The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-11-05


, wooden staircase to a room whore
pale, neat looking woman with larg
, brown eyes like hor own. was Sc win
, as if the breath of life depended o
every stitch, and two little ones wer
playing in tho sunshine that tempo
rarily supplied the place of abscn
; fire.
Mary, back already Surcl,
you have not sold your chestnuts s.
soon :"
No, mother, mother, see !" ejac
ulated the breathless child. IA gen
tleman gave me whole quarter -
Only think mother, a whole quarter ,
If Ralph Moore could only hav,
seen the rapture which his tiny gift
diffuscd around it, in theNpoor wild,
ow's poverty ty-strickcn home he woulc
have grudgcd still less the temporary
privation Of cigars to which his gen.
erosity had subjected him.
Years came and went. The little
chestnut girl passed as entirely out
of Ralph Moorc's memory as if her
pleading eyes had never touched the
soft spot in his heart, but Mary Lee
never forgot the stranger who had
given her the silver piece. r
The Grim son window curtains were
closely drawn to shut out the storm
and tempest Of the bleak December
night-the fire was glowing cheerful
ly in the well-illed gratc, and the
dinner table all in a glitter with cut
glass, rare china, and polished silver
only waiting for the presence of Mr..
Audley.
What can it be that detains pa
pa p said Mrs. Audley, a fair, hand
some matron of about thirty, as she
glanced at the dial Of tiny enamel
ed watch. "Six O'Clock, and he
does not make his appearance.
"There,s man with him in the
study, mamma--como on business
said Robert Audley,,. a pretty boy
Of eleven years old. who was reading
by the fire.
"Ill call him again said Mrs.
Audlcy, stepping to the door.
But as she opened it, the brilliant
gaslight fell full '6n the face of an
humble looking man in threadbare
garments who was leaving the house,
while her husband stood in the door
way Of his study, apparently relieved
to be rio Of his visitor. 500.
Charles" said Mrs. Audlcy,
whose check had paled and flushed,
"who was that man-and what does
he want %
His name is Moore, I believe,
love, and he came to see if 1 would
bestow upon him that vacant mes
sengership in the bank" '....
"And you will
II dent know Mary; I must think
about it..
"Charles give him the situation. :"
Why, my lovc?'
because I ask it Of you as fa-
vor, and you have said a thousand
times you would never deny me any
thing"
':And I will keep my word. Mary,
said the lover husband. with an atfec
tionate kiss, "I'll write the fellow a
note this evening. l believe I've
got his address somewhere about me. -
An hour or two later, when Bobby
and Frank and little Minnie were
tucked snugly up in bed in the spa
cious nursery above stairs, Mrs. Aud
ley told her husband why she was in
tercsted in the face of q man whose
face she had not seen for twenty
years.
"That's right, my little wife"
said her husband, folding her fondly
to his breast, ''nevcr forget one who
has been kind to you in the days
when you needed kindness most.'
Ralph Moore was sitting that self
same night in his poor lodgings by
his ailing wifc's sick bed when a SER
want brought a note from the rich
and prosperous bank director Charles
Audley. l
"Good news, Bertha he ex-
claimed joyously, as he read the brief
words; ave shall not starve-Mr.
Audlcy promises me the vacant stu
alton.
" You have dropped something
from the note Ralph" said Mrs.
Moore, pointing to slip of paper
that lay on the floor. -... :
Moore stopped to recover the es-
tray. It was fifty dollar bill neat
ly folded in piece Of paper on which
was written:
1" In grateful remembrance of the
silver quarter that a kind stranger
bestowed on a chestnut girl twenty
years ago
Ralph Moore had thrown morsel
of bread on the waters of life, and
after many years it had returned to
him. All