The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-12-09

WIN a VISION OF a trlm utClc Inquire
which she had seen ten minutes before
with it's head tilted backwards study
ing the sign-post, and which she was
now quite certain was Mr.. Piper.
Il haven't got anything" assever-
ated Mrs. Cox. "It's no good looking
like that, Henry, can't make money
Mr. COx's reply was interrupted by
loud knock at the hall door, which
he was pleased to associate with the
police. 1t gave him a fine opportunity
for melodrama, in the midst of which
his wife, rightly guessing that Mrs.
Berry had returned according to ar
rangement, went to the door to admit
her.
She followed her friend into the
drawing-room, and having shaken
hands with Mr. Cox, drew her hand
kerchief from her pocket and applied
it to her eyes.
"She's told me all about it," she
said, nodding at Mrs. Cox, land it's
worse than you think much worse.
uncle, Joseph Piper"
"Your uncle!" repeated Mr.. Cox,
Keeling back; "the brokers' man your
uncle?"
See what your joking has led to-"
Cox said, at last. Il have got to be
a wanderer over the face of the earth,
all on account of your jokes"
"You get away" said Mrs. Berry,
with a warning glance at her friend,
and nodding to emphasize her words;
leave us some address to write to,
and we must try and scrape $40 or
$40 to send you"
"Thirty?" said Mr.. Cox, hardly able
to believe his ears.
where are we to send the money!"
Mr.. Cox affected to consider.
'The White Horse, Newstead," he
said at length, in whisper; "better
write it down"
For the first two days Messrs. Cox
and Piper waited with exemplary pa
tience for the remittance, the demands
of the landlord, a man of coarse fiber,
being met in the meantime by the lat
ter gentleman from his own slender
resources. They were both reasonable
men, and knew from experience the
difficulty of raising money at short
notice; but on the fourth day, their
funds being nearly exhausted an urgent
telegram was dispatched to Mrs. Cox.
"Eh?" said Mr.. Piper, in amaze, as
he read the reply slow: "'No-need
-send-money-Uncle-Joseph - has
-come-back.- What does ii
mean? Is she mad?"
Finally Mr.. Cox, seized with bright
idea that the telegram had got altered
in transmission, went off to the post
office and dispatched another, which
went straight to the heart of things:
"Dont-understand- - Uncle
Joseph-alive?"
The reply was: "Yes-smoking-in
-drawing-room."
"I'll go home and ask to see you,"
Cox said, fiercely; 'that'll bring things
to a head, should think"
and she'll say I've gone back to
London, perhaps" said Mr.. Piper,
gifted with sudden clearness of vision.
you can't show her up unless you
take me with you, and that'll show us
Susan all over"
A reply came the following evening
from Mrs. Berry herself 1t was a
long letter, and not only long, but bad
ly written and crossed. 1t began with
the weather, asked after Mr.. CoX's
health, and referred to the writer's;
described with much minuteness a
strange headache which had attacked
Mrs. Cox, together with long list
of the remedies prescribed and the
effects of each, and wound up in an
out-of-the-way corner, in a vein of
cherry optimism which reduced both
readers to the verge of madness.
Dear Uncle Joseph has quite recov-
cred, and, in spite of little nervous
ness-he was always rather timid-at
meeting you again, has consented to
20 to the White Horse to satisfy you
that he is alive. l dare say he will be
with you as soon as this letter-per.
haps help you to read it,"
Mr.. Piper held up his hand with a
startled gesture for silence. The words
died away on his friends lips as a
familiar voice was heard in the pas
sage, and the next moment Mrs. Berry
entered the room and stood regarding
them.
81 ran down by the same train to
make sure you came, uncle" she re-
marked. How long have you been
here?"
Mr.. Piper moistened his lips and
gazed wildly at Mr.. Cox for guidance.
'Bout-'bout five minutes" he
stammered
Mrs. Berry smiled again.
"Ah, I've got another little surprise
for you," she said, briskly. Mrs. Cox
was so upset at the idea of being alone
while you were a wanderer over the
face of the earth, that she and have
gone into partnership. We have ha6
proper deed drawn up. so that no,
there are two of us to look afte
things. Eth? What did you say?"
Il was just thinking" said Mr.. Cox