The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-12-05

up man with ruddy COM
plexion, keen black eye s,
and leg-of mutton whiskers, which
were white as snow. And Miss Nelly
Torrance sat looking at him timidly
from the depths of the big armchair
in which he had beckoned her to
seat herself.
$50 you are my Cousin Adrian's
daughter?" said he after long
pause.
"Yes," said Nelly wondering what
was in all those mysterious tin boxes,
and whether the monster iron safe
was full of gold and silver pieces.
"And you want something to do?"
Eyes, please"
"HumphW said Mr.. Brown.
Nelly glanced shyly up into his
face.
"But," she added with some spirit,
II am not asking for charity. | am
willing 10 work"
''You mean that you would like to
daub canvas, or sew yellow sunAow-
ers on green plush screens" satiri-
cally observed the old gentleman. 81
don't call that work"
''Nor I, either" retorted Nelly.
''Then what do you mean" said
Mr.. Brown.
81 mean that l shall be glad to do
any sort of honest work by means OF
which l can earn my own living"
"Humphp again interjected Mr..
Brown. "Can you cooke"
"Yes," Nelly answered.
|sI don't believe it!
But can"
every WE'LL" said Mr.. Brown, re-
leasing his coat-tails and sitting down
at his desk as if the question were
definitely disposed of. ''My cook
went away this morning. I haven't
engaged any one in her place. You
may come this afternoon and see
what you can do for me"
Mr.. Brown fully expected that his
young cousin would recoil indig-
nantly from this proposal, but she
did nothing of the sort. She simply
said, "Yes, Cousin John" and asked
him for his private address.
"Mind you're punctual, my dear, !"
said he as he handed her the pen
cilled card.
Il am always punctual." calmly re-
sponded Nelly.
Mr.. Brown watched her out of the
Office with quizzical twinkle in the
corner of his eye.
"She won't come" he said to him.
self. 'I've seen the last of my fine
relation"
Nelly Torrance went home to lit
tie second floor room, the cheapest
which the widow and her daughters
could find.
Mrs. Adrian Torrance was dressed
in black. She was a fair, delicate
piece of human china, who had been
like the lilies of the field in that she
toiled not, neither did she spin. Lu-
cetta, the older daughter, was trying,
,unsuccessfully enough, to trim
black crepe bonnet, by the window.
They had come up from the coun-
try at Lucetta's suggestion to appeal
in their poverty, to this rich cousin
of the dead father and husband; but
none of them anticipated any very
satisfactory results from the expert
ment.
"These rich people are always mis-
erly," said Miss Lucetta.
"And I've understood" sighed the
gentle little widow. 'that he was
not pleased when poor dear Adrian
married me instead of Miss Gold
bags, the rich pawnbroker's daugh-
ter"
"Well?" cried Mrs. Torrance, eager
lY, as Nelly entered.
"What does he say7" questioned
Lucetta, dropping the fold of Grape
which she was vainly endeavoring to
fashion into what the fashion plate
called an "oblong bow"
81 have seen him" said Nelly, I'M
tying her bonnet strings, "and I'm
going to his house in Grandover
Park this afternoon"
"You don't mean," cried Mrs. Tor
rance, with spasmodic catching of
her breath, shat he is going to adopt
youi"
"Not in the least" said Nelly.
Now, mamma darling, don't jump at