wearing life--it would--distress me be-
yond measure should never recover,
fear But you see. Fanny, everything
positively every penny he has--would
go to you You must be very attentive
to your uncle, darling"
So mamma had previously often said,
and now the change of sentiment was
as startling as it was sudden. Instead
the new instructions were: "Your uncle
has no claim upon us. child You must
take very little notice of him."
Fannie was pretty and also good
girl, and she felt very much distressed
ut the idea of Ill treating her poor old
uncle, and so when Lucius Mallory came
that evening she confded everything tc
him
Lucius was her admirer, under strong
protests from the maternal head of the
house. as his pecuniary prospects were
ri present rather dismal, but he was al
lowed to visit the young lady once OF
twice week. strictly as friend, and
think 1t needs no conjurer to tell us tina,
the two young people were not dream
ing OF any such thing as marriage A.
10 the ring in the little trunk up stairs
Kept always locked up, where II came
from and what it meant. | express nc
opinion.
Indeed IL would be "a shame, and real
~ sin. Fannie. said Lucius firing up, fol
he was young and chivalrous .slf yor
must treat the old gentleman coolly II
public mean before your mamma
yon ought to let him know the reason
IN private"
And this Is just what Fannie deter
mined to do.
So the next morning Uncle John ar
rived. He was tall and raw boned ant
gray. and certainly very rough in his ap
pearanee; but he had an honest, smiling
face, and wonderfully hearty way
about him that certainly would hav,
won the kindness and sympathy of al
most anybody except Mrs William
Archibald
William Archibald himself shook hand,
with the old man, and was rather cordia
despite the menacing eye Of his wife
but she was grand and distant, and as
suredly 40 marked in her bearing tina
Its meaning could not be misunderstood
When Fannie kissed her uncle he,
mammals fingers tingled to inflict Ger
tain nursery chastisement long disused
but the elder lady commanded he
temper and only said, Fannie, yor
have not watered the flowers, / think"
Uncle John seemed rather surprised
He had received reams of letters from
his sister Clara imploring him to pay hi
long promised visit, and how he boastet
to his friends Of the kind hearts tina
were beating with so much warmth an,
good feeling toward him.
They will eat me upr' he had said
over and over and over, his corded ant
weather beaten face radiant with happy
anticipations. 1T makes fellow fee
Joyous TO think there's somebody care
se. him Let's wind up agin. boys"
} fear II was because he was entirel,
too well wound up that he parted witt
his money So speedily at st. Louis, By
did he care uow2
I've a home and unnd friends to nix