New-York tribune., 1898-10-09
JOHNS BIT OF STRATEGY.


properly on her demise, Still. under my. unele,s
Snd had she @ chosen los to make The whole estate over
to a total stranger nobody could have prevented II;
his n f in FAT nsc yo hea WS e No.
Then think it will interest you. for some or its
't You never YER saw IN nv uncle and aunt? They were
two nice old ps2Pe extremely knd weTe ana p eOcn cut
out at all for county peoplo-the position in whcn
they found themselves after my uncle purchased
sclf-made man. lie amassed his fortune ga at
MY aunt in heS nee1 so nanr @
ally il not to hc expected that she should have
their residence here they went down better than
you might have supposed This ! imasine was was
teniioHs or vulgar Indeed two more simple
affected old people have seldom met; They al
tended to be anything else. And so. being kindly.
simple and natural they so SHOn made themselves
| have said that my uncle and aunt were some
men ons who sas
than themselves. You really should nave seen ION,
sa he peecy to family but
one of the oldest men you ever saw lie was aoou'
gard as a sort of brother and whose interests ne
watched over with more than brotherly soncl-
toward his master and mistress would be 10 convey
wrong h me- eeTgF regard rdoS Win Which
ne was treated by them. Yet he often said TO mem
shpFs ny SSe %nch al SppAt tha% @ h own would
sounded inexcusable and even o%utrase%ous' % % inat a
with him in this direction which somehow robbed
his plan-spoken utterances OF every uhse oil u'S
When my uncle died-an event that nearly broke
Johns heirt-the faithful servant CONSTITUTES MN, MN
sell more than guardian of the family inter,
ests lie looked after my aunt almost as II she nau
been child II r oo HSr had
begun to fail little since my uncles death N',t Hot
@ s k 5se n0 and dase
this weak -mndedness of hers assumed a most aD, %
sufd and, for old lady, most lhcOtSruo,u'
Ii Is
veiops foolish sentimentali,y when an a. old od lany 10Y
aunt did She imagined herself still. suseep'ihIle sS hIle
OF The tender passiGnat seyenyof foT aTaons
Really doWmrisht nen ths n5s' laugh
able aspect of the matter grew less pronounced "a a
serious. a disastrous consequence oesan -
There had lately come into the neshborho0d II a
certain retired Major. by name Mallaby Well
probably sixty y-fve-tall. handsome. and OF IN
gradating manners and addiess A IN & que G IN dine
he became rather frequeni, vSTr lnId at m m mn
aunt house Aaything so rh sbis sidry bacheor
lad never masined And If i had mot Degn b Ti
uD'ii il was too late one morning. however. John
cane into the library. where was alone readlns,
win very perturbed expression on his solemn
Master Charlie" he blurted out. coming close up
pndm tG me a!S This s'SRn'ni %a%ni tni du.. 0''' " ~
What wont do John | was conStrainod 10 IN
This what's going on between thy aunt and yon
@Gh;r laughed lightly That's all?''
And bean't it enough demanded John almost
IT'S silly of poor old aunt. Of cogrse ! ,i sqid; i
and makes her rather laughing stock; .; S,ii ,o IL
amuses her to think she's getting up a h"tatoh'
And after all there's no harm done .,,
Bcnt thsre rsiO3ed ned John hn .,Gr in I ygTy Sisn
What do you mean. john? exclaimed x,s-
Mean" retorted honest John evidently exas-
perated by what he considered my whlu oDtuS"
ness "If-thee cannot see. thee's no better nor d
You don't really mean that you think anything
serious is likely to come of these foolish hirtauohS
Depends what thee calls serious Some folks
might call marriage serious SOM some migh'n l.
Pooh man Impossible! Why. aunt is seventy
five , :, ,oo,,
her age wouldn't be no hindrance. as II am peeI
TO many silly old women before now, answered
John sententiousy And ! warn nee s1ielthiy so IN ~
Master Charlie. that if you or | or both OF US
doant interfere at once. Major Millaby Will marry
the mistress Which is the same thing as saving tha'
he'll get her leave i'm the property said John,
with a troubled shake of the head. she being IN
that weak. foolish state as shell DO AWNING at
the word OF one who gets influence over her
' Sidn.t laugh now Johns solemn words Were
beginning to alarm me: knew ne was a shreW \
Old fellow with very keen insight into things ana
BY no means the sort to take fright al iIothils.
r. R.sidcs the result which he feared even If only a
remote chance. frausht with consequences TOO
disastrous to be lightly disregarded' thereio'e
said . , . .
What's to be done, John: How are we to put
John rubbed his bald head houghifully. 49,,
I'D like forbid the Major the hoose iseii ne s1id Gd
that neither of us being the masters OF the esiab-
lshment." ,, , 80
ae nnGh'r hs Msfsa sFeae 2ni
What a pity thee'rt thee aunts nephew. and cannot
marry her theeself That would be gran wa!
Out of the difficulty. indeed. If IT wasn't Tor the
table Of affinties =. ,. ,,A
Really. Johq. smiled even @ i ,5Iy wa5nt With With
in The forbidden degrees. | could hdIdy eDrlns
my o