The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-05-28
CHAPTER XXVI.

The winter set in sharply that year,
like the sudden frost to the hopes Of
Reuben Culwick and his second cousin.
1t was a severe winter, that nippcd
things to the heart before the old year
was seven days dead A few weeks had
gone by since the date of our last chap
ter, and all with whom we are Interested,
or in whom we have endeavOred to raise
an interest had settled down to the POI
sition born of the discovery of Miss Hol-
lands good fortune.
Miss Holland had not been found, de-
spite much pertinacious searching; the
boxes remained unclaimed at Sedge Hill,
| and Sedge Hill was held in trust for her.
Those interested in advertisements Won
dered who Miss Holland was and Why
her friends were begging her to return,
and hear Of something to her advantage.
Reuben Culwick accepted the position
very cheerfully. although Lucy Jennings
thought that he was too cheerful to be
natural. He was anxious to see the pro-
visions of his fathers will carried out
in their entirety, and he showed no sense
of disappointment at the low estate to
which they infallibly reduced him. He
had confidence in himself, and he was
anxious to do justice to Mary Holland,
despite the unjust character of will
which struck him ont of affiuence.
He was rising in the world, too. The
work grew under his hand. debts became
less. more money fell to his share from
the great lOttery-bag of letters, and if
there were no big prizes. still he drew no
blanks. Among the busy Unknown crowd
of clever newspaper men," he was al
ready known, and three weeks ago the
promoters of the Trumpet had burst out
with big offices and more machinery, and
higher terms for Reuben, who had been
with them in struggling days, and was
now called upon to share little in their
prosperity.
He was happy in his courtship, too, for
he found many opportunities to see his
Second Cousin Sarah. and she was glad
-ah! very glad-to see him. Sarah was
in LondOn-in apartments i'll York road.
Lambeth with the woman who had striv-
Ell hard not TO have her for a companion
or friend, and yet whom she had conquer
ed by that sweet persistency which was
an attribute of her character. Sarah
Eastbell was very much alone in the
world now. and when the signal of dis
tress had been raised, Lucy Jennings,
with all her hardness was at her best,
and ready to he of assistance.
Reuben came counting in the evening,
once or twice week at first, when the
newspapers would allow him; and there
were odd half holidays when Reuben
and Sarah would stroll in st. James
Park. and talk of the happiness ahead.
They both spoke of the patience to wait
nfh nd n
happy future-and they laughed togeth-
er, not before Lucy, at Lucy's past fore
bcdings Of the misery In store for them.
Tots was at Reuben's house in Drury
Lane, too. His love for this little waif
was still as much part of his life as his
love for his second-cousin. Tots he.
longed to old days; she had been his one
comfort when he felt wholly desolate;
she had been lost. and his heart had
been terribly wrung In losing her; she
was back. and as fond Of him as ever. al.
though there had come never again a
memory Of Hope Lodge. His landlords
wife took care of her as Lucy Jennings
had done, and 1t was pleasant to have
Tots with him at breakfast time.
John had been always fond of Tots,
He taught her to call him Uncle John
again, and though the child was older
and sharper than when Reuben found her
first In Camberwell there was quickly a
return to the old affection under the old
kindness and attention. Life with Cap
tain Peterson and his brothers had not
hurt her-it was part of bad dream
in the beginning of pew year, though
the dream figures had scarcely vanished,
and one presently crossed her path, and
startled her.
ITO lie contiuuedl