Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-10-06
Able COLEMANO NEPHEW.

called a relative Of hers, and that was
half-uncle Of her fathers, who had long
since passed the allotted age of three
score and ten and who was still fight
| ing daily battles with his chronic aches
/ and pains for the sole reason that Prov
idence had never seen fit to let him
/ die
Abbie could never understand that
| question Of her uncles longevity. There
, were good many other dispensatiOns
OF Providence that were likewise en-
shr0uded in inscrutable mystery so far
IS she was concerned, not the least Of
which was the cause OF the extraordln-
airy mortality that had marked the
career of the Coleman tribe for the last
/ twenty-five years and the benehcent re-
suits Of such wholesale slaughter OF
an honOred and useful branch Of the
human family She had always done
her best 20 fill up that niche in the
world left vacant by the untimely de-
mise OF numerous COlemans OF both
sexes and various ages and sizes. but
she was only an inconsequental Mt OF
Iemlnlnlty, reckoning from a physical
standpoint, with a retiring disposition
20 match, and the stir she made was so
rant that the world we'll nigh lost sight
or tho fact that such people as the dead
and gone COlemans had ever existed
On me morning when she was thirty
e"o MISS Coleman thought sorrowfully
OF the unmerited plague that had swept
away her kinfOlk, and more than one
Tear rolled OF the end of her nose and
pldshed IN the cup of lukewarm tea
mat stood on The table before her. She
uAdlIF swallowed the last drop OF the
CohcOcu0n or OOlOng and waters of
'iaIah, at the same time driving her
eyes WIN the corner of her white linen
Aahlkerchlef. chat she might make sure
or the identity of the messenger how
who came slowly up the walk and
Iouho tne corner OF the house to the
door oithe dining room, which occupied
Ine Iront portion OF the north I.
lie mad telegram for Miss Abba
mat worthy lady had learned to look
upon Geographic communications "a
the most potent disturbers of the pub-
I.c peace that were allowed unbridled
circulation throughout the land. ne--
maps she had we'll grounded reasons
lot so regarding them when II was
taken into consideration that every ono
she had ever received had notified ber
VI y1e death OF another Coleman. So
gAa1 uay she let the yellow envelope
ne on the table where the bow had nnt
III ana eyed it suspiciously for several
minutes after he had gone. Consoling
herself at last, however. with the
thought that there was only one moro
coleman TO die except herself she omen
ed it and read ~"
Dear Aunt:-Win arrive at 1870
over the Wabash road. Your loving
nephew. MS
tom COLEMAN"
she pincbed herself as she had bean
won't TO do in childhood DAYS to assure
nerseli that she was not dreaming and
then she read it again. A second read.
ing necessitated second pinching
mat reyiying process having been
Drought TO a satisfactory termination
she called in the man-of-all-work. who
was trimming rose bushes just outside
tna window and proceeded to lay the
matter before him, in the hope that
ooJn brains in conjunction might evolve
some plausible solution of the strange
message.
John She said, holding the tele-
gram out for inspection, It have lust
heard from my nephew Tom"
John laid down his pruning knife
which he had unwittingly carried into
the house and removed his hat
HaFe You, ma'am?' he said, quietly.
Yes, she returned, ''he will be here
Jhls morning at half-past ten"
John shifted his hand quickly from
one hand TO another and looked at Miss
Abbie wonderingly.
i didn't know You had such a thing
as q nephew" he said at length. his
curiosity getting the better of him
We been here fifteen years come next
month and during that time I have seen
/ everybody die off that was anv known
relation to you. Where's he FROM"
MISS Abbey gave vent to her emotion
I i'm shrill little laugh.
You know as much about him az 7
| DO, John, she said cOnfidentiallv: "T
/ never heard Of him before in nv life
/ OF course, have no nephew. never
| did have a nephew, and never can have
/ a nephew, but what am to do? There
/ is no other Abbie Coleman within ff-
/ " miles of here, so, Of course, the tele-
\ gram is meant for me. In some way
/ this young fellow has gathered up a
/ scrap Of my history. and the only way
/ / can get even is to investigate his ped
igree i'm return. Anyway, it will be a
comfort to shake hands with a man
| who has for time supposed himself
| to be my bOna-fide relative Let the
I rose bushes alone this morning. John.
/ and get ready TO drive down to the sta
/ ton and meet him"
The 1880 train over the Wabash road
| was three minutes ahead of time that
/ day and when Miss COlemans man,
who was five minutes later than he
| had intended to be. drove up to the
implanted wooden station, the only per-
sons left in sight were the station
master and a middle-aged gentleman,
/ who seemed to be harassing that crus-
! ty official with numerous unwelcOme
| questions about the topography of the
/ country Whereabouts and the means Of
reaching any desired destination.
There's Miss COleman's man now"
said the station master, locking the
: door and throwing the mail sack across
/ his shoulder. He can tell you what
ever You want to know he called
back. as he started down the road to-
ward the village, and maybe give you
q lift in the bargain. -
John drew the horses up beside the
platform. where the stranger sat,
I leaning against the wall of the station,
and clambered out Of the wagon.
"Are YOU Mr.. Tom Coleman" he
asked. producing the telegram as he
/ would q letter of introduction and