The Fatal Letter

At this allusion to her brilliant color, Mrs. Carrington relieved Dr.
Lacey from the delightful duty of supporting her, and disappeared up the
stairs, saying in no very gentle tones, "What an old brute!"

"Fire away thar," called our Mr. Middleton. "I am an old brute, I
suppose."

"But your right name is Mr. Middleton, I conclude," said Dr. Lacey.

Mr. Middleton started and answered, "How d'ye know that? Just as you'd
know his satanic majesty, if he should appear to you?"

"Something upon that principle," said Dr. Lacey, laughing, "but," he
continued, "I am glad to see you, Mr. Middleton. I suppose you have come
to visit your daughters."

"Yes, and to take them home and let their mother and the rest of the
blacks see them," answered Mr. Middleton; then after a pause he added,
"They'll be right glad to see me, I reckon, or at least Sunshine will."

"Who is Sunshine?" asked Dr. Lacey.

"Well, now," said Mr. Middleton, "here you've lived with 'em four weeks
and don't know that I call one Tempest and t'other Sunshine, and if you've
any wit, you'll know which is Sunshine."

Just then a voice was heard to exclaim, "There, I told you father was
here. I hear him now talking about Sunshine," and Fanny rushed in, and
throwing her arms around her father's neck, kissed again and again his
rough cheek, while he suddenly felt the need of his red and yellow cotton
handkerchief, and muttered something about the "roads" being so infernal
dusty that they made a fellow's eyes smart!