The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-06-15

"Oh, DEAR" sighed the girl; 81 dc
hope Mr.. Graves will be well enough
to call today. He expected to. Except
for the telephone message telling us
that that man at Denboro''--
"Our dear Uncle Elisha" put in
Stephen, with sarcasm. "Uncle 'Lish !
Heavens, what a namer
"Hush! He can't help his name
And fathers was worse yet-Abijah
Think Of itv'
II don't want to think of it. Neither
did the governor. That's why he drop
ped it, I suppose. Just what did Graves
say? Give me his exact words"
'His partner, Mr.. Kuhn, telephoned
that everything was satisfactory. This
Captain Warren-a ship captain, / sup
pose he is-would in all probability re
fuse to accept the guardianship and
the rest Of it,
"Refuse? / should think so. I'm
j''St as certain father was insane when
he made that will as / am that Tn
alive. If he wasn't, do you suppose
he would have put Us and the estate
in the care Of down east jay? It's
inconceivable! It's ridiculous! Think
Of it! Suppose this uncle Of ours had
accepted. Suppose he had come tc
town here and any Of our friends had
met him. This is our guardian, Cap
tain Warren of Punkin Centre.
PLEASED to meet ye,' says Uncle Lish
'How's taters? Horrors! Say, Caro-
you haven't told any one, Malcolm OF
his mother or any one, have you?"
"Of course not, Steve. You know
wouldn't"
"Well, don't. They needn't know it
now or at any other time. Graves will
probably get himself appointed, and
he's respectable If he is an old fogy
Wen worry along till I'm twenty-one
and then-weIl, then I'll handle our
business myself"
He was on his way to the telephone
when the doorbell buzzed.
"Gad, there's Graves now" he ex.
claimed. "Now I suppose I'll have to
stay. Wen hear about dear Uncle
Lish, won't we? Oh, joy"
But the staid butler when he en-
tered the library did not announce the
lawyers name.
Mrs. Corcoran Dunn and Mr.. NAL
colm," he said. "Wi1l you see them,
Miss Gardiner"
The young lady's face lit up.
Certainly, Edwards" she said.
"Show them-oh, Mrs. Dunn, I'm SO
glad to see you! 1t was ever so good
Of you to come. And Malcolm"
"My dear child" she cried, chow
could stay away? We have spoken
Of you and Stephen 80 often this morn
ing. We know how lonely you must
be, and Malcolm and I decided we
must run in on you after lunch. Didn't
we. Malcolm"
Malcolm Corooran Dunn, her son,
was blond young man with a rather
indolent manner.
Sure, materv he said calmly.
'How dye do, Caroline? 10, Stevev'
The quartet shook hands. Mrs.
Dunn sank creakingly into a chair and
gazed about the room.
"My DEAR" said Mrs. Dunn, address
ing Caroline, chow are you getting on
How are your nervesl Is all the
dreadful settling overP
Every nearly, thank goodnessv'
'Srhat's mercy. l should certainly
have been here yesterday to help you
in experimenting and arranging and
so on, but / was suffering from one of
my hearts and you know what they
are"
Her son turned from the window.
II say, mother" he declared YEARLY,
Il do wish you wouldn't speak Of your
vital organs in the plural Any one
would imagine you we're a sort of
freak, like the two headed boy at The
circus. It's positively distressing"
Stephen laughed. He admired young
Dunn immensely. Mrs. Dunn sighed.
Don't, Malcolm, dear" she pleaded.
"You sound so unfeellng. One not ac-
quainted with your real kindness of
heart
"oh, drop IT," interrupted Malcolm.
"Lets omit the heart interest This
isn't clinic. say, Steve, how do you
Ike the new fat7 1t is fat, isn't itY'
Stephen turned red. HIS sister col
ored and bit her lip. Mrs Dunn hasten
cd 10 the rescue.
"Horrorsg' ehe exclaimed. "MaI.
colin, you really are iDsufferabIe. Tlatl
Caroline, dear, you mustn't mind him