Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-11-14

'zMAkh1AN6 kOH MONEY.
: A lawyers Office after nidnigh. doe.
sound particularly IKE "A attractive
s.A il wusnt 20 dsll after all. The
min. .ss,ss - and dingy. after the pre-
leatber.cn.5;ocs62ysxs Offices. bat the
- II they hid been q 1Ss ssss se:e IS cosy
~ The lov, clear lrc burnod 3 - sa'u'
vkie 1fough the blue elssd Of usesS %
iPg smoke. two cigar tips shone with fss-
|olF For Charley Hale and his friend. Mer.
edith Pike. were 'unbleSding,' after 10
etehihg spent ss fashionable soirec.
Hale was tall and handsome, with dark
eyea. and rich brown hair, and . nous.
tashe. which Vas the snry Of half the
Eisss<sse. doree about the sown tut Mr..
Pike, although his seaturcs were Sufficient
y regular. and his isyes of romantic
shade Of blue. had something sinister snd
diagreeable in the expression of his face.
while an almost invisible wrinkle between
his brows bespoke the steady earnes.ness
with which he looked after ''the main
chance" in life:
My dear fellow. said Hale. stopping
to light . fresh cigar. pardon my stu
pidity. have been so busy raving abou.
Barbara Seldop. that have quite forgot
ten to congratulate you !
To congratulate mer echoed Pike.
and what for, in the name Of all heather
divinities
'On the impression you have so eyi-
dently made on Miss Belinda Orr
'Pshaw !! exclaimed Pike.
And why that contemptuous monosyl-
able .. Weren't you flirting with her half
tie evcningT
Because she wouldn't let me CO.
Come, now laughed Hale, that's 4
little too transparent. Why. man, bali
the people there we're laughing about it z
Then ell I can say is. that they had
better been minding thoir own business,
Why. she is forty. If she's day
Forty is the golden hcy-dsy Of life-a
peach flushed with roseatc bloon-a lily
open to the MONDAY sum-
Then. why don't you marry her your
selfy' misanthropically demanded Mere
dith Pike.
Because I'm engaged toblue-eyed Bar
bara,' was the answer. .Iprcfer eighteen
years and a rosebud complexion to mon.
ey; but you are Of = practical turn Of
mind
What do you mean ? asked Pike.
1 mean that Miss Orr has money
Pixies blue eyes scin,ilIated 4; his COM
panion had at last touched the right cherd
Has she? How much T
Nobody knows, I suppose. At least,
I don't
That makes difference said Pike,
looking thoughtfully into the ERE.
pike. cried Charley Hale. what mer-
cenary scoundrel you are! There'll be 4
judgment on you yet for that trait In your
interesting character
A man must look out for Number
One said Pike. coldly Struggling his
shoulders. and if Miss Orr is rich,
why"
Hale jumped up and tossed his half
smoked cigar into the CRATE.
i won't stay here to hear that Sodam-
and omorrah sort Of thing he said, half
jestingly, half in earnest.
And he went out into the clear. starry
freshness Of the winters night. leaving
Mr.. Meredith Pike to the companionship
o. his own thoughts.
Miss Belinda Orr sat in her parlor, the
next morning. yawning over a newspaper
"a tall, rather angular lady. with high
check bones. muddy. hazel eyes. and hair
painfully verging upon red. But she had
a very rustic complexion, not to say arti-
tiicial, and her dress was very elegant
and expressive. and she had q juvenile
lisp. and a pretty way Of holding her head
on one side. like a child listening to a
fairy story. and after all. one can't expect
perfection.
She had Just opened her mouth for the
thirteenth yawn in fifteen minutes, when
a card was brought up.
a visitor !? For me! cried Miss Be-
linda. And as I live. it's that very
agreeable and interesting young lawyer.
Show him up. Sarah, by all means =
Miss Orr had frightened up. like q
musty resurrection plant thrown into Q
saucer Of water.
Meredith Pike did not stay long. but he
made himself exceedingly agreeable. and
Belinda fell into . reverie after be was
gone, that lasted fell fss minutes.
Il think I've made some impression or
him. thought the mature damscl. Yes
I really do think so-and If could only
be married before that insolcnt little eait
Barbara Seldom. should have nothing
left to wish for
For twenty years fruitlcss pursuit OF Oh.
igaus f;sfxxs. matr.niony. had rendered
our fair heroine perfectly reckless on tn,
subject!
Il Was scarcely . week subsequently, I.
this morning call. when Mr.. Pike was as
toaished, in the legal solisudcs Of his Of
zee. by fair vision Of lady.
Walk in, ma 'am, and take chair,
said Meredith. rising and bowing politely
.Why-it is Miss Orr
Yea said Belinda. laughing girlishly
and irving 10 blssh. it's really I. Ans
hope yoa won't think my visit SO yer,
strange, nevertheless
lis on husiuess,' said Belinda.
| Indeed = commented Meredith.
4 bsves't felt very we'll. said Miss Orr
pafhetically. 'so-
'Iresres exceedingly TO hear it, sal,
Mr.. Pike, in accents Of the tcoderest com
misserasion.
'Oh, It's nothing. said Belinda 'onl,
Il hW called my attention to the necessit
Of caking win. Ard ] prefer to hav
you, Mr. Pike, as . triend,-Bchnda'