Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-03-19


that was before your time. fancy. Aye
aye, and suppose you all thought me
dead long ago. ratified on the old gen.
tleman. Never troubled to write K
any one, you see. How 5 your motherl
Well. hope But, bless my soul, you
dom seem over pleased tosee met Fos
Reginald had maintained freezing 81
1ence. That's the worst of surprise
visits, I" muttercd the old man in an ag-
grieved tone. land yet your mother
ought TO have received my wire from
Plymouth. That scoundrel of porter
never sent it of. suppose. Shouldn't
wonder if my luggage didn't turn up
either, and with just enough cash left
to pay my cab here However, dare
say my transfer TO the bank of New
South Wales will arrive tomorrow, and,
meantime. think may rely upon my
only sisters son to accommodate me
with the little / want till then, eh, boy2
He won't lose by il in the end, you may
rest assured, and here the worthy
traveller looked somewhat pnxiously ut
his nephew, who continued to regard
him with stony gaze.
Don't mind me" ut length re-
marked Reginald, you can't be fin
ished yet, go through with it. You are
doing well-best I've seen yet " and he
smiled sardonically upon his visitor.
What do you mean, sir?" retorted
the old gentleman in q decidedly pep
perry tone. ''Is the boy mad? What do
you take me for? By the jumping kanga.
roo, this Is q nice reception for o man
who returns 70 his native land after a
quarter of a century's hard and honora-
BILE work and with $50, 900 to his credit
at the bank. Answer me, sir. What
dye mean by itgh
Capital, capital, replied Reginald,
with the same expression on his face.
81 couldn't have done it better myself.
But why. oh. why didn't you make 1t
el00, 600? Sounds much better. you see.
Quarter of a century, too--very touch
ing. very touching indeed. | see it all
in my minds eye-the long passage by
sailing ship, the chill disappointment
ON landing, the early struggles, the rush
to the goldfields, the first nugget, then
millions of sheep and cattle and vast
acres, wealth pouring In on every
hand, then the desire for home, the re-
turn by fast liner. the surprise visit to
the humble and expectant nephews, the
warm welcome. the temporary loan, the
mysterious disappearance of the uncle
gone to fetch his mythical luggage. You
Internal old scoundrel, continued Reg
gle, assuming his sternest tone, do
you imagine don't see it alll Do you
suppose I've lived in London all these
years to be taken in by such palpabIe
old fraud as you? Why. I've got it all
down here, and he patted his favorite
volume. land many more ingenious lit
tie plans. No. you don't catch this
young man from the country mapping.
Mrs. Plaggs, send for constable.
BY this time Uncle John had found
his voice well, of all the impudent
young cornstalks ! have come across
this ones takes the banana, as the
Queenslanders say. This beats anything
ever heard of between the Murrum-
bidgee and the Darling. John limbs a
common swindlerl Young man, you
shall suffer for this. Where's my hat?
Let me get out of this. John limbs Of
Windsor Plains q fraud and sharper.
BY the hopping wallaby, somebody will
pay for this, and 1t was a very angly
old gentleman indeed who stumped
down stairs.
''He carried it off WE'LL reflected
Reginald, who did not try to detain
him, almost we'll enough to make one
think 1 might have made mistake, but
what nonsensel Everybody knows Un-
Gle John died years ago, and this is some
miserable impostor, who may have
known him once and ferreted out his
connections in the hope Of making lit
tie money. Avery ordinary dodge, " and
yet, as Reginald sat down, he didn't
feel exactly comfortable
Shortly after came in rather hur-
riedly, for had had wire from moth
er to say that the long absent and almost
forgotten Uncle John was due to arrive,
and that he might find out our address
and call before going home.
Anybody been here?" ! asked sharp
Is, because ! did not expect Reggie
would have been in SO soon.
"Oh, yes, " serenely replied the cock
sure one, another Of 'em. Dear Uncle
John this time. :"
4 ''You don't mean it?' / shouted.
"But you surely weren't fool enough to
let him go?''
"Ch, didn't try to stop him, airily
responded the imbecile. "He didn't take
me in, though for real, downright act
ing that last inspector chap wasn't in
it with him. +"
''Of course he wasn't" l yelled.
"You' We done it this time. Turned your
only uncle out Of doors and mortally in
suited him, / suppose. A man, expect,
worth his thousands, and nobody tc
leave ii to but ourselves.
Fifty thousand bank credit alone,
here the idiot family CALCULATED.
s'That settles it, said. Come out
and get measured for that straitjacket :
And / leave it to you to say if ht
didn't deserve it.-London Tit Bits.