The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-05-10
CoUDERsPoRT POTTER COUNTY Pa THURSDAY, TO-
Mr.. Bray said nothing: but he felt very


he went with little curly head, to the din
ing-room All the rest Of the family had
kept from him. Mrs. Bray looked par
ticularly sober; and Willy, who had been
set all right as to his conduct by his moth
ers declaration that he had not been
guilty of striking, put on, to the life, an
air of injured innocence. Mr.. Bray did
not speak once during the neal, but sat
10 silence with heavily cIouded brow.
For that evening the accustomed pleas
ant talks, cheerful, smiling faces, and
merry laughter, were banished from the
home of Mr. Henry Bray. A single mo
ment of anger had done all this unhappy
work. 1t was something better at the
family reunion on the next morning.
Sleep had wrought its usual work of re-
storing the mind to its better states, and
calming It's pulses to an even beat.
As Mr.. Bray left his house something
earlier than usual, and was walking along
with his eyes cast down, thinking over
certain matters of business that would re-
quire his attention, man came to his side
and in pleasant voice, said,
Good morning, Mr. Bray"
The merchant glanced up, with height
ening color, into the face Of the person
who had oyertaken HIM in his rather de-
lberate walk. He knew tie voice. 1t
was that of Mr. Carlton.
"Good morning." The response was
not hearty. How could it be?
q was sorry to trouble you yesterday y
said Mr.. Carlton, speaking in frank,
cheerful way " But friend to whom |
had loaned a sum of money, disappointed
me at the last mon emf, ana | was compell-
ed to borrow at an unreasonable hour.
Your kind offer to serve me was none the
less appreciated because | had no use for
the check when you were so obieing as
to send it in. Mr. Agnew had already
supplied my triGing deficiency"
Now, what answer could Mr. Bray make
to this ? Was Mr.. Carlton actually ia ear
nest ? Was he really SO dull as not to
have appreciated his rough, insulting mes
sage of the day before? Or, was this
courteous acknowledgement of an almost
extorted favor rebuking piece of irony !?
q" 1t would have grau6ed me if you had
used the cheek" replied Mr.. Bray, his
voice a little below its usual frmness of
tone. i" 1t was rendered in all sincerity"
81 never doubted that for an instant"
said Mr.. Carlton, as if surprised that his
neighbor should intimate, even remotely,
a question of his right appreciation OF the
favor. Mr.. Bray's reputation as a cour-
teous, gentlemanly merchant, and kind
hearted man, forbid any other inference.
Now, this Mr.. Bray felt Was crowding
him little loo hard and he was consid-
erably annoyed. "Tell Mr.. Carlton that
neither borrow or lend" Could he for
get that rough answer to his neighbor's
request for couple of hundred dollars,
at late hour in the day, when his bank
account was still short? No. He could
not forget it; and that his neighbor's
compliments upon his mercantile and
manly virtue, sourded too much like c0y
ert rebuke to be in the smallest measure
agreeable. SO he changed the subject by
referring to some general topic, and man
aged to appear interested, until, their
ways diverglng, they parted with courte-
Gus forms OF speech.
"I don't like that" said Mr. Bray, to
himself, as he walked on alone "All this
is mere hypocrltical assumption and un-
der the circumstances, | can scarcely re-
gard it as less than insulting; and if he
talks again to me after this fashion, | will
tell him So
The opportunity soon occurred. 1t was,
perhaps, about twelve, when the merchant
saw Mr.. Carlton enter his store, and come
back to where he was sitting at his desk.
There was familiar smile upon his coun-
tenance, and he looked altogether self
possessed.
GOOD morning, again" said he, with
much apparent frankness.
Good morning" MIR. Bray tried to be
pleasant, and tried to assume perfectly
composed exterior, but the elements Of
excitement were moving within hin.
There was always point beyond which
self-coatrol was impossible, and he felt
that Mr. Carlton was pressing him beyond
that point. In his uncourteous refusal to
lend him two hundred dollars he had done
wrong; but to the best OF his ability he
had endeavored to repair that wrong, and
Mr. Carlton should have accepted his ten
der of repentance and rot insuited him
by throwing Mr.. Agnew in his face along
with his rejected loan. Mr.. Agnew :
Known throughout the trade as one of
the most uncourteous and disobliging of
men? In that act he had given suti-
cent rebuke; and there, in Mr.. Bray's
opinion, he should be willing to let the
matter rest.
But 1t seemed that Mr.. Carlton felt diff