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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 182, 5 August 1904, Page 4

GIKJ

• A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT,

"I could get along with Mra, I'm quite sure," cried HiTinie Roberts. ■'Nobody could get along with him 1" chorused the three other Mits Roberts in unison. Uncle Henry was the person of i whom they spoke—a crabbej, illtempered, little old man--who lived in a superb old comitrv aval in Suffolk. Ha had money to leave, Iml his ttleces and nephews secretly believed that it would lie a deal easier to go to Kldiulyke and ilig fortunes out, übgget by nugget, than to stay at hon.e and earn them by making themselves acceptable to the old gentleman. Emma Roberts had tried it first. "No ohm can help loving Finmu," said Mra Roberts, as she kissed her daughter good-bye. Hut in three weeks Emma came back, halt-frightened out of her wits. ttooerts wont next. but Madge, aiti.ough a fine girl, with a spirit of Iter own, was cowed by l'ncle Henry's savage eyes in less than a week. "I'd sooner sweep crossings lor a living," said she, "than be his heiress." ithoda Roberts, in no wise aibashad by the successive failure of her sisters, Was the third one to try Black Grange and its possibilities. But she also succumbed befoie the terrible scourge o! her uncle's savage tongue. "It's scold, snarl, snarl, scold, from morning to night !" said Rhoda, as in three days' time she tearfully related her experiences to her >parents. Hut 'here Minnie, the youngest, tallest, and prettiest of the four girls, spoke up : "I could get along with him, I'm quite sure," she said. It was sunset—a red, flaming sunset—whan she came up the terraced flight of steps that led to the house. Uncle Henry stood on the steps. "So you are Minaie," said the uncle, surveying her with little twinkling'eyes, like glass beads. - "Ves', lam Aliimio," said the brtght-cheeked girl, giving him a kiss.

"You're late," said Unclo Henry. "I am late," said Minnio. "I thought tho old carriage would never lot here The hors.* fairly crept and tho roads are horrid. •'lt's dreadfully warm," growled Uncle Henry. v l'm almost baked," sighed Minnie. "The whole summer has been rather warm," said the old gentleman. "We might an well be in the tropics and be done with it," retorted Minnie, flinging off her jacket, and taming hersolt vehemently. tncle Henry gave her the keys that ■might, just an he had three times before given them to her three sisters. _j'll^ ,,aU ""P* ol y° u to take charge o»T * n °k establishment," Said He. I tJ» iervanU ere miserable-^—" •"No mora than one might expect,"

tt* errupted Minnie, with a deprecatJ., .«#y motion of her head. "Servants ; «re mere frauds - nowadays !" ■» "And nothing goes right about the pk.ca." '■' Nothing ever does," said Minnie. At breakfast next morning I,'nile i- JJenry began to scold as usual. 'Fish again !" said he. " This Jnakes four mornings this week we r " h*Te bad-nib." • ' "I detest fish;" said Minnie, pushp t Ibg away her plate. J? 4i.''" / Afld the bread stale r again '" '« powted Uncle Henry, breaking one °r*uu , ■> Tleavgive .me the plate, Incle i' Ji!" "a" 1 Minnie, and she rang } the table bell sharply, jl Batty, the cook, a good-humouree L J f ? man - mud e her appearance.. ?,; f, 'Betty," said Miss Roberts, "be s„ ' „f° odas to throw this bread out of - window." ■ t ", B „" what a m i to faUoi . b -^ I ( 'an? bewailed Uncle Htnry ' •■A^ Ui, '* , ° f COurs '''" s " id Minnie. s Anything is better than imperilling one s digestion with s»,b stuff ft s , *•> mor e nth m a month vou luav ~ SZv J ° l "' st '" you **' ' of'fl^ b '. my . lear'1 ear ' Xam rath e'- lond ' 4™ P Ut ,i n th « oW BcntleUHu,. J"? ~! * eat «sh the whole t ?uL Tm mn,c '"'PeHouslv. V * coffee isn't lit t„ *r drink and the toast is burnt JS I you must have put the coo™ n ' K £? 3? th6tabl » "y mistake " g u l t & ttese errors be rectified at once." (%' US"'* 11 * U '™ k sho ' is n <>t so bad; ' Zl£ '!f y ""at"*", who m„ s t ito I to io «> k 'rightt^!*" 1 kc P l ,)e "y. Jane and fcJSt tlmt te had Kol °«l at them | tor ton years, only to have MiS g-„«ol)erts outsold him now WZ.~*!X • <icar '" said l '««=ie Henrvm w- y M B¥l * ra "' v **y «w"«t if ■Pvihl 08 " uncl(! '" interruptctf Mlnnie W22' « wn,,t, «M f be a Mm of KifI*** 1 *** matters." J e ol W&, the gardener, was no< ghwr Mr uncle reproaching the old RSo , weX m ?7h» ,U nea ' lect in «*• the jP r,de of hishorticulPo^. h aTd. t ' <U,d P,,>m,rtl >' cam «

|; JOardOßtng, indeed ! Do V ou call |ttrf. gardening." shc >.™ «£ P Henry. It'm astonished that y ou keen . And th 9 torrents of taunts and re•Moaches which she showered on the luckier bead of poor old John was ««ou»h, as that individual observe? make one's flesh creep '* My niece is a young lady of spirpltand energj-,' apologised the old when Minnie had g o ne to the house. [/''Verra like you, sir, verra like fefou !" said old John. me!" said Uncle Henry be stood full five minutes s«yite speechless and motionless. At end p t the five minutes he spoke Jtwo other words, and only two : : r "Like me !" - "There's no knonin' the master \he'B that changed," said Betty in the kitchen a week or two later. CHe's as mild as a lamb and as peaceable as a kitten." -, "Well, isn't that what the young lady fold us," said .Jane, "wTien she came down into the kitchen, tJie first tuormnjr after the lire \v a s lightod. and told us she was going to try an jKperjment ? \y o wasn't to miiid a frotfd she said, 'cause it was all b*K Bontiaries. 'He don't know what his temper has got to be, and I'm goin' so show him.. And, bless her sweet ieart, her plan has worked like a [harm." ;Hut Uncle Henry took all thecredtto himself. He never knew that ilinm'e had taught him a lesson. And (fimiie was his heiress and darling [fter all—for he will always believe Jut it was he who "formed her haracter." j