The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-01
Half Crown.

-
"Please, sir, will you buy my chest
nuts"
"Ohestnutsl nO!' returned Ralph
Moore, looking carelessly down on the up
turned face, whose large, brown eyes,
Swallowed by tangled curls of aaxen hair,
were appealing so pitifully to his own.
"What do want with chestnutsN
"Bnt, please, sir, buy 'eln, pleaded the
little one, reassured by the rough kindness
of his tone. Nobody seems to care for
them, and-And-"
She fairly Ourst into tears, and Moore,
who had been on the point of brushing
carelessly past her, stopped instinCtively.
"Are you very much in want fmoneyl"
"lndeed, sir, we are" sobbed the child,
mother sent me out, and"
may little one, don't cry in such
heartbrOken way" said Ralph, smoothing
down her hair with careless gentleness.
4" don't want your chestnuts, but here's
half q crown for you; II that will do you
any good"
lie did not stop to hear the delighted
incoherent thanks the child poured out
through rainbow of smiles and tears,
but strodO on his way, muttering between
his teeth THAT cut off my supply Of ci-
gars for the next week. | don't care
though, the brown.eyed object really did
cry as ifshe had not friend In the world.
Hang it wish was rich enough to help
every moor creature ont of the Slough of
Despond.
While Ralph Moore was indulging in
these very natural reflections, the dark
eyed little damsel whom he had comfor.
ted, was dashing down the street with
quick, elastic footsteps, utterly regardless
Of the basket of unsold nuts that still
dangled on her arm. Down m obscure
lane she dnrted, between ruinous rows of
houses, and up a narrow wooden staircase,
to room where a pale neat.looklng wo-
man, with large, brown eyes like her own,
was sewing Rs busily as If the breath Of
life depended upon every stitch, and two
little ones were contentedly playing in
the sunshine that temporarily supplied the
place Of fire.
MARY back already Surely you have
not sold your oheStnuts so sOoni
"Oh, mother mother, seel" calculated
tho almost breathlesS child, "a gentleman
gave me whole half.crown. Only think,
mother, n whole half.crownln
If Ralph Moore could only have seen
the rapture which his half.crown gift dif-
fused around 1t in the poor wldow'spoyer-
ty-strickenhome, he would have regarded
still less the temporary privation Of cigars
to which his generosity had subjected him.
Years camc and went. The little chest
nut girl passed entirely out of Ralph
Moore's memory as il those pleading
eyes had never touched the soft spot in
his heart; but May Lee never forgot the
stranger who had given her the silver
half.crown.
The crimson window curtains were
closely drawn, to shut out the storm and
tempest of the bleak December night;
the fire was glowing cheerily in the well
filled CRATE, and the dinner table in gilt
ter with cut glass, rare china, and pol.
ished silver, was only waiting for the
presence of Mr.. Audley.
"What is 1t that can detain papai" said
Audley, a fair, handsome matron Of about
thirty as she glanced ut the dial OF tiny
enameled watch. "Six o'clock, and be
does not make his appearance"
"There's man with him in his study,
mamma, come on business" said Robert
Audley, n pretty boy eleven years old,
who was reading by the FIRE.
"1'll call him again" said Mrs. Audley,
stepping to the door.
But US she opened II, the brilliant gas
light in the hall fell full upon the face Of
an lumble-loOking man in worn and
garments, who was leaving the
house, while her husband stood In the
doorway Of his study, apparently relieved
to be rid Of his visitor.
"ChArles," said Mrs. Audley, whose
cheek had paled and flushed, "who Is that
man and what does he want2n
His name is Moore, believe, and no
came to see il would bestow upon him
that vacant clerkship in the bank"
"And will youl"
81 don't know, Mary; | must think
about it."
"Oharles, give him that situation"
"Why, my lovel"
because | ask it of you as o favor,
and you have said thousand times you
would never deny me anything
"Aud | will keep my word, Mary"
said the noble hearted husband, with an
kiss.
an write the fellow note this very
evening. believe l've got his address
about me, somewhere"
An hour later, when Bobbie, Frank and
Eugene were snugly tucked in bed, in tho
spacious nursery up stairs, Mrs. AudlOy
told her husband why she was so much
interested in the fate OF man whom she
had not seen for twenty years
"That's right, my little wife" replied
her husband, folding her fondly to his
breast, when the simple tale was cOnCu
ded. Never forget one who was kind to
you in the days when you needed kind.
ness most
Ralph Moore was sitting in iispoorlod
y II 4.