The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-07-16
my for fortnight then as well as

not"
Thus Charlie pleaded, as he had done
many times before, only to be put off
again and again.
at would be pleasant, Charlie dear,
but impossible" said Cecil. in the
caressing tone OF one who finds it hard
to deny the prayer of the loved one.
Il may as well be frank now and tell
you why Icannot say yes. am poor,
too poor to afford the necessary outfit
of even the humblest bride. BE mar
ried without it cannot, and allow you
to provide it will not! Forgive me,
Charlie, am proud"
Fondly caressing the dear hand sho
extended, Prof. Raymond urged his
suit no more but strove in every way
to make the evening pleasant one
and to make Cecil forget the suffering
his words had unintentionally oc-
casioned
Looking around the room, which he
had seen but once before, he remarked
on the beauty of the design on the
cabinet containing the gift of Aunt
Huldah, and so Cecil told him the
whole story. Mechanically placing one
at his ear, as the children do, he said:
~ never saw specimen of the luponia
tigris in which the sea song was so
nearly mute"
"Perhaps the original inhabitant has
not moved out" laughingly replied
Cecil. "You may perhaps find his
, mummiticd remains in there"
II believe have" he replied, closing
one eye and squinting into the narrow
opening with the other. "Therc's
something here, anyhow. Please lend
me one of those useful hairpins with
which woman can do so much, and l
will see what can do"
So saying he bent the hairpin she
gave him into long hook.
81 60 a-lishing," said Cecil, watching
him in languid content from her easy
couch.
"While l am poking about in the dark
in here" said Charlie, rcadjusting lis
hook at new angle, "lie there and
poke fun Mt me-"
"There, old fellow" he cried, as the
hairpin caught on something move
able. "Come out here and show YOUR
self"
So saying, he picked out dirty
green-looking wad which he proceeded
to examine. Smoothing it out,hc hand
ed it to Cecil.
"Would you mind looking at what l
have foundP" he quietly asked
One look told the story to Cecil, and
with bound from her sofa that nearly
sprained her well ankle she waved the
bill wildly aloft as her mother entered
the room.
"Mother! Mother! A 5000 bill"
Great excitement prevailed, which
the reader can imagine. While mother
and daughter were congratulating eath
other upon their good fortune and
Cecil was thinking that now she could
change her mo" to Charlie into "yes,"
he handed her another bill the result
of patient prodding and pJ;,ng, of the
same denomination!
Then the professor said there was
nothing like system in everything. A
table was drawn up to Cccil's sofa and
every blessed shell placed upon it, and
each of the three armed with u hairpin
or two patiently worked over those
sixty shells until O'Clock Il. m.
AT 2 o'clock every shell had been
emptied of its hoard. and the result
was $50, 900 in bills, ranging in value
from 80 to $500 each.
Poor eccentric old Aunt Huldah had
gone to her grave misiudged. Her
niece bitterly regretted that chilly lit
tie cpistle which had been read with
much amusement by the queer old
lady.
Afterward it was discovered that
she had given nearly all her money to
various charitable works in her life
time, and Cecil was the only relative
who ever nroiited by her immense
fortune.
81 wonder if she knows / have Mt
last found my own fortune" musingly
said Cecil the next day, when after
some hours rest they were discussing
her windfall.
LET us hope she knows more than
she ever did here, irrcverently replied
Charlie. The old IDIOT! Nothing but
luck pure and simple ever found that
money for u.s."
After n pause: "No-perhaps not
luck. If | hadn't had my ears trained
to the closest observation of natural
objects | should not have noticed TIL It
the wave sounds were much fainter
than usual in that shell. So perhaps
science was back of the luck"
"That was not the first time that
wealth has deadencd the voice OF ma
tnre," said Cecil, seriously. Let us
take care that in our lives we listen to
the prompting of loving hearts. In
this pile of bills see wedding Jour-
ney next month'-a rapturous squeeze
from Charlie e-"with all the belongings
for bride of modest tastes, a happy,
quiet life for dear mother, and lots of
fun and good cheer for some of our
less fortunate friends"
"Amen!' cried Charlie. "Peace to
the memory Of Aunt Huldah Jane
Jones-crank though she PITTS.
h1irn PrcsS