Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
side, but a. i. began. .Ds., 81. on IL,

side, but as Il began: 'Deas Sis,' on Il
inside, we supposed It was for one O
u.s." l said, in as dignified a way as
could. He turned around and gave m
. piercing glance from his keen eyes
''How is that, miss? No address an,
beginning Dear s'o1' That is no let
1T is signed Ignatius Leggett,'" Ire
marked, demurely.
He made no reply to this, but drov,
directly to our house.
''Go bring me that letter, John, " h,
said briefly, as we reached the gate.
1 rushed in for it, only stopping t,
give Blanche a convulsive squeeze BY
way of an outlet to my feelings
Grandfather gazed rather blankly a
the envelope, then opened the le tier
At this he squinted with q puzzled lool
for a minute or two. Then his fac,
cleared.
''That is not Dear Sis,' at all, John
but Dear Sir as plain as the nose OF
your face, and should think anybody
but a passel of silly girls might have
known that the letter was for a lawyer
and that Sweetheart is the name of 9
silver mine. happened to meet Cyru.
Cooley in town this morning, and found
he had not received my message, SO
suspected that Peter had made one o1
his usual blunders; but didn't think
that you simpletons were so fast for
my money as"
He never finished that sentence, for
interrupted him hotly. You can inn
agine. perhaps, how my indignation
had been rising under his remarks. To
think of those two dear girls on their
way to Rockmeadow; of their chagrin,
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 80 fast for mis- money!
just could not stand it another min
ute. The next thing I knew I 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 chat
poor Blanche has been SO happy about
Will Hendip. 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 I was
frightened myself at my boldness. But
I was not going to let him see it. l
held my head up very high and lo;,ked
as brave as I could, when I had fin.
ished. To my amazement, after min
wa he began to laugh.
''You are a real little Leggett. John.
shall have to call you Ignatins in
the future. Not one of your sisters
would dare to talk 20 re in this high
and mighty fashion, I'll be bound!"
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 don't write
good fist and forgot to put any name
on an envelope. Don't you think you
are rather hard on a lonely old man,
John?"
could hardly believe my ears when
I 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 hem.
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 wrinkled face
and thought of the many long years
since his daughter had left the old
homestead. I forgot that he had been
hard to our mother; that he had neg.
lected us; that he often behaved in
such a strange fashion. 1 saw only nm
old man who needed some one OF
his womankind to love him and
care for him. But did no,
speak of this new emotion which had
filled my heart. could not. Per.
haps it was not necessary that my lips
should express my thoughts. My face
has always been called a tell-tale one,
and grandfather's eyes were very keen
He leaned forward from the buggy
and laid his hand for moment upo,
mine.
''God bless you, John," he said, then
drove quickly away.
When the girls came home and I haf
told them all about 1t, we had first
good cry and then good laugh. Ane
we decided to go over and see ou,
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 Leggetts Luck, as happy
as we can be. The day .of good
times and pretty things has come to us.
Dolores whites more charming stories
than ever, Blanche and Will 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 I am housekeeper for
him and, he often says. heart keeper,
too
Ever since that me morable day. when
I spoke my mind to him for the first