The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-06-26
miscellaneous.
CHARLEY WlBURN'S LUCK.

| long to the family at all. We had no
end of relations, and he was Il general
favorite with all, even some he had
never seen, for they would die and
leave him legacies. He was constant
ly getting some little "windfall'' OF
this kind, till at length Charley Wi
burns luck became II general catch
| word among us-a synonym for all
| that was lucky and fortunate.
One morning at breakfast-we We're
artists and shared the same rooms and
| studio-he received Il black edged let
ter, which, upon opening and reading,
he cast down with Il disconnected
| look.
| Another funeral to go to-" he
grumbled, land here are my pictures
unfinished and next week is sending
in day.
who is it now" | asked. An
other legacy, | suppose, eh?''
Very likely" he returned, indifTer-
emily. Its Uncle Alexander Steph-
en-. Did you know him.
| shook my head. Have heard of
him; never saw him." | said.
Il hardly know him myself" Char
ley eXplained-''at least, not since l
was boy. Its rare bother, this,
| coming just now. Such long jour
ney into the country. l say, Jack,
| you have done your pictures and sent
| them in and have nothing to DO for
IL spell-couldn't you go down for
me?''
What, in your name?'' | exclaimed.
Yes, why not? It's years since
| was among any of the set. This letter
is from Mr.. Parchly, the solicitor to
the will, l suppose; he doesn't know
me. You are Jack Wiburn-it's only
IL difference of Christian name, and
it's all in the family, 5ou know"
To cut the matter short, | had to
consent-as l generally did where
| Charley was concerned.
| | took the lawyers letter as Il sort
of credential, and set out, grumbling
| Il good deal at what considered Char
ley's check i'll this making use of
| me.
! | arrived at the little town of De
| vonshire and put up at IL hotel for the
night. The funeral was fixed for the
following day, and on inquiry l learn
ed that the house | had to go to was
only short distance away.
The next day, therefore, saw me
among the assembled guests. found
out Mr. Parchly and silently showed
| him his own letter. All" said he,
you are Mr.. Wiburn. Very good.
| Glad to see you" | did not reply, so
he concluded that l was Charley Wi
burn, without having said anything
one way or the other.
| But, when after the funeral, the will
was read, | found Charley was down
| for $1,000. That made me think it
| harder lines than ever that | should
have had to come down in his place
| The weather was atrociously cold; the
| March winds strong and clustering.
with showers of sleet and snow, and
| felt cold and miserable. At the end of
| the reading of the will l was making
my way out to get back to the hotel,
when some one said: Mr.. Wiburn,
| believer" | looked around and saw a
stiff, military looking old boy regard
| ing me with a smile through his spec
tacles. Charley" said he, don't
YOU remember me?n l thought to
| myself: "Oh, now I'm in for it.
| Here's a nice mess-all through trying
| to serve Charley. Just my bad luck. :"
This feeling did not grow less when
| he said "Milly wants to speak to
YOU. She has been looking at you,
and says she can hardly recognize you
| for her old playfellow." Ono wonder, >
| thought. 1T would be strange if she
did.'O
She came up and shook hands, and
the moment looked ut her | simply
| fell helplessly over head and ears in
love then and there. She seemed to
| be the loveliest most adorable creature
| | had ever seen.
Don't you remember your little
playmate, Milly?" said she, with
blush and an enhancing look of her
| beautiful eyes. well, it is not so
surprising, for l should never have
known you, either, if Mr.. Parchly had
not pointed you out to me-"
Before | exactly realized what was
doing | was whisked off to Maj. Rain
| fields house-as | found the name of
| Milly's father to be-to dine, calling
at the hotel for my evening "togs'' on
! the way.
| found the majors house a neat,
looking little place on the out
skirts of the town. He lived alone
with his daughter (his wife being
dead), housekeeper and one servant
| Though everything was comfortable,
! there was that indescribable air that
gave one the impression that they
were not too well off as regards this
worlds goods.
Since | was not too well Off either,
this would not have troubled me, but
for that legacy of $4,000 | was suppos-
ed to have come in for. WAS that
the secret cause of this sudden friend
ship?" l asked myself. But when
looked at Milly, and saw the frank
glance of her truthful, honest-looking
eyes, / felt ashamed of myself; nor
when | regarded the major, and noted
the open, manly look the fine old sol
der gave me back, could bring my
self to think of him as a scheming old
fortune hunter.
Such good friends did we three be-
come that fingered on in the place
for Il week, during which time l grew
daily more uncomfortable at the part
| was playing. At last | sought out
Milly one day, alone, and confessed
the truth to her.
81 am not surprised, she said; l
| thought you were not much like the
Charley ! used to know. But | am
sorry for you sorry to think your
cousin should have got that $4,000,
while you We're not even SO much as
mentioned"
"Ah ~ said, with n sigh, that is
Charley's luck-and mine. 1t Is al
ways the same-always has been, and
always will be, l suppose"
had written to Charley, telling
| him of his OOn1 fortune and that