The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-20

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any young man with such name could
not be trusted to any great extent
.'Don't you know where he lives?''
.'No; I thought it was London from
some things he said, :" answered Miss
Rodney But do not know his ad-
dress. and no one there could tell ne
anything about him.
"Oh! You tried to find him, did your
How long had you known him?''
From the time I met him on the
Matterhorn until I parted with him on
coming back to the Mont Cervin hotel
at Zermatt. Miss Rodney replied
coldly.
..He may have been struck with you.
and perhaps he would be willing to tes-
tify to little thing like this to accom-
modate lady he liked. .
ooh! Why do you keep up this sort
of thing, uncle?' cried Miss Rodney
impatiently. "Why don't you be just
and do what you promised?'
:. 'Tisn't unjust if wait until I find
out. Get this young man. and if he
seems to be credible witness I'll be-
lieve him, said Uncle Josiah, with an
air of waving point in his niece's ia
vor. s'Then, again, look here! How do
know but that you'll go and take Car
rington, after all? You've got six or
seven months to consider that point.
Now, it wouldn't be square for me to
make such a handsome provision for
you if you were to step into your Aunt
Matilda S money. 'Twouldn't be right
to your sister. She wasn't offered tnis
chance. Ycu were your aunt's favorite
and came in for Carri1 gton and all the
good things" The old man chuckled at
bis own sense of humor.
Miss Rodney rose to her feet indig-
nantly. She had lost her temper at last.
Don't mention the name of that
miserable creature to me ever again,
she cried with indignation. 81 will
swear to you. if you would like 1t, that
will never wed the-oh, cannot
even speak his odious name! saw him
in London. and he insulted me after
ward by calling on me. Then be in
suited me further by writing letter,
evidently meaning to disgust me more
than ever with himself. He said he was
willing to marry me if / wanted him.
And you suggest the possibility of such
vile thing to me as thatl Have you
no decency? You may repudiate your
own paper and become thief, uncle.
she said violently, ''but how is it pos
sible for you to fall so far as to men
ton the name of any woman relative
of yours in the same breath with that
cur
Uncle Josiah was having a great deal
of enjoyment over this fiery niece OF
his His taste in enjoying such things
was unquestionably bad, unworthy an
uncle of his years and with a really
charming niece. when she was treated
with any kind of fitness. But he did
enjoy seeing her in a hot. indignant
mood
$50 you didn't take to Darlington,
not even when he said he was willing
to marry you. He may have wanted to
put himself on record as being willing.
because if he were to refuse you would
get the money. What did you CO to
him." he asked quickly.
Told him NO in way that could
leave no doubt in his mind, replied
Miss Rodney Don't talk about it any
more. The whcle sickening business
has made me hate the very name Of
Darlington. But you need not despite
him Sc much. After all, he was within
his right, and you are refusing to do
what justice and your own honor de
mand There is no use Of talking about
it any more. she concluded. rising to
go.
''Well. give me time to make the ar
rangement said Uncle Josiah. with
cajoling air. 'sYou DON expect me to
go right down to the bank and get It
nowl Besides. you ought to bring On
Strandham, Scanlon-what was his
name?-to prove your statement. You
could advertise for him in the London
Times. Say he will hear of something
greatly to yoor advantage if he comes
forward and says that he found sou
without chaperon on the Matterhorn. >
His niece disdained further remarks.
She rose and left Che room. The next
day Uncle Josiah. who had not doubted
her word in the least, made arrange
ments for transferring several blocks OF
gilt edged stock to her In his odd way
he said notiing of this Herather hated
to see his pluckv niece. whom he secret
" admired very much. become abso-
lutely independent of him. even though
she owed such freedom to himself
Miss Rodney kept her peace and
treated her uncle with an unvarvlns
reserve after this 1t tried him more
than she realized But she felt how
mean and unjust his conduct was. and
could not or would not make any at
tempt to cajole him into doing his duty
and redeeming his promise to her, One
thing s;le noticed and Mrs Rodney
also remarked it t-Uncie josiah did not
complain aud comment as much on eX-