St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1893-01-14
SUBSCRIPTION, $3.50 a YEAR.

was Dusy turning something secretly
!. over IN his mind, and the longer we sat
and the more / looked at him the more
I certain became that the something was
Il unfriendly to myself.
4 When he had cleared the platter be-
i got out single pipeful Of tobacco, just
as IN the morning, turned round a stool
into the chimney corner and sat awhile
smoking with his back to me.
aDavie, he said at length, ssTve been
thinklng,," then he paused and said it,
again. There's d wee bit siller that I
half promised ye before ye were born,
ne continued; promised it to your
father. Oh, naething legal, ye UNDER
stand; just gentlemen dating at their
Wine. Well, / keepit that bit money
separate-it was great expense, but
promise is promise and it has grown
| by now to be matter Of just precisely
| just exactly here he paused
and stumbled-ssof just exactly forty
pounds! This last he raped ont with
| sldelong glance over his shoulder, and
the next moment added, almost with q
scream, "Scots'
The pound Scots being the same thing
as an English shilling, the differences
made by this second thought was con-
siderable. could see besides that the
whole story was a lie, invented with
some end which it puzzled me to guess.
and made no attempt to conceal the
tone of raillery in which / answered:
"Oh, think again, sirl Pounds ster-
ling, believsi''
That's what I said,. returned nv
uncle; pounds sterlingl And If you'll
step out by to the door minute, Just to
see what kind of night it is, I'll get IL
out to ye and call ye in again.
did his will, smiling to myself lii nv
contempt that he should think was so
easily to be deceived It was d dark
night, with few stars low down, and
as stood just outside the door / heard
a hollow moaning Of wind far off among
the hills. | said to myself there was
something thundery and changeful III
the weather, and little knew of what q
vast Importance that should prove to
me before the evening passed.
When ] was called in again my uncle
counted out into my hand seven and
thirty golden guinea pieces; the rest was
in his hand in small gold and silyerf
but his heart failed him there, and he
crammed the change into his pocket.
There, said he. "that'll show youi
I'm queer man, and strange WI stran~
gers; but my word Is my bond. and
there's the proof Of it,
Now my uncle seemed SO miserly that
| was struck dumb by this sudden gem
erosity, and could find no words III which
to thank him.
No a wordp said he. ''Nae thanks;
want nae thanks. I do my duty; I'm
no saying that everybody would have
done IT; but for my part Though I'm d
careful body, too) it's a pleasure to me
TO do the right BY my brothers son, and
it's a pleasure to me to think that now
we'll can agree as such near friends
should =
spoke to him in return as handsome
ly as was able, but all the while / was
wondering what would come next and
why he had parted with his precious
guineas, for as to the reason he had
given a baby would have refused 1t.
Presently he looked toward me side
ways.
sAnd see here, /" says he, sstit for tat
told him was ready to prove my
gratitude in any reasonable degree, and
hen waited, looking for some monstrous
iemand. And yet, when at last he
'lucked up courage to speak, it was only
Q tell me VERY properly, as thought)
hat he was growing old and little
,roken, and that he would expect me to
lelp him with the house and the bit gar
len.
Ianswered and expressed my readiness
o serve.
WELL" he said, "let's begin" He
'ulled out Of his pocket a rusty key.
There, says he, there's the key Of
he stair tower at the far end of the
louse. Ye can only win into it from
he outside, for that part Of the house is
70 finished. Gang ye III there, and up
he stairs, and bring me down the chest
hats at the top. There's papers int
le added
1Can ] have q light, sirr said /.
sNae," said he very cunning1y. .sNae
ights in my house.
VERY well, sir" said !. .sAre the
tairs good?'
They're grand, said he; and then as
was going. Keep to the WALL he
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