The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-30

% chAiN' Itl Na-r'AA 90 ul3SIeT
builder and CO 1a tor
At tue tam ~ waicb q story is
opene' ~ onr 85nt,g I'm all his
acqus a-!cs arj tppi would i'll
sist 20 caiilu AiT Mon Grubber,
had asaea ar iort g and had
been :. Vilower t) ~ fe
Ten years al,eI 4 avement his
only sister, Mrs. Vernon, lied, leaving
him the guardian of her only daughter.
Eva. a child then of 10 years of age and
possessing n fortune of 100000 in her
own right.
Hard, stern man that he was, John
Grubber did his duty to his ward, and it
was not till she had reached the age of
IL that she left school to become the mis-
tresS of her uncle's establishment at
Dulwich.
1t was strange contrast that the I'M
Gle and niece presented on this beautiful
morning i'll the month of July as thew
sat at breakfast some two years after her
home coming to her uncle's house.
AT one end of the table sat the man of
business perusing the market article in
the morning paper, his iron gray hair
standing erect on his head, his heavy
eyebrows contracted over his small
dark. piercing eyes, and his iron bousld
chin extended by his tightly pressed and
seam puckere1 lips.
Eva, who sat opposite to him in her
neat morning wrapper, with a wreath
of uncoiled golden hair falling over her
smooth white neck and shoulders, seemed
to have fixed her liquid eyes Oh space
while she toyed aimlessly with her spoon
in the cup
Her thoughts We're certainly not with
her immediate surroundings, or she
would not have started SO violently or
colored so deeply when her Nlcle ex-
claimed i'll his sharp, gruff voice:
"Confound it, bricks have gone up 3
shillings thousand, and I have lust
taken that big contract for the new
board school,"
What did you say. uncle:" asked
Eva, shaking off the reverie into which
she had fallen
Say" replied the other testify. 81
said bricks had gone up and sand and
lime are bound to follow. | shall lose a
thousand pounds on the job"
And the old gentleman flung the paper
down on the breakfast table and rose 10
his feet.
Il must be off at once" he said, land
find out if all the yards have raised their
prices, and if not must secure the low
est mt once before they follow suit"
But yon have not eaten your toast or
drank your coffee, uncle" said his niece.
Bother the coffee; hang the toast. he
cried. Those who have not yet quoted
so high are sure to do so when they see
the paper. must go at once"
lin SO sorry, uncle" said Eva as he
stood i'll the doorway, II did so wish
You to be at home this morning. I
thought perhaps'--
You must do your thinking while I'm
gone" he interrupted. at is only fools
who think; sane people act If l had
stopped to think as women do, should
not have been the successful man of bust
ness am. There, l cannot stop, not Il
minute. Confusion confounded. Only
to think that the very day after | Signed
that contract that bricks should advance
8 shllings thousand, and | cannot do
with less than 900 loads"
He dashed open side door that led
into the hall, and the next moment Eva
Vernon. standing, with one white hand
OH the breakfast table. and her face,
with half panied expression upon it,
turned toward the doorway through
which he had passed, heard her uncle
exclain i'll sharp, angry tones:
Jane. fetch Inc cab. / cannot wait
for the brougham. There, if YOU must
wait to put Your hat and boots on. I'll
get one myself"
And then Eva heard the front door
bang. and she knew that her uncle had
gone.
She sank down upon her chair with a
sigh, and with her clasped hands resting
upon the edge of the table she said:
How unfortunate that anything
should have occurred to annoy uncle
this morning. had hoped so to be able
to keep his irritable temper in allowance
till Arthur had told him the story of our
love and implored his consent to our
union"
What. weeping, dear Eva!"
1t was rich, manly voice that utter
ed the words as its possessor strobe
through the open French window into
the room.
Eva, whose forehead had sunk down
upon her clasped hands, looked up and
with a glad cry caught tho extended
hand In both her own.
Arthur she said.
Yes, darling, it is 1, your ever de-