The Saint Paul globe., 1900-10-29

shoes on Thursday-something extraordi-
nary must have happened!''
"Hush-sh-shr' came in laborious
whisper from behind, as Mrs. Mackenzie
hastened up the wooden stairs in her
wake, ''the servant, Molly; mind what
you say before the servant!"
"Auntie, I'll be as careful as if I was
the cZar of Russia, and Kate a whole
Nihilist suite: But I really must know
what is the maternity you are so mys-
terious and so queer. You haven't even
scolded me, you know, and I did rather
deserve scolding, L must own. Now,
what is the meaning of it all? Here come
in quick" impetuously drawing her aunt
into the tiny parlor, and banging the
door to-"now, auntie, now!"
well, my dear, after you left this
morning Kate brought me note from
Mr.. Burke, asking if he might call to
Here Mrs. Mackenzie paused.
Well"' breathlessly from Molly.
Well considered it would be right
eur family Ga lawyer tool to change my
other pause.
Aunt, why can't you. go on?', with the
pEettlest little froWn in the world. What
about?''
he began, said Mrs. Mackenzie, whose
solemnity had no whit relaxed, 'he be-
gan by asking which branch of the
O'Neills your mother belonged to; so
told him. 1t was well for her, my dear,
that your poor uncle so often dinned
your pedigree into my ears-he was proud
OF the ONeiu connection, why, / never
could think, for it seems to me a well-to-
do Mackenzie is as good as an impov-
er1shed O'Neill any day, and the Macken
Zies were Well-to-do not long ago. Well,
my DEAR Mr.. Burke was delighted, de-
nghted, L assure you; and when told
him of those old papers in your mothers
desk and how your uncle said they would
enable you to trace your descent ever so
far back, he almost jumped for joy"
Yes, but who wants to know about it?''
cried Molly, too much interested to make
any fiippant comments upon that astonsh-
ing possibility of good, rotund, equity Mr..
Burke being led away by his rapture to
indulge in athletic feats.
m going to tell you-dOn't interrupt
like that returned Mrs Mackenzie some
what testify. ''It seems Mr.. Burke has
lately been appointed man of business, or
legal adviser, or whatever you may call
it, to a very rich eccentric old lady. a
Miss O'NeiH, who he says, takes nobody's
most of her business herself. Well, this
old lady sent for him the other day, and
to his great surprise condescended to con-
suit him. 1t seems that she is the sole
representative, at least so far as any
body can make out of the elder branch
of the family. Of course there are
O'NeilIs by the score, but not her ONE lis.
There was an immense clan of them
once, but what with troubled times and
some of them emigrating and others going
abroad, they were scattered here Mrs.
through the air and waved them up and
down, to express wide dispersion-'scat-
tered in the most pitiable way, and in
fact have nearly, all died out The
belong, kept more together. rather
think they conformed, or something, 50!
Tn sure they did not"' interrupted
"Pray how do YOU know?' retorted
her aunt. Your poor uncle used to
complain that you never took the slight
you about your grandmother; you are
not likely, think, to be well up in the
doings of your more remote ancestors
What was L saying? You. do confuse
O'Neills kept more together and con-
tinued fairly prosperous till So, when
most Of then @ Were killed ruined ed and md
ginning of this century Hugh O'Neill,
your great grapdfather and his son were
the sole representatives of that branch
of the family. Do you follow me?"
81 think l do" returned Molly. ITS
rather confusing, you know; what with
this branch and that branch-but L am
Your great grandfather" pursued
Mrs. Mackenzie, solemnly. went to the
bad. Mr.. Burke said he was regular
which; but I remember thinking it a very
vulgar word, and wondering at his using
s'Never mind-the fact is the same,'
put in Molly, impatiently. 1--WE was no
great shakes as Kate would say. What
did he do?''
1T is well to be accurate, Molly, and
I am trying to remember Mr.. Burkes
exact words, so that there may be no
confusion. Hugh O'Neill was a very bad
man. very bad and after doing all sorts
of wicked things, he lost his money. His
eldest son emigra ted to America and
was never heard of after. His youngest
there were only two-remained at home,
living in great poverty, married, and diei
ter That daughter was your mother
Molly, so that you are the only repre-
sentative in direct descent of the younger
branch of the great O'Neill family
What, the mighty tree reduced to one
poor little twig!' laughed Molly, whose
blue eyes flashed with excitement. cts
too Why did none of my relations ever
find me out before?''
well. asked Mr.. Burke that, and he
explained it to me, but I did not alto
could not say Miss O'Neill was rela-
ton of yours, for that, for years Upon
years, the two branches, though spring
ing from the same root, were really dis
grandfather's misconduct, his descend
ants were completely ignored by the eld-
er representatives of the line.
Now, however, Miss O'Neill finding her
self alone in the world, and with the
prospect of going out of 1t in a few
years. for she is nearly eighty, is look
ing about for an heir. Failing, notWith-
standing all her researches. to discover
any representatives of the elder O'Neils,
she turned her attention to the younger,
and on consulting Mr. Burke as to the
best manner of tracing them, was over
joyed when he-as he assured me In
stantly named you. Well for you. my
dear, that your uncle was so fond of
posing as you called it, about the
oil nj h0F@f Y1nI Nhaxy