Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-08-08

face into an expression of the utmost
caution.
"P'rhaps you're his lawyer, sir?"
said he.
Mr.. Carey nodded.
81 act for him." said he.
"Ihen tell him." said Philo, sue.
emily, "that if he expects we're going
to support him. he's con.sid.a.bly mis-
took! We've always took care OF our.
selves; he can do the samel Come,
Betsey, we'd better be goin'!"
"Philo!" cried out Desire, show
can you be so selfish? Rolf Welland
is our cousin. If he is in want or
trouble, whom has he to look to but
us? Malvina, you won't be 80 hard
hearted? The old farm house is big
enough for our Cousin Rolf as well rs
for us. You never would turn sick.
ly old man adrift upon the world?"
"No, I Wouldn't" said Miss Nal
vina, humping her hoe upon the
ground. "Look here, stranger, tell
Rolf Welland he's welcome to home
with us. We live plain, but we're
ready to give him hearty welcome.
Tell him to come here at once. The
sooner the better.
"Women is FOOLS" incidentally re.
marked Philo Welland, chewing a
stalk of currant leaves. "If you lost
what little you've got, do you s'pose
this relativel O. yourn would raise a
finger to help you? Let every man
take care of himself, says J."
"And who knows" cried Desire,
brightly. "Perhaps we can get him
the district school to teach? I heard
Squire Loames shy that the new
teacher wasn't going to stay more than
quarter longer.
"I'm glad you can afford to take
rec boarder," said Mrs. Philo, acidly.
Me and your brother-we can't!"
"Do come in, now, and get the COT
fee" said Desire. ''And few late
strawberries, Mr.. Mr."
"Carey is my name," said the
stranger, who had stood immovable
beneath the fiery hail of this converse
tional episode. "That is to say, it is
my name now. I changed it to make
myself useful to rich old gentleman
in the East, who took n fancy to me
and LETT me his property in his will.
The only condition appended was that
I should take his nnme in addition to
my own. And Carey isn't q bad
name"
"Certainly it amt" said Phlo, with
watering eyes. 81 only wish wo had
few Of that sort OF old gentlemen
out this way. I'd change my name
half a dozen times day if it would
be any accommodation to 'em. So
you're rich, eli? Betsey"--to his
wlfe--"i this gentleman would be SO
kind as to come and take dinner with
us to-day"
"No," said the stranger, in a clear,
decisive voice. "Will you be so kind
already told you, is only my adopted
name. My real name is Ralph Vel.
land"
"What?" roared Philo.
Mrs. Philo scrambled so hastily to
her feet that she upset tho pail, half
full of currents. Miss Malvina dropped
her hoe; and Desire, who had just
brought out little saucer OF late,
luscious, red strawberries, stood
amazed at this revelation.
"You" she cried. "our Cousin
Rolf? And nearly hit you with the
stick chasing the COW and half startled
you out Of your SENSES"
"And taught me-" said the old bach.
elor, with strangely.sweet smile,
'that there is yet left spice OF un.
selfishness in the conglomerate called
human nature. Cousin Desire, I thank
you for the lesson. Believe me,
shall not soon forget it,"
And before the day was over he had
helped Miss Malvina finish her patch
OF sweet corn and mended the defec.
tive fence rails where the offending
COW had broken through, besides
stalking up the sweet.williams and
mailing the big rose tree to the frame
from whence its over. poisoning
weight had dragged it.
81 DECLARE" said Miss Malvina,
she's real comfort about the place. +"
"And he has travelled so much I"
cried Desire. "And he talks so beauti-
fullyl I only hope he'll be contented
here"
There was no sort of doubt about
that Rolf Welland Carey was very
we'll contented. He had always hun
gered and thirsted for the details of o
home life. Here it was to perfection.
But Mr.. and Mrs. Philo were not so
we'll suited. All their spasmodic
efforts toward friendliness were
checked with Arctic frigidity.
''It's too bad I" said Mrs. Philo, al.
most crying. "He'll be certain sure
to go and make a fool of himself by
marrying Desire. and we shall never
get cent of his money. Desire
ought to be ashamed to think of such
a thing at her agel"
But Desire was only forty, and there
are late roses as we'll as early ones.
At least, so Mr.. Welland thought. At
all events, he married Desire, and the
Philo Wellands we're disconsolate.
"It's all our bad luck |" said thoy.
For they had forgotten all about
the passage in the Bible that speaks
Of entertaining angels unaware. -
Saturday Nioht