The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-10-09
A HEROINE OF HOME
How She Entertained On Angel Unawares.

his pocket.
"SiEy boy! Silly boy! And yet he
doesn't know it," replied Uncle Mac
ruefully. For when l called at his
office to borrow five shillings off him
he said he had left all his money at
home But there" he added cheerfully.
Il have a sovereign, and We must
spend that. My lucky SOW. must 60"
Your lucky sovereign?' Queried Nell
lie
well, I call it my lucky sovereign"
said Uncle Mac. "because it was the
first sovereign ever earned, and it
happened to have the date on of the
very year / started to work as boy
of fourteen. I've kept it all these
years."
"Oh, you mustn't spend that" cried
Nellie. 'To-night Ted will be paid and
we shall be all right again. Come
down stairs and have some more Da-
con-"
Uncle Mac said he had never enjoyed
any meal so much as he did that bacon,
and after he had finished he proposed
that they should go for walk to-
gether.
Gas we can't afford tram ride" he
said. laughingly, we will just walk
round and think We are millionaires.
Nothing like building castles in the
air. my dear, when you are down in
the dumps. If you can't actually en-
JOY the things wealth would bring you
can look round the shops and see all
the pretty things. and then by little
imagination just consider they are
your own. Now, as moneys no object.
where shall We say we live?'
"Oh, at Highgate.' cried Nellie.
why Highgate?" asked Uncle Mac
seriously.
Because there's such lovely house
there to be let 1t stands in its own
ground, and I've often looked at it.
long before we We're married even.
think told you about it one day"
Finding the gate Of the house open
they ventured to look over it. Nellie |
waXed quite enthusiastic. and as they
went from room to room she furnished |
them sumptuously In her imagination.
Tha drawing room would be in gold
and white with, Louis XIV. style fur
niture.
Never heard of him." said Uncle
Mac, with conviction. "you must |
show me some of that on the way
home"
Nellie replied with a laugh that she
would show him the very thing she
meant in Dormans e. Browns Empo-
rum, and on the way back she pointed |
out many things she would like and |
have, ''if only they had plenty of |!
money"
When they got back Ted was waiting
for his dinner. and while the chops |
We're grilling Nellie told him the ad-
ventures of the day. During dinner
Uncle Mac. amid many bursts of laugh
ter. described the wonderful home in |
which Nellie would in ima agination,
live.
Uncle Mac started off early next
morning to get work, or. as he said, |
Idle in the attempt" Toward the end |
Of the second week Uncle Mac OBJ
tanned 'job." "Of course. it isn't ex-
actly the thing wanted" he ex-
planned, "but then, beggars can't be
choosers. I'm to get thirty-five shil-
lings a week, so 1 thought, Nellie, I
could pay you pound every Wednes-
day toward the housekeeping ex-
penses."
Matters We're so arranged, and Nellie
began to feel quite rich. 1t was sur
prising how much help that extra SOW
ereign was, and Nellie's nightmare Of
the end Of the week began to vanish.
Uncle Mac continued to come down
at 5, and Nellie and he still amused
themselves by building castles in the
air. and with looking in the shops.
At last, when everything seemed so
happy, Edward came down one night
with lard, drawn look upon his face.
He kissed his wife with great tender
ness at the door, and, with a shake in
his voice said: "Come into the kitchen,
Nellie"
What is 1t, Ted:" she asked anx-
lously.
'I've got the sack, Nellr' he said,
with sob.
For some moments they stood in ST.
lence, then he sank on chair and
buried his face in his hands.
''Well, my little love BIRDS, cried
Uncle Mac, entering from the garden.
''Why, what's the matter?'
In few broken words Nell told him
of this last and greatest trouble.
"Well, well.' said Uncle Mac, when
she had ended, keep brave heart,
my dear. and things may be all we'll
yet. 1 think Ted and I will take lit
tie walk up the street and talk matters
over"
When they came back she was lying
on the bed. where she had been crying
bitterly, but she tried to meet them
with smile.
After dinner Uncle Mac produced a
bottle of Australian wine from his bag,
and they each had glass, but 1t
seemed to make her tired and heavy,
and she felt as though she must SO to
sleep. Presently her head nodded, and
as she lost consciousness she thought
she hear Uncle Mac say: Garry her
to something.' Presently. in her sleep
she had beautiful dream. She
thought that she woke up and found
herself in the house at Highgate, fur
nished just as she always pictured it,
and Uncle Mac and Ted were there,
and they were talking and laughing
joyfully.
isn't it a lovely dream?" she said,
turning to Uncle Mae.
1T is not dream, my dear" he said.
softly. Il am not poor. as you think.
am very rich. I have bought you this
house and furnished it as you de-
scribed. and We brought you here in
VI ,1>,11