Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-06
light, and bright like birds, blinking

calmy, tor L was faF stronger tnau He;
and not easily frightened. Take your
behave
My uncle seemed to make great Ell
fort upon himself. bod, man David,
he said, I'VE shouldnae speak to me about
your father. That's where the mistake
is" He sat awhile and shook, blinking
in his plate: He was all the brother
that ever | had" he added, but with no
heart in his voice; and then he caught
up his spoon and fell to supper again, but
still shaking.
Now this last passage, this laying of
hands upon my person and sudden pro-
fession of love for my dead father, went
SO clean beyond my comprehension that
it put me into both fear and hope. On
the one hand, [ began to think my uncle
was perhaps insane and might be danger
ous on the other, there came up into my
mind (quite unbidden by me and even dis
couraged) a story like some ballad / had
heard folk singing, of poor lad that was
q rightful heir and q wicked klnSlnan
that tried to keep him from his own. For
why should my uncle play part with
relative that came. almost beggar, to
his door, unless in his heart he had some
cause to fear him?
With this notion, all unacknoWledged.
but nevertheless getting firmly settled in
my head [ now began to initiate his
like a cat and a mouse. each stealthily
observing the other. Not another word
had he to say to me, black or white,
but was busy turning something secretly
over III his mind; and the longer we sat
and the more | looked at him, the more
certain / became that the something
was unfriendly to myself
When he had cleared the platter, he
got out a single pipeful of tobacco, just
as IN the morning, turned round stool
into the chimney corner, and sat awhile
smoking, with his back to me.
DAVE he said at length, 1--WE been
thinking" then he paused and said it
again. There's wee bit siller that /
half promised ye before We were born"
he continued; promised it to your ia
Their. Oh, naething legal We under
stand; just gentlemen dating at their
Wine WE'LL kept that bit money
separate-it was a great expense, but
promise is rromise-and it has grown
by now to be matter of just precise
ly-just exactly" and here he paused
and stumbled-'of just exactly f4On'
This last he raped out with a sidelong
glance over his shoulder; and the next
moment added, almost with scream,
''Scotsi'
The pound Scots being the same thing
as an English shilling, the difference
made by this second thought was consid-
cradle; | could see, besides, that the
whole story was a lie, invented with
some end which it puzzled me to guess;
and l made no attempt to conceal the
tone of raillery in which l answered:
;. "Oh, think again, sir! Pounds ster
ling, | believer
That's what I said returned NV
uncle; pounds sterling! And if you'll
step out-by to the door a minute, just
to see what kind of a night it is, I'll
get it out to We and call We in again"
did his will, smiling to myself in
my contempt that he should think l was
SO easily to be deceived. 1t was dark
night, with a few stars low down: and
as stood just outside the door, | heard
a hollow moaning of wind far off among
the hills. | said to myself there was
something thundery and changeful in
the weather. and little knew of what
a vast importance that should prove to
me before the evening passed.
When was called in again, my uncle
counted out into my hand seven and thir-
ty golden guinea pieces; the rest was in
ms hands, in small gold and silver; but
his heart failed him there, and he
crammed the change into his pocket.
There" said he, ''that'll show YOU!
III queer man, and strange wi strang-
ers; but my word is my bond, and there's
the proof of it."
Now, my uncle seemed so misery that
l was struck dumb by this sudden gem
crosby, and could find no words in which
to thank him.
mo word.' said he. 'Nae thanks:
l want nae thanks. / do my duty: Tn
no saying that everybody would have
done it; but for my part Though I'm =
careful body, too it's a pleasure to mo
to do the right by my brothers son:
ana It's a pleasure to me to think that
now we'll agree as such near friends
should"
| spoke him in return as Handsomely
as l was able; blu all the while [ was
wondering what would come next.
ana why he had parted with his Drecious
guineas; for as to the reason he had
given, baby would have refused II.
Presently he looked toward me side
ways.
And see here says he, ''tit for tat.n
told him | was ready to, prove my
gratitude in any reasonable degree. and
then waited, looking for some monstrous
demand. And yet, when at last he
plucked up courage enough to speak.
It was only to tell me (yery properly, as
thought) that he was growing old and
a little broken, and that he would ex-
pect me to help him with the house and
the biz garden.
/ answered and expressed my readiness
TO serve.
We'll" he said, 'let's begin" He
pulled out of his pocket rusty KEY.
There says he, there's the key of
the stair-tower at the far end of the
house. Ye can only win into it from
the outside, for that part of the house
is not finished. Gang We in there, and
up the stairs, and bring me down the
chest. that's at the top. There's papers
in it, he added
Can have light, STRIP said I.
ma" said he, very cunningly. "Nae
lights in my house."
Very well, sir" said 1. care the
stairs good?"
They're grand said he; and then as
[ was going, keep to the wall" he
added; there's nae banisters. But the
stairs are grand underfoot''
Out | went into the night The wind
was still moaning in the distance, though
never breath of it came near the house
of Shaws. It had fallen blacker than
ever; and [ was glad to feel along the
wall till | came the length of the stair
tower door at the far end of the unin-
ished wing. | had got the key into the
keyhole and had just turned it, when
all upon a sudden, without sound of
wind or thunder tho yhoIn civ x1,,c