Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-08-21

lie was only able to pay about quarter Of the
rent OF mine so, to make all square. he took
my Office boys duties and that valiant hun
ter was dismissed, not without tears on his
part
| got to extrefnities at last; slept in nv
Office, IN as much Of bed as could be made
out 81 my coat and a felt hat Twelve cents
day nourshed me
Inquiries about the properties | had for
sale came occasionally But what ideas thew
had! Mr.. f. heldhis property at twelve
thousand dollars, possibly worth six,) and
wouldn't take cent less. Mr. A. want
cd 1t terribly, would give three thousand for
It and not cent more! | between them
frantic to make a sale and realise commits
sioni exhausted every power Of Eind andoody
10 persuasion, without cifectiag cOmpronl-
Ise. My opponents held out, and continue to
do so to this day, TO the torment Of real es-
taies agents Who now have them on hand
One glorious day effected an exchange of
two properties Nj palm ieched for INV com
mission, which Old Mr.. O. was, by agree
ment, TO pay. 1t was an insignificant one.
to be sure butt was enough to regale me on
beefsteaks for a month to come. over nv
usual expences. So it was a weightv matter
to me. | planned out a whole davis meal
yes, o whole weeks, so as to employ my. leis-
ufe hours agreeably ina way which my pros
poets now rendered justiiable Before this
II had been breaking the tenth commandment
even to think of beefsteaks. | also dreamed
of a new coat. The one | wore-my last
was light summer cloth, and the weather
was now nippng cold | went so far in an
dcipatory extravaganza as to throw away a
\ backing box which had yet rim Of the pre-
cious compound around its bottom edge,
might have gwen one more "polit," as Bid
\ dy says, to my shoes. Tt was long before |
bought another box, for Mr. Q--neyer paid
up!
After one week Of tedious days with light
dinners, and another weary seven days Of
tagging hours unbreaklasted, made inqui-
ries about Mr.. @, and alas learned that
never paying up was little habit Of his,
which his friends had .vainly tried to break
him Of His creditors, therefore, had no
hope, unless they had the money to make
bin pay by the urgency of law.
Things took turn at last. / had beau
tiful little furnished cottage a few miles
from town, put into my hands. 1t was a
very desirable property, and now at last my
Office was lively with inquirers
One morning, q handsome carriage stop
ped before my door, and from it stepped
]
had often met at parties, who had, indeed,
once been an acquaintance of my mothers
She knew me at once, and after some polite
reference to old times, she asked about the
cottage. "a
After had told her;Il knew Of the terms,
etc, she said with sweet voice, and coaXing
in its playful tones
a-f.s-'A 1 want that cottaee exceedingly must
have it-but lido not want to pay cash for it.
Indeed cannot, unless sell my tiresome
brown stone house on---avenue If you
can only affect a change for me-oh! | will
be so pleased will give you anything to
do it p and she named handsome sum.
My heart gave leap for my throat 81
shall be happy to do my best for you, and
thought, 'only too happy to get such a
wndfall!"
l bowed her to her carriage. There sat,
, leaning back phantom of delight her
, daughter.
She was just as much of phantom to me,
and as attainable by me for having and hol-
: ding, as if she had been formed OF ether, and
: was not the "sweetest piece Of painted flesh
= that ever nature dyed. This | growled in
= to my own comprehension as | turned away
after the bewdered stare | had given her
:. and shut my office door upon the imperti-
9 = nent street. that might be disposed to lool
. into my face, perhaps, and read its chagrir
there. Her mother had been long time il
arranging her flounces upon entering tn
/" carriarc. and before could shut its door
= | had stolen so many looks into that be-
I" witching face, quite enough to have her i'm
y age vividlv before me all that long day.
Two days aiterward | went with Mrs. K
= to look at the cottage. She called for me |
u her carriage, and her daughter was there tol
~ ~ ! showed them the grounds and rooms wit
~ zeal, and answered all their pretty question
y with delight was so happy that thc fate
- took offence at it.
~ ~ In pulling up a stiff, rusty bolt, whic
y, held one Of the long window shutters, | va
+" Obliged to use some muscular strength, an
> nv lreacherous coat buttoned to hide IN
- seedy vest, burst down one of the shoulder
u blades, where it was uncommonly thin.
was desperate. felt my cheeks s.
=, hard, and | stalked about with bunch
y shirt sticking out at one shoulder; the mil
~. 81 rors too, showing me the figare cut at e'
III cry turn.
al wen what odds was it? They liked Il
.ot place too we'll to be very nice in the barga
~. for it. The owner agreed to exchange
~ for city property, and won my commlssio
~ That night did my first and last job
n. tailoring and the next day, in my mend
N - coat waited upon Mrs K, to let h
5'n know the final result of my negotiations
~ She was out, but her daughter received m
= and had still much to ask about that love
ol cottage My answers were all long ones
hi- The next day | sat in my office, savage, /
-, cause the excitement Of the affair was oy,
-, had the leisure to think what fool HI
- been in throwing away a fortune, viii
~ would have entitled me to dream as | pie;
nf ed Of a certain young lady, when the c;
nj riage drove up again, and looking over t
49, halfcur,ain, | saw that Miss K sat in
an, alone | FASTENED out.
80 80 She greeted nc with some embarrassing
20 and | colored up, too--only because she
,dla (far gone you see.)
80 Mamma was too i'll to come to-day" S
said, $50 she sent ne with this letter a
Int package for you. She did not send it
-. John, because she wished me to tell you,
49, ~ well as | could, how very much she thar
you for your obliging zeal in securing us
,,,, pretty cottage we both set our minds up
and She also begs that you will give Us the pie
~, ure of your company at little tea party,
,tG give at our new house warming, two we
ath. from next Wednesday. She hopes you '
ndit come"
FL | am seldom fustercG, and can genera
hot "behave myself before the folk, 50 l.ansV
and md ed properly, accepting the invitation u
omy lhe stTen5'l ol 1ile ne" VS. s"is ,'' h,n3
ms bowed an adeu.
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