Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-23
\ EAR BROTHER jun: This is
a very nice place, and am en-


drive over twice day. Miss Laura
lets me drive sumtimes, but she's
afrade lie get the horse-his name is
The lookout of the stile Of driving
that women prefur. And when l titen
up on the lines and The Dock strikes
q lively clipp, she says 'Steddy, Tom
N.Y., and then l have to pull him in.
But she is a nice girl Notwithstanding.
She has the prittiest brown hair, and
such depe darke eyes, and such
sweet way Of speekin'. And they
have butiful home. Its on hill and
you can see miles around 1t. From
my window l can catch site Of the
lake thru a gap in the hills. It's
very nice lake tho not dope enuff to
drown me-and Laura's father owns
it. They say he is pritty rich. Mr..
Rummidge-he sells books in the vii
lage and lets you borrow them for too
sents day-says Laura's father Is
village Creeses. 1t tells about Creeses
somewhere in a book and he was the
richest man in the State, but | think
he is dead now. 1 CESS you must have
heard about him. He was a HISTORY
kal carackter. l wish you was here,
Brother jim. We'd have crate times.
14auras most as good as q boy for
havin fun. Thare l heer her calm.
The Dock is a-champin on his bit
and Waitin' impashent at the cassel
gait. That's the way Laura talks.
She's most as good as a play actor.
Aunt Emmyline says Lauras roman
tick So must close. Write just as
soon as you hear from papa and mann
ma From your loving brother,
"TOM."
James Thornton, rising young attor-
ney, smiled over this epistle and laid
1T away carefully in a pigeonhole Of
his desk, whence it would be taken
and inclosed with his next letter to
the absent parents across the sea.
There was a long gap between broth
er Jim, aged 81, and brother Tom,
aged IL, and this gap had seemingly
drawn them closer together. To broth
er Jim, brother Tom had never seem
gu Tile dSSIdNdLSu AulOduCC LAdL AALCAC
brothers usually appear in the eyes Of
older brothers. Jim had looked with
amused tolerance on Toms widest
pranks, and as for Tom-well, there
were few heroes Of childish romance
that did not suggest his clever big
brother. And Tom had been left in
Jim's care while the father and not
overstrong mother went abroad for
the latter's health. 1t was hot sum-
mer, and Tom was convalescing from
q severe case Of measles, and so Jim
thought it wise to pack him off to
little village that nestled in the woods
OF the upper Hudson, where he was
sure to receive the best Of care at the
home of a superannuated bookkeeper
of the firm Of which James Thornton
was the newly admitted junior mem
Der. And it was from Bookkeeper
man had fairly kidnapped him. True,
she wrote a model letter to Jim, In
which she requested the loan Of his
young kinsman, but before his answer
could be received she had him install
ed at Greycrag, and in a position to
add his petition to hers:
He was such a delightful boy, she
wrote, and he would make the hours
at Greycrag seem SO much less lone
some. Saving for the presence Of a
maiden aunt she was quite alone there,
her father and mother having gone
to California to take an invalid sister
of the latter Besides she was sure
the altitude Of Greycrag was quite GER
tain to hasten the return Of Tommy's
strength. She hoped this was not
taking a liberty, but she had never
seen a boy who charmed her quite as
much-perhaps because he reminded
her Of little brother who had passed
away In his seventh year.
What could Brother Jim do? He
wrote qualified acceptance Of this
letter Of invitation. She must prompt
" return Tom when she tired of him.
She mustn't tolerate him If he proved
to be rude or unmanageable. And he
would ask it as a particular favor If
him any infraction Of conduct of
which Tom might be guilty Being
30 very much the youngest of the
family" he wrote, in conclusion, II
fear that we fail to realize how thor
Oughly he is spoiled. No doubt you
will find this out very soon. The mo-
ment you do, kindly return him to Mr..
Barclay, to be left until called for"
Miss Laura Garman briefly acknowI-
edged Brother Jims letters, promising
to faithfully abide by all its condi-
lions, and thanking Jim for acceding
to her request.
So Brother Tom was ensconced in the
Garman household, and, as his many
letters set forth, was having the time
OF his life. AT least half of each epistle
was given up to this theme, while the
other half was devoted to the charms
of Miss Laura