The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-21
BEDTIMESTORIES
FOR LITTLE
FOLKS
THE WICKED UNCLE.

The next day velda told her sisters
what she had seen and that she in
tended to find out what was behind
the panels. The old miser slept every
afternoon, and when velda heard him
snore she went to the door that he had
unlocked the night before. but it was
fastened.
She looked through crack and saw
a window in the room which was bro
ken. Then she went to the other side
of the castle and climbed up the wall
where the stones were broken away.
In few minutes she reached the
window and jumped ON the floor. Now
to find the secret spring; she felt
along the panel she had seen her un.
Gle enter, but it would not open. Then
she tapped, but that did not open it.
She saw a knot in the wood which
lookedSmooth and she touched it. The
panels. flew open. Velda entered a
dark passage. She could not see any
thing but she had gone only few
steps when the draught closed the PAN
els. She ran back, but it was of no
use; she could not find the opening.
She knew that her uncle would come
at night, but how could she get out
without being seen?
| After she became used to the dark
ness she walked along the passage
and came to an opening. Here she
could see shelves with objects upon
them. She felt of them and found
they were bags of money.
Here was the secret of her uncle's
strange conduct. He was miser and
had taken their money and was trying
to starve them. Velda went back to
i the end Of the passage and found a
corner where the bricks had fallen
away. She pulled one of them from
the wall and made a place large
enough to crawl into, and here she
waited for her uncle.
At last he came and Velda saw him
go into the room where the money
was, and then she crept very carefully
along and looked in. He sat on the
floor with the gold heaped about him,
counting it. There was gold in a
chest that looked like the sunshine in
the faint candle light. Then there
were many bags unopened which lay
around him. velda went back to her
hiding place, for she wanted to see
how he would open the panels. By
and by he came out; he pushed a
place on the walls and the panels
opened; he went out and velda heard
him lock the outside door. She knew
her sisters must be worried and that
her uncle would miss her, and how to
find the spring that would open the
panels was not an easy matter. She
ran her fingers over the wall many
times, and was beginning to be lit
tie frightened when suddenly they
opened, zelda quickly closed them and
climbed out of the window.
Her sisters had not left their room
for fear of being questioned. and her
uncle had not missed her. When the
miser was asleep that afternoon velda
took her sisters under the window Of
the room where the secret panels
were.
! nina is to stay here" she said
but Norma must come with me-"
/ When they were in the room and
velda had opened thu panels she told
Norma to hold them open. for she
might not be SO fortunate the next
time in getting out. Then she quickly
ran down the passage and brought OF
one bag Of gold. Then she went bach
for another
4 Il do not think this all that belongs
Ito U.S." she told Norma; -but II Ii al
| we shall be able to carry
| Norma helped to lift the bags Il
the window and drop them 70 th'