Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-01-26

thing peculiar in his appearance, Uncle
John, unbent as an Indian with his
sixty odd years, walked into the sit.
ting room.
''It's a nice day, thought I'd come
and take one of the girls for a ride
he said
Olive and Ora hastily escaped from
the room, Matte bent silently over her
sewing, Laura shifted, Nell giggled; on
ly Bess spoke up, queenly and well:
"How kind of you, uncle; l shall be
delighted to go. l have been longing
all week for a drive
Bess was, perhaps, the plainest OF
the we'll favored sisters, but she had
radiant color, kndling brown eyes,
and certain dainty set Of the head,
which seemed to find favor in Uncle
Johns sight. He looked down with
a sudden twinkle in his eyes.
you're my girl. Come, then!"
She came home from the first ride
lilies, to go again and again on these
delightful rides with Uncle John, al
ways jubilant, caring nothing for her
sisters ridicule. Even her mother said
plaintively:
What should you do, Bess, if some
of our town friends should come this
way and see you in that horrid car
riage?"
Il should bow to them answered
Bess coolly; which she accordingly did
| when she came face to face with the
for in fhoi oil
vehicle.
What lark" cried Eustace, falling
back among the cushions in inextin-
| guishable laughter, after'h he had passed
| Bess.
| The color did deepen in her face
as she met the young mans eyes, but
she hid it in the huge bunch of water
lilies in her hand, and Uncle John
smiled, shrewdly.
you're uncles girl, sure enough,
Bess," Mrs. Otis would say, after that;
for there came peaches from the old
mans garden, big and golden straw
berries, scarlet and melting sweet
crimson cherries, and pale spice sweet
ings-and they were always ''for Bess.
Its just as WE'LL" Mrs Otis would
say to herself "Perhaps he'll do some
thing for her by-and-by."
Bess met Eustace St. Elmo's eyes a
little proudly at the first party where
they met; but he came to her side with
a winning grace, and begged to dance
with her so many times during the
evening that lookers-on said, ct will
be a match"
1t was certainly for some reason of
this kind that the winter passed very
pleasantly to Bess, as we'll as the sum-
mer.
When spring broke, there came sud
den news Of Uncle John. His death
had suddenly occurred, and the law.
yer's letter said: "He has left legacy
to his favorite niece, Miss Bess. She
had better come down here"
So the family made flying. excited
trip into the country-only Bess was
crying.
When they reached Wheatlands
which had been opened for their re
ception, they found the bequest await
ing Bess.
What do you think it was? The an
tiquated carriage and ancient coat.
Shameful" cried the girls.
The old miser!" exclaimed Mrs. Otis
S'He has taken ell his money will
him!"
The lawyer, who was a friend of Un
: Gle Johns, stood by.
/ 81 would advise Miss Bess to exam
inc her articles Of property carefully,
, he limited.
AS he spoke, he looked curiously a
l the button of the old garment whicl
he held in his hand. Bess looked, too
4 Something yellow shone through tn
/ worn meshes of the cloth. She scrape'
l it little with her finger nail, an
3 saw five pound piece.
e "They are all alike, these buttons,
D said the lawyer with a smile, 'an
e there are hundred of them
"Oh!" shrieked Mrs. Otis; ''to thin
that ridiculous old coat should b
worth five hundred pounds!" and sh
s took it eagerly into her possession.
"As for the old carriage said tn
d lawyer.
.'It's stuffed with notes!" cried Mr.
l. Otis.
1t No. it wasn't stuffed with notes, an
7. UEcle John had not left his favorit