Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-08-19

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,SA%LS "Don't bother me !"
hN) 81 "It will be my
~ Nonsense you'll
console yourself with some other girl. !"
"Pray-"
Ny uncle, whose back had been to-
wards me, whirled round, his face red
to bursting, and brought his closed
fist down upon the counter with o
heavy thump.
"Never!" he cried; "Deyer DO you
hear what 1 say?"
And as ] looked at him beseech-
ingly and with joined hands, he went
on:
ga pretty husband you look like! !
without sou, and dreaming of going
into housekeeping! A nice mess L
should make of it, by giving you my
daughter! It's no use your insisting.
You know that when I have said no,
nothing under the sun can make me
say 'Yes!'"
+ ceased to make any further appeal.
/ knew my uncle-about as headstrong
On old fellow as could be found in q
days search. J. contented myself with
giving vent to deep sigh, and then
went on with the furnishing of big,
double-handed sword, rusty from
point to hilt.
This memorable conversation took
place, in fact, in the shop of my
maternal uncle, a well-known dealer in
antiquities and objects dart, No, 53,
Rue des Claquettes, at the sign OF the
..Maltese Cross"-a perfect museum
of curiosities.
The walls were hung with Marseilles
and old Rouen china, facing ancient
cuirasses, sabres, and muskets, and
picture.irames; below these were
ranged old cabinets. Golfers of all
sorts, and statues of saints, one.armed
or one-legged for the most part and
dilapidated as to their gliding; then,
here and here, in glass cases, herme-
tically closed and locked, there were
knick. .knacks in infinite variety
lachrymatories, tiny urns, rings, pre-
cious stones, fragments of marble,
bracelets, crosses, necklaces, medals
and miniature ivory statuettes, the
yellow tints of .M'i"h, in the SUP,
took momentarlly !. n,sh-like trans
parency.
Time ont of mind the shop had be-
lop2ed To Tie Cornuherls. 1t passed
regularly from iasber to SOD, anu my
uncle-his neighbors said-could not
but be the possessor Of nice little
fortune. Held in esteem by oil, a
Municipal Councillor, impressed by
the importance aud gravity of his
Office, short, fat, highly choleric and
headstrong, but at bottom not in the
least degree an unkind sort of man
such was my uncle Oornubeft, my
only living male relative. who, as soon.
as l left school, had elevated me to the
dignity of chief and only clerk and
shopman OF The "Maltese Cross.
But my uncle WAS not only dealer
in antiquities and o Municipal Coun-
cilor. he was yet more, and, above all,
the father OF my cousin, Rose, with
whom I was naturally in love.
To come back to the point OF which
/ digressed.
Without paying auy attention to the
sighs which exhaled from NY bosom
while securing the rust from by long,
two-handed sword, my uncle, magni-
flying glass in hand, was engaged in
the examination of lot of medals
which he had purchased that morning.
Suddenly he raised his head; five
o'clock was striking.
'rThe Council!" he cried.
When my uncle pronounced that
august word it made mouthful; for
pin he would have saluted it bare
headed. But this time, after q mo-
mept's consideration, he tapped his
forehead and added, in tone OF
supreme relief:
"No, the sitting does not take place
before to-morrow-and l am forgetting
that I have to go to the railway station
to get the consignment of which I wss
QQN1S6u lQlS uOTuluS.
Rising from his seat and laying down
his glass he called out:
"Rose, bring me my cane and hat r'
Then, turning toward me, lie added,
in lower tone and speaking very
quickly:
Gas to you--don't forget our con-
versation. If you think you can make
me say yes, try-but l don't think
you'll succeed. Meanwhile not word
to Rose, or by Saint Barthelemy, my
patron OF happy memory, I'll instantly
kick you out of doors!"
At that moment Rose appeared with
my uncle's cane and hat, which she
handed to him. He kissed her on the
forehead; then, giving me last but
eloquent look, hurried from the shop.
'I went on securing my double
handed sword. Rose came quietly
toward me.
.'What is the matter with my
father?" she asked; she seems to be
angry with you. +"
looked at her-her eyes were SO
black, her look SO kind, her mouth so
rosy, and her teeth SO white that 1
told her all--my love, my suit to her
father, and his rough refusal. I could
not help it-after all, it was his fault !
lie was not there; ] determined to
brave his anger. Besides, there is
nobody like timi1 persons foE display
ing courage under certain circum-
stances.
My cousin said nothing; she only
held down her eyes-while her cheeks
were as red as those OF cherries in
May.
Ichecked myself.
care you angry with me?" /
asked, tremblingly. "Are you angry
with me, Rose?"
She held out to me her hand, On
that, my heart seethlng with audacity,
my head on fire, / cried:
"Rose-I swear it? I will be your
husband" and as she shook her head