The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-01

room, now reappeared with strange
! promptitude.
''Show this-this person to the doorp'
fumed Van Doren. Then, wrathfully,
to his nephew: ''Your scheme has mis-
carried, sir-completely miscaried!'
and, hurrying to pair of heavy fold
ing-doors, which were partly divided,
he passed through the aperture, closing
it behind him an instant later in noisy
and savage fashion.
Stanfeld as he quilted the house,
laughed aloud a laugh of the heartiest
scorn. WAS there ever such an old
beast?" he said to his wife after reach
ing home and telling her how he had
been treated.
mo wonder he acted to my poor
mother as he did Upon my word, when
think his conduct over in it's true con-
temptible colors, l wonder that ever his
age and kinship prevented me from
giving him the soundest of thrashings.''
But before evening all had changed
| Myndherst Van Doren presented him
self at the lodgings of Stanfield that
afternoon and harshly begged his
nephew's pardon. He performed this
duty with much awlzwardness, but en-
phatically he performed it nevertheless.
''Of course you saved my life" he
said, 'and played a very shabby part
to you this morning in speaking as /
did. beg you to forgive an old man
for letting his bitter tongue run away
with him. l know I'm Grabbed and
surly and all that. What you said about
| haircr NV na11bnyxr c,,ro,,iSnA mo uopI
deal, but l don't mean that such sur
prise was the slightest excuse. Now,
there; will you be kind enough to ac-
cept my apology and-and"-here the
old man seemed hesitating how to con-
clude his peaceable overtures, and then,
with a sudden curt briskness, concluded
-'agree that you and | shall turn over
an entirely new leaf?"
Flushed and stern. Stanfeld had lis
tened, and here he glanced at Martha,
who was not far away, and who gave
him little nod suggesting Precipitation.
Van DOren's hand was now slightly
lifted. His nephew gnawed his lips for
moment and then went forward and
took it.
Il will do as you say, sir, he replied,
not be soiled by any misconduct of my
own
Martha, who had been secre tly quiz
ering with nervous dread, here struck
in a gentle laugh, and said, as she
Joined her husbands side: please let
me be counted in, too, for all Alfred's
friends are mine, and if you will receive
him as your real nephew at last you
must let me become your real niece be-
sides"
This little speech was given with
much grace and winsomenesS, but it
seemingly had no effect upon Van Doren.
His manner grew, indeed, somewhat
grimmer, now that his apology had
been made and accepted. After having
seated himself at the request of his
host, he bluntly said:
I'm not going to beat round the
bush-what's the use? I've got a pref
ty fair pile of money that it took me a
lot of time and trouble to make. l
shouldn't be surprised if I'm what peo-
pie would call miser, | let 'em talk
, as they choose. Now, of course it isn't
going to be very pleasant for man
who's as fond Of his dollars as l am to
give you many of 'em down. l won't
do anything of that kind. | can't and |
won't" Here Stanfield and his wife
exchanged chances, and the eyes of the
, former seemed to say: "Oh, the I'M
speakable old skinfiint.'
, 'But I'll tell you what l will do"
: Van Doren soon resumed, with a keen
! though side-long look at his nephew.
II no
, with it. That oughtn't to be so long,
, either I'll reach siXty-eight my next
: birthday. My father died at tifty-siX
and both my brothers went at ages I'M
der thirty" He now gave husky lit
: tie laugh about as joyless as the turn
: ing of a rusted key in it's lock. $50,
: you see, the chances are against your
/ waiting very long. I'll send for a law
, yer tomorrow, and by next Thursday
! the will can be fully drawn up. | in
v tended giving it all to charities, but in
: stead of that I'll leave every dime of ii
\ to the nephew that saved my life at the
+ risk of his own. Now, what do you
q think of this arrangement? Does il
r satisfy you? Because if doesn't" fin
r ished Van Doren, rising, I'm afraic
L IL altogether lllc DCSG L CtIll W.
G His own face had soured as he
IL watched the expression wrought by
G these words on the face of his nephew
il But Stanfeld's reply, though very
r frank, was quite free from i'll feeling.
Naturally" came his answer, Il do
n not wish to concern myself with any,
It compact that bears relation to you
r death. Still, if you are willing to mal1'
o me your heir, l can but thank you fol
having so decided, and yet" he con
tinued, 81 would ask you, sir, for SOM
immediate help. Our needs are grow
ing urgent, though they are not at al
excessive My wife and could live o.
very moderate annuity. If you woul
consent to aid us with IL certain month
ly sum ] could, perhaps-indeed, mos
probably-succeed in getting clerk