The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-04-07

ivy
Alan strobe to the door and began to
mock.
Here made what change 1 could in
my appearance, and blithe was to look
in the glass and find the beggar man q
thing of the past and David Balfour
come to life again. And yet 1 was
ashamed of the change, too, and above
all of the borrowed clothes. When I
had done Mr.. Rankeillor caught mo on
the stair, made me his compliments and
had me again into the cabinet.
"Sit We down, Mr.. David" said he,
sand now that you are looking little
more like yourself, let me see if can
find you any news. You will be Won
dering, no doubt, about your father and
your unce? To be sure it is singular
tale, and the explanation is one that I
blush to have to offer you. For" says
he, really with embarrassment, "the
matter hinges on love affair"
"Truy," said 1, 81 can not very well
join that notion with my uncle"
'BrT your uncle, Mr.. David, was not
always DID," replied the lawyer, "and
what may perhaps surprise you more,
not always ugly. He had fine, gallant
air; people stood in their doors to look
after him as he went by upon a mettle
horse. have seen it with these eyes,
and ingenuously confess, not altogether
without envy, for was plain lad my
self and plain mans son, and in those
days it was a case of obi tie, qui bellus
es, ISABELLE"
cit sounds like dream" said 1.
"Aye, ave." said the lawyer, "that is
how it is with youth and age. Nor was
THAT all, but he mad 81 spirit Of his own
that seemed to promise great things in
the future. In seventeen hundred and
fifteen, what must he do but run away
to join the rebels. 1t was your father
that pursued him, found him in a ditch
and brought him back multum gemeus,
to the mirth Of the whole country.
However, majOra canamus-the two
lads fell in love, and that with the
same lady. Mr.. Ebenezer, who was
the admired and tho beloved, and the
spoiled one, made, no doubt, mighty
certain of the victory, and when he
found he had deceived himself screamed
like a peacock. The whole country
heard of it; now he lay sick at home,
with his silly family standing around
the bed in tears; now he rode from pub
lie house to public house and shouted his
sorrow into the lug of Tom, Dick and
Harry. Your father, Mr.. David, was %
kind gentleman, but he was weak-dole-
fully weak-took all this folly with a
long countenance, and one day-by your
leave!-resigned the lady. She was no
such fool, however-its from her you
must inherit your excellent good sense
and she refused to be banded from one
to another. Both got upon their knees
to her, and the upshot of the matter for
that while was that she showed both of
them the door, That was in August,
dear me! the same year L came from
college. The scene must have been high
ly farcical."
I thought myself it was silly bust
ness, but could not forget my father
had hand in it. "Surely, sir, it had
some note of tragedy" said 1.
"Why, no, sir, not at ALL" returned
the lawyer. "For tragedy implies some
ponderable matter in dispute, some dig
nus vineice nodus; and this piece of
work was all about the petulance Of q
young ass that had been spoiled and
wanted nothing so much IT'S to be tied up
and soundly belted. However, that was
not your fathers view, and the end Of it
was that from concession to concession
on your fathers part, and from one
height to another of squalling, senti-
mental selfshness upon your uncle's,
they came at last to drive u sort of bar
gain, from whose i'll results you have re-
Gently been smarting. The one man took
the lady, the other the estate. Now,
Mr.. David, they talk q great deal OF
charity and generosity, but in this dis
putable state of life L often think the
happiest consequences seem to flow
when a gentleman consults his lawyer
and takes all the law allows him. Any
how this piece of quixotry upon your
fathers part, as it was unjust in itself,
has brought forth q monstrous family Of
injustices. Your father and mother
lived and died poor folk. You were
poorly reared, and in the meanwhile
what time it has been for the poor ten
ants on the estate of Shawsl And l
might add Gf it was matter 1 cared
much about what timo for Mr.. Eben-
ezerr
"And yet that is certainly the stran-
gest part of it ALL" said /, "that n mans
nature should thus change"
"True," said Mr.. Rankeillor. "And
yet / imagine it was natural enough.
He could not think that he had played
handsome part Those who knew the