Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-06

gin, have many things to say I want
TO see your aunt and ask her to let me buy
her china"
You may save your trouble" said. for
shell never do II. She's left her china TO
me in her WILL" said.
Not that i was quite sure of Il, but still
! was sure enough to say So The old gem
deman put down his brown paper parcel
on the porch seat as careful as IL IL had
been sick child. and said:
But your aunt won't leave You anything
she?"
No" said. "she won't. that's true. ana
very well he wouldn't.
We'll" says he, speaking very slowly IF
1 lent you my bowl. you could pretend it's
hers and she'll never know the difference.
for they are as like as two peas. / can tell
the difference, of course, but ..aen I'm a col
lector. II 1 lend you the BOWL, will you
promise and VOW in writing. and sign it
with your name, to sell all that china to
me directly IL comes into your possession?
Good gracious, girl. IL will be hundreds of
pounds In your pocket"
That was a sad moment for me- I might
have taken the bowl and promised and
vowed, and then when the china came to
me Il might have told him / hadn't the
power to sell IL; but that wouldn't have
looked well II anyone had come to know OF
II, and on that account couldn't do It. So
l Just said straight out:
The only condition OF my having my
china"
He was silent a minute looking out of the
porch at the green trees waving about I'm the
sunshine over the gravestones. and then he
says
Look here you seem an honorable girl.
i am a collector. / buy china and keep IL
IN cases and look at IT. and it's more TO me
tnan meat, or drink. or wife or child or fire
do you understand? And 1 can no more
bear TO think OF that china being lost 10
tne world IN cottage instead OF being In
my collection than you can bear TO think
or your aunt's finding out about the bowl
and leaving the money TO your cousin
Sarah"
or course 1 knew by that that ne had
been gossiping I'm the village
weir" 1 said, for ! saw that ne had
something more on his mind.
m an old man." he went on. but that
need not stand in the way. Rather the
than a young husband. win you marry me
out OF hand? And then when your aunt
dies the china will be mine and you will be
well provided for"
No one but a mailman would have mad,
such an ofrer, but that wasn't a reason for
me TO refuse IL. 1 pretended TO think q bit,
but my mind was made up.
And the bowl?' 1 said.
''of course. III lend you the bowl. and you
shall give me the pieces of the old one.
Lord Worsley's specimen has twenty-five
Well. Sir" said. lit seems to be a way
out of it that might suit both Of US. So. II
you'll speak 10 mother. and II your circum-
stances is as you represent, I'll accept your
oner ana IN be your good lady
And then l went back to aunt and told
her Wilkinses was out of sage. but they
would have some In on "Wednesday.
1t was all right about the bowl She never
| noticed the difference l was married to the
old gentleman, whose name was Fytche
the next week by special license at ST.
Nicholas Cole Abbey, Queen Victoria street
/ u fC g..l L. "a
china shop where tried to match the bowl
and my aunt died three months later and
left me everything.
Sarah married in quite a poor way. That
Quinsy of hers cost her dear.
Mr.. Fytche was very well on. and should
have liked living at his house well enough
II IL hadn't been for the china. The house
was crammed full OF IL. and he could think
OF nothing else. M. more going out 10 din
ner; no amusements: nothing a girl like
me had a right TO look for. So one day
told him straight out, i thought he had
better give up collecting and sell aunt's
things ana we would buy a nice little place
| In the country with the money.
| But, my dear" he said, you can't sell
your aunt's china. She left IL stated ex-
| pressly in her will"
And he rubbed his hands and chuckled.
| for he thought he had got me there.
| No, but you can" i said THE china is
yours now. 1 know enough about law 10
know that; and you can sell II and you
| shall"
| And 80 he did whether IL was law or not
| for You can make a man do anything II
you only give your mind TO IL and take
| your time and keep all on IL was called
| the great Fytche sale, and 1 made him pay
the money he got for IL into the bank. and
| when ne died 1 bought a snug little farm
| with IL and married young man that i
had in my eye long before haa heard OF
| Mr.. Fytche.
| And We are very comfortable on. and not
a bit of china in the house that's more
| than twenty years old. so that whatevers
broke can be easily replaced.
As for his collection. which would have
brought thousands OF pounds they say.
have to own he had the better OF me there.
TO- he left IL by will TO the South Kensing'
ton Museum.