Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-07-28
Uncle Cafeb'S win.

4-sS-@f94~9A+9aSF +@i-3-f3
"You mean that you can't put your
self ont to give your mothers brother a
nights lodgingi" said Caleb CheYerel
bitterly.
The March wind. bearing dust, grit
and bits of flying paper on its restless
wings, came whistling around the cor
ner, lifted the old mans faded com.
forter's ends and turned his blue nose
a shade bluer still. while Mrs. Larlrins.
his eldest niece, stood in Der doorway,
filling mp the aperture with her ample
person in such n way as TO suggest the
familiar legend. "No hdmittance.
"I'm very sorry said Mrs. Larkins
etinly, "bGt we have but one spare
room. and that is ct present occupied
OF course / should Ne glad to do all l
could for you, but
81 understand, | Understand, " eald
Uncle Cheyerel, turning coldly away
"T1l go to my rieee Jenny | wish
you a very good evening
Mrs. Larkins closed the door with a
sigh Of very esident relief.
~ dare say Jenny will take care of
him." she said philosophically, "jcnny
has a smeller family than / have, Bat
l don't see Why he can up to London,
instead Of staying peaccably down in
Tortoise Hollow. where he belongs"
Mrs.. Jenny Eldertop. Mr.. Cheverel's
youngest niece, had a smaller family
thoI her sister Rebecca; but. then, sue
had a smaller income as we'll She had
just finished u vigorous days cleaning
when UBcle Caleb was announced.
''Oh. drat tie mani said Mrs. e.
dortop, %wringing her parbciled fingers
out of a basin Of steaming ~soarsuds.
"What sends him here Of all the times
in the worldf'
And che went down stairs ungraci-
ously enough to the street door, where
her husband was welcoming the old
stranger.
Gene in. Uncle Cheverel. come in,
said honest viii Eldertop. Were all
upside down here-we mostly are. now
that the spring cleaning is going on.
Bot there's room for you If you don't
mind the children and their noise, and a
little smell of whitewash in the spare
foom.
Mrs Eldertop's welcome was by no
means so cordial. She looked, TO use a
common expression, vinegar and darn
ing needles" at the visitor, while in her
Utmost soul she calculated the prob
ability of the cold boiled han and tur-
nips holding ont for one more at supper.
'0Come. Benny, don't scowl so, said
Mr.. Eldertop, when Uncle Caleb had
gone up stairs to wash his hands and
face. ''Ain't he your uncle"
"a good for nothing old vagabond,"
enid Mrs. E!dertop acidly, without a
halfpenny laid up ahead.
"For all that he's your guest, said
her husband. land you're bound to be
civil to him, And here's his o~vercoat
now with a big zigzag rent in it. Just
mend 1t while you're waiting for the
kettle TO boil"
IL WON'T" said Mrs. Eldertop.
IAN right" retorted her lord ard
master. ''Then I'll take ii next door to
Alexia Allen to mend"
Now. Miss Allen. the tailoress, who
lived in the adjoining house, was
pretty and buxom to look upon, and
Mrs. Eldertop had nursed comfortably
a jealousy of her for tho last four years.
you'll do 10 such thingr' said Jen-
ny tartly. "'Hand it herel'
And she threaded a needle with black
silk and thrust her finger into Il thimble
very much as a determined crusader of
old might have donned sword and shield
for some encounter with the Moslem.
whats that2" said Mr.. Eldertop,
for a folded paper fell from the pocket
Of the garment as his wife turned it up
side down.
"Some tomfoolery or other, answer
ed Mrs. Jenny brusquely.
81 fancy you're mistaken, " said Mr.
Eldertop TITS the rough draft of a
will"
"But he's got nothing to leave. re-
torted Mrs Elderlop.
I'm not so certain Of that, " retort-
ed Will. "Just look here, Jennyl 4
give and bequeath to my two beloved
nieces, in equally divided parts, the
sum Of el0, 600, at present invested in
c~onsols, and -
''Go onf" said Mrs. Eldertop breath
lessIy. "Read the rest.
''There is no rest, " said her hus-
band. ''That's the end Of the paper.
It's only a rongh draft, l tell you. And
now what's your opinion of Uncle
Cbeverel's foTtunesf'
Hes been a miser all along" said
Mrs. Eldertop. her face growing radiant,
''making up poor mouths and travelling
around the country with all this money
in the funds, a regular old character
just like those one reads about in
novelsl Put II back. win; put it back.
We've no business to DO prying into
Uncle Caleb's secrets. But what a bless
iug il Is be came here instead Of stop
ping at Rebecca Larkins'."
And when Uncle Cheverel came down
stairs he was surprised at the sweet
smiles with whfrh hfa nfeca fanny wal