The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-28
UNCLE PETER AND LIZZIE.

tison to devote his young life to it's augmentation. Mattison said as far as coins Of current issue were concerned he had no. objection to acquiring a few, but they must be such as would be le- gal tender for all public and private debts. His idea of acquiring them was by the practice of medicine, which hardly argues. an oratorical turn of mind. The fact of the matter was that Mattison had an overdose of numisma- ties. Ever since his uncle took charge of him at the tender age of ten he had been forced to read up works on that interesting subject when his soul crayed an entirely different sort of ite- rature. He read them, but he prompt ly forgot them. He was a disappoint- ment to Uncle Peter.
 The end came at last. Mattison said he was tired of running about the coun- try to auctions and nosing into disrepu- table pawn and curio shops for bat tered old copper and silver and gold that couldn't be spent when aA fellow got it. T want a serious object in life,9 he said.
 Uncle Peter gasped. What more se- rious object could you have in life than the completion of the finest private col lection in this country-or any other?" he demanded, wrinkling his forehead.
 The trouble is it's never likely to be completed grumbled Mattison. If could hope 1t would be within a week or two I might stand it. want to study medicine.
 Uncle Peter settled his glasses on his nose. You are an unappreciative young idiot,'' he said sternly. You shall study medicine since you desire to fall to that level. will pay your tui- ton and make you small allowance until you graduate. After that you can shift for yourself, and you needn't expect anything more from me. I'll leave my collection to the nation and my money to an asylum for victims of medical science"
 That's decent of you, said Matti- son. Its all I could ask."
 Madison found a boarding house and a hospital and began his grind His new quarters were not by any means as luxurious as his old ones with Uncle Peter. Uncle Peter kept good cook, which was more than they did at the boarding house. Moreover, the allow ance was decidedly small. Mattison found cit hard sometimes to make it stretch over the mouth. Still, he worked hard and was not unhappy. In tI, ,f.,,r <sf 7, xyao,s !, 5 5 ing the fact that the breach between him and his uncle was unrepaired, he became almost perfectly happy. That was because the most charming girl |that ever existed owned 10 certain weakness for him.
 Shortly after the admission was made Mattison told her all about him self, as young men will. He confessed that he had nothing to offer but a faithful heart and a strong, right arm which latter qualification he immedi- ately demonstrated that he had chosen the thorny path of independence in preference to the bounty of a rela- tion, who was a dear old man, though a crank on the subject of coins.
 "Of what?n asked the girl.
 Coins replied Mattison "old coins. He collects them, you know -clear daf- fy on them. We had a row because he wanted me to be deputy collector for the rest of my life"
 "Ohi" said the girl. Then she was thoroughly silent. When Mattison asked her what she was thinking of she said she thought it was his duty to tell his uncle of his engagement. Ac cordingly Mattison wrote. His uncle was usually out when he called. Uncle Peter replied promptly that he consid- cred Madison had afforded him fresh proof of his mental incapacity. That was not encouraging. Mattison felt. He said so to the girl.
 It's no more than you deserve" " she said, I think you treated the dear old gentleman very badly"
 Why, Lizzieln said Mattison.
 T don't care" she said There are worse occupations than collecting coins. And now want you to take me to see Uncle Peter
 Uncle Peter was taken by surprise, but having once admitted the pair, he was the sort of man to be polite, if frosty. The girl had a way of dispell- | ing frostiness in any male between ten and eighty, however and Uncle Peter thawed visibly until she asked to see the collection. Then he congealed a lit tie again. T am afraid itAwould bore you he said.
 "Oh, please, said the girl. And then to Mattison: You stay where you are. J
 So the old man took her to his cabinet alone, and as one by one he opened them and displayed their tarnished con tents he saw that her expressions of surprise and delight were genuine.
 Here's a gold bonnet piece of James V," she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, as she took up smoothly worn coin from its velvet bed.
 How did you know that?" asked Uncle Peter in amazement.
 Just as know this is a silver tea spoon,'' she answered, smiling. "And this is a darga of the fourteenth centu- ry and this a Jewish shekel, with the l pot of mama on the obyerse. Where did you get it? And here's an Angus tan sestertus. Oh, never saw any thing like this! Look at the commem- orative Hadrian!'