The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-23

had been rising under his remarks 10
think of those two dear girls on their
way to Rocl1rneadow; of their chagrln.
disappointment and modification at
being so duped; and OF our sweet
Blanche. whose hopes had been raised
SO high, only TO be dashed to the
ground. And then to have him hint
that we were so fast for his money!
just could not stand it another min
ute. The next thing l knew was
| looking him straight in the eye with
| burning cheeks and beating heart, and
speaking very fast.
''Grandfather.' said, you are not
fair. We don't want your money at all
nor anything connected with It, And
it is not our fault that you did not
write plainly and forgot to address the
! letter, nor that Dolores and Huldah
have gone over to your house. nor that
! poor Blanche has been SO happy about
viii Hendi2. We took your letter for
| just what it said. and am not going to
have my sisters blamed for it.
/ He had turned red and then white
during my little speech. and | was
frightened myself at my boldness. But
was not going to let him see it
held my head up very high and looked
as brave as l could, when | mad fin
ished. To my amazement, after min
| ute he began to laugh.
"You are real little Leggett, John.
shall have to call you lgnatirs in
| the future. Not one of your sisters
would dare to talk to me in this high
and mighty fashion, I'll be boundr'
He laughed again, loud and long.
$50 Dolores and Blanche have gone
over to help me make my will, and
Blanche thinks I've given her and Will
Hendip my blessing, and you are scold-
ing your poor old grandfather like
schoolboy, all because l don't write
good fist and forgot to put any name
on an envelope. Don't you think you
are rather hard on lonely old man,
John?'
could hardly believe my ears when
/ heard the tone of this last question.
We had always thought of our grand
father as queer and sharp-tongued; but
that he could be lonely in his fine home
or that he was growing old and feeble
had never occurred to us. In spite of
myself, felt the tears coming into my
eyes as | looked into his wrin..led face
and thought of the many long years
since his daughter had left the old
homestead. forgot that he had been
hard to our mother; that he had neg
lected us; that he often behaved in
such strange fashion. 1 saw only an
old man who needed some one of
his womankind to love him and
care for him. But I did not
filed my heart. l could not Per-
haps it was not necessary that my lips
should express my thoughts. My face
has always been called n tell-talc one,
and grandfathcr's eyes were very keen.
He leaned forward from the buggy
and LAID his hand for moment upon
mine.
God bless you, john" he said, then
drove quickly away.
When the girls came home and had
told them all about it, we had first
good cry and then good laugh. And
we decided to go over and see our
grandfather the next week and to try
and be more friendly with him. But
he was more prompt than we. The
very afternoon following the girls
fruitless trip to Rockmeadow, he came
to see us. That was in June. Now it
is the first of August, and were are all
living at Leggett's Luck, RS happy
as we can be. The day .of good
times and pretty things has come to us.
Dolores writes more charming stories
than ever, Blanche and VIII are to be
married at Christmas time, Huldah is
grandfather's amanuensis. and there is
no danger of any more mistakes in his
letters; while l am housekeeper for
him and, he often says. heart keeper,
too.
Ever since that memorable day, when
1 spoke my mind to him for the first
time and the last time, too. in such a
way, he has shown us a side of his ma
ture that we never knew before; and
we all love him dearly. Once in awhile,
when he feels particularly good hui
mored, he asks US if we don't want to
help him make his will.-Elizabeth
Olmis, in N. Y. Ledger.