Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-13

Uncle Coleman put down his news.
paper, pushed his spectacles up on
his forehead and glared at his neph-
ew.
"Going TO marry Lucia Frothing-
ham?" he cried, after gasping awhile
in sheer dismay. "You IDIOT"
"Thanks," was the cool reply. 81
know you do not admire the lady,
"but where there is strong mutual
love-"
"Strong mutual fiddlestick" inter
rupted Uncle Coleman, contemptuous-
ly. "You may love her; she is pretty
and fascinating, but what she loves is
your bank account, my boy. / knew
It would be 40 when your Aunt Jennie
left you q cool hundred thousand. But
boys will be boys. Only, for good
ness sake, wait year or two before
you saddle yourself with Wife"
81 am q, SIR" with an immense
air Of dignity.
"And | an Ga! Now, Frank, do
hear reason. Lucia rockingham is u
fascinating woman, touching the thir-
ties, II not already over the line - a
finished flirt and as mercenary as she
Is pretty. L know her, and / tell you
her affection is centred upon your
Aunt Jennie's legacy aud the half mil
lion in perspective at my bankers.
"Uncle Coleman" cried his neph-
CIV, holly. 81 never thought of it, much
less spoke Of it,"
81 don't suppose you ever did
Having always had an independent in
come, / don't think you ever counted
on dead mans shoes. But Miss
rockingham was educated in the hard
school of gentoel poverty, and rich
husband il the prize for which she
has studied and toiled, for'-well, say
ten years. She was in society before
You were done playing with tops
and marbles"
"Uncle Coleman. You are speaking
Of my betrothed wife, remember.
"Hem"
"Years are of no consequence where
there is true love-"
"Hemw
"And 1 love Lucia as she loves
me-"
"Not bit of it,"
Tomorrow she goes to Saratoga,
and If you can spare me 1 will go,
too"
"And tho business in Hartford? i
should advise you to attend to all
matters belonging to yonr aunt's es-
tate as soon as possible, Frank"
cit may keep me in Hartford a
month" said Frank, disconsolately.
Coleman Burke looked with pity
ing affection ut his young relative
such q boy yet in many matters, though
he had reached "man's estate"
"a month that may settle your
whole fortune" he said Remember
men do not fall heir to q hundred
thousand dollars more than once in a
lifetime"
81 suppose must CO."
ut will be best. Besides" added
Uncle Coleman, dryly, at will be a
good test OF your lady loves con-
stancyl"
II am not afraid Of her forgetting
me-" said Frank, loftily.
''You are actually engaged?"
Certainly l bought diamond
ring at --'s yesterday and put i;
on her taper finger last evening""
Hem! Well, tho fool-killer hasn't
been here lately, that's certain. There,
be off and let me finish my paper in
peace. You will go to Hartford?"
"Yes."
But after his nephew left him, Cole
man Burke let his paper lie idly upon
his lap, while he fell into fit Of mus
ing, often interrupted by impatien,
calculations. He was man, as he
had said, past GO, and he had been q
childless widower for 80 years, while
four little graves beside that of his
wife recorded the heart history of his
life.
When he had lived lonely and sin.
cere mourner for many long years, his
brother and wife died, leaving Frank,
. curly-headed boy, to the care Of his
Uncle Coleman. All the long sealed
fountains Of love in the desolated
heart opened to pour out their aflec
tion upon the child. He was truly
the very sunlight Of the old mans ex'
istencc, and though his manner had
been cynical, his heart had been sorely
wiring by the announcement OF his en-.
gagement, but not from any paltry
jealousy or mercenary motive. Had
Frank loved true, tender woman,
were she beggar, his uncle would
have given her father'slove and vel
come. But by the light of his own
brief married happiness he read the