Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-08-10
A MercenarY
Love
BY EDMUND MITCHELL

- CAN picture the whole scene" he
said at last, summing up the
thoughts that had given pause to their
conversation.
eyes," she responded, her eyes still
fixed on the embers. you know those
three uncles of mine well enough to
understand my shame and indigna-
ton. And Aunt Mary, too-she kept
talking about her husbands store,
about bad debts and the latest rise in
coal oil, while her brother lay dead
in the next room. Poor Uncle Henry!
the one gentle and refined nature
among them all-the only one whose
life had not been given to sordid
grubbing for cents and dollars.
my mother told me good many
things last year, before she died. She
was younger than her brother Henry
the youngest of all, although the
first to CO." The girl paused and
breathed q little sigh. Henry was
struggling by teaching and in other
ways, to enter college life long after
his three elder brothers had become
comfortably established in business.
Dry goods, hardware, butchering-
that was the bent Of their minds. And
Aunt Mary, too, had married the most
prosperous grocery man OF the dis
trict. Only Henry and my mother in
clined to other things. My mother
taught school before she married, just
as l am doing now"
Not for long now, sweetheart" he
interposed, with gentle hand-touch
of sympathy upon her shoulder.
ooh, was not thinking Of myself"
she replied, brightly and resolutely. Il
was thinking of my dear mother and
Of my father, whom l can just remem-
Der. and nothing more. But we were
speaking of Uncle Henry, weren't WEI"
Eyes, he wanted to get to college.
well, not one of his brothers Of
fered a helping hand, and at last his
health broke down. At first he was
acutely ill-in hospital for several
months. Then he was discharged, in
better state, able to crawl around, but
with the verdict of 1ncurable' hanging
over his head. His was chronic case
now-one of those insidious internal
troubles that kill q man slowly but
surely during year or two OF increas-
ing misery and suffering"
But his brothers?"
"They were a handicap to him. The
duty was so obviously theirs that
others who might have helped natur-
ally stood aside My mother pleaded
with Ebenezer, Hiram, James-not one
had a single dollar that could be
spared from his business"
well, I'm blowed! That was cheer
full for a sick man."
well, the doctor, It seems. guess
ing at the truth, mentioned the case
to Mr.. Boone, of Booklovers' Corner.
And it was he who sent the invalid to
Arizona, kept him there for two whole
years, and when he returned, cured
and well, gave him place in the book
store. That is how Uncle Henry came
in time to be partner, and at last
the only active member OF the frm."
"Mr. Boone is still alive?"
Eyes. the dear old gentleman has
come north from his home In Florida
10 bury his dead friend. Now you will
understand a great deal better what l
am going to tell you next. Mr.. Boone
is Uncle Henry's executor, and it was
in accordance with the latter's instruc-
tions that all relatives were called to-
gether the day before the funeral.
That was h0w / came to meet my
Uncles Ebenezsr, Hiram and James,
and Aunt Mary and her husband, this
morning In the dining-room above the
book store"
The young man sat up with quick
ened interest.
But your Uncle Henry didn't die
rich. did he?"
mo, not as the world counts men
rich nowadays. But he had a little to
divide. When we were all assembled
Mr.. Boone read the will. There are
legacies Of a thousand dollars to each
of my uncles, to Aunt Mary and to
me as his other sisters child"
"And what do these requests
amount TOT"
"That Is what Uncle Ebenezt1
asked. But Mr.. Boone replied that
nothing would be known until the es-
tate was realized. Uncle Hiram
laughed at his share--a thousand dol
lars, he said, wasn't worth the trouble
of his coming out Of the house on such
q rainy day. Then. they all fell to dis
cussing the reason Of the condition at
tached to the legaeies,"
Again the listener pricked pp his
ears.
What was thst?"