Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-11-08

merchant uecune0 seiilNg except iOr cash.
As you please" returned the mechanic,
indiferently, and wen, elsewhere and made
his purchases.
Il happened that Mr. Leonard had very
pretty and fascinating daughter, on whose
education the mechanic had bestowed great
pains and it also happened that Baker had
. son who, in most things, was a chip Of
the old block" Particularly was he like his
father in his great love of money, and scarce
ly had he reached his majority. ere be began
to look about him With careful eve, to q
good matrimonial arrangement, BY which
plenty of money would De secured.
Adelaide Leonard, on account Of her beau
~ and accomplishments, was much caressed.
and mingled freely in society. Young Ba.
ker had me. her frequently. and could not
help being struck with her beauty, intslli
gsnce and grace.
There is a chance for you,' said a friend
70 him one evening.
"In Miss Leonard p
"Yes."
"She is charming girl replied the
young man. 81 wondor If her father is
worth anything
"People say so.'
"Indeed :"
"Yes. They say the old fellow has laid
laide is his only child, she will Of course &c;
it ALL
Il was not aware Of that"
!. 1t is all so, believe"
After this, young Baker was exceedingly
attentive to Miss Leonard, and made per-
ceptible inroads upon her heart. He even
went SO far as to visit pretty regularly at her
home. and was mediating an avowal of his
attachment, when his father said to him one
day:
Wha. young lady was that / saw you
with in the street yesterday ~
Her name is Leonard
"The daughter Of old Leonard, in -
street?''
"Yes. SIR
Mr.. Baker looked grave and shook bis
head
DO rou know anything about her ?" ask
cd the son.
"Nothing about her /: but know that her
father is going to the dogs as fss, as ever
man went
Indeed thought he was wsl off,
"Oh, no. I've been looking to see his shop
shut up, or to hear of his being sold out by
the sheriff, every day, for these two years
past"
"Miss Leonard is very lovely girl
"She is the daughter OF q poor, vulgar
mechanic. If you see anything very lovely
in that, Henry. vou have strange taste"
"There is no gainsaying Adelaide's per
sonal attractions. replied the son. ..ba, if
her father is poor, that settles the matter as
So. he I la
you introduced the sableet, for might have
committed myself, and, when too late, dis
covered my error"
" A sad error ii would have been, Henri.
In any future matter of this kind, hope you
viii be perfectly frank with me. / have
more accurate knowledge Of ihe condition
and standing Of people than you can have"
The son promised TO do as the tathe.
wished. From that time the visits to Miss
Leonard were abs,ed, and his attentions to
her. when they met in society, were coidly
formal. The sweet young girl, whose .ecl>
ings were interested, felt the change. aud
WAS for time unhappy but in few months
she recovered herself, and was again as
bright ard cheerful as ever.
Time went steadily on, sweeping down one
and setting up another, and still old Leon.
ard 6ian's 60 to the dogs, much 10 the sur.
prise Of Baker, who could not imagine how
the mechanic kept his head above water af>
ter having driven away his best customers,
as be must long since have done, if all we're
treated as be had been. But he was sa,is>
fed OF one thing at least, and that was tha.
the mechanic was miserably poor, as he, in
fact, deserved to be, according to his idea Of
the matter.
One day, about . year after this timely
caution to his son in regard to Miss Leon.
ard, Baker happened to pass along a stree.
where he had rot been for some months.
Just opposite large, new and beautiful
house, 10 which the painters were giving
their last touches, he met friend. a they
passed, Baker said
"That's an elegant house. It has been
built since was in this neishborhood.'
Yes. j; is very 6ne house, aud sup>
pose didn't cost less than fifteen thousand
dollars.
No, should think not. Who bulk il.
Do you know p
Yes, it was built b, Leonard
BY who?' Baker looked surprised.
By Mr. Leonard. You know him
Impossible He's not able TO build =
house like that"
oh yes he is, and half a dozen more
il necessary
Leonard T.
Certainly. Why he's worth at least sew
enty thousand dollars"
You must be in error
No. His daughter is to be married next
month to an excellent young man, and this
house has been built and is to be handsome.
y furnished rs marriage present"
Incredible! thought he had gone or
was going TO the dogs long ago"
Leonard" !" The friend could not help
laughing aloud. He go to the dogs? Oh,
no. There isn't a man in his trade that does
SO good business, with as little show as he
makes. Good work. good prices. and pune
taalisy, are the cardinal virtues Of his estab>
lishmsnt and make all substantial. How in
the world could you take up such a no.
lion?
II don't know, bu. such has been my i'm.
precision fer long time," replied Baker.
who felt exceedingly cnt down on account Of
the mistake he had made, particularly so in
view Of the elegant house and seventy thou.
sand dollars, which nigh, all have belonged
10 his son in time, if he had not fallen into
such an egregious error aLou, old l.ecr ard,
50 the world moyeaor. People are prone
10 think that what the- smile on lives, and