The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-02
Ben Pilley.
The Man out of His Place.

Il
Coming home late one evening, met Doc
tor Saul at the door, radiant. give done a
good stroke OF work this week, Lathrop.
Found situation for Ben. Pilley."
SIN townY'
"Yes. Why not?'
"What sane human being would ever teJh-
er Ben. Pilley in town.
The doctors countenance fell, but he recov-
cred himself.
you're hungry, Tom, and cross. Sup
per's waiting. Now''-after he had seated
himself and unfolded his napkin-''it was the
merest chance of lack! heard of clerkship
vacant In the Pennsylvania Central railroad
Office; remembered that the Pllleys were hard
up
"As usual.''
Gas usual-and nailed the place for Ben."
"You don't mean to say you put Pulley in a
railroad Officer"
''It is Pegasus in cart-harness, sure
enough said my wife scornfully. Gin his
own profession my cousin Benjamin ranks as
one of the first astronomers in the country.
Among the young men of course"
Certainly, certainly" said the doctor dep
recatingly. The position is, l know, mis-
cradle makeshift for a man of Mr.. PiIey's
learning. But it was a case dwell, bread
dlu UuobCl, ududul W StdtC buc tuluS pidlllly
The Piileys, since Ben lost his school, really
have been in that condition, that" finish
ing the sentence BY solemn draught of cof-
fee and shake of the head.
''The question is not the fitness of the Of
flee to Ben, but Ben's fitness for the Office"
1 said. ''Railroad work demands, as 1 I'M
derstand it, above all other things, prompti-
tude and accuracy"
Benjamin will probably fulfill any obliga-
N,xl.
coldly. ''My family usually do.'
Now, the Pileys hang on the very outer
most branches of Melcent's family tree. But
the doctor and made no reply. We knew
what it was to touch root or twig of that sa-
cred growth.
81 only hope he may not lose the chance"
said Saul anxiously. He was due here two
days ago."
''Ben is dilatory, confess" said Mel, with
an awkward laugh and glance at me. ''But
when he sees the necessity of punctuality in
business matters, he will acquire it. Any
body can do that"
81 thought you liked Pulley. Lothrop?'
said the doctor uneasily.
'.Liking is hardly the word My feeling for
Ben has far-of resemblance to that which 1
had for Melicent here in our old days of court
ship. learned to know him tolerably well
when we went out fishing together during
last summer. l never knew sweeter moral
nature. never received from any man so
many gimpses of noble thought or high in
tuition. His wife is admirably suited to him,
toe. She is CLEAN of sunshine for any
shady place"
II really never saw all that in Ben," said
my wife, turning against herself for some in
scrutable reason. Hes clever enough, l
grant you. There's tradition in the family,
though, that he was born day too late, and
has never caught up with the lost time. He
even put off taking all childish diseases until
he was grown, Why, last fall the absurd
creature had the thrush-the thrush! And
as tor his wife, of all the incapable, lndoent-
can bear everything about that woman, DR..
Saul, but her folded hands and good humor,
but that drives me frantic. SunshineP'
''Y Jull have them in Pontetract's Woods
as neighbors. / took No. 320 for them"
SAID Saul. You can look upon the whole
family az missionary ground, and go to work
in it. Pilley will bring them up in a week or
two, suppose"
cat least I'll attend to having the house set
in order for them" The door-bell rang at that
moment and her face changed. s'There they
are! That is Susan Pilley's gurge of a laugh
if she's alive, and the children as usual all
talking at oncep'
We rose in confusion and followed her.
Now Mefs heart would warm to Thug if he
came as guest. was not at all surprised
when reached the hall to find her with a
swarm of young Pilleys clinging to her,
while she laughed and kissed and Rugged
their mother with the sincerest affection.
$50 good in you to surprise us in this way,
Susier' speculation meanwhile in her eye as
to where in this box of house they were to
sleep.
sit was Ben's doing. The doctor tele-
graphed for him to come up last Tuesday, but
he said, no. He would bring the whole fami-
ly and show you all that he could act with de-
cision and promptly-soro once" with the usu-
al running accompaniment of laugh.
''But where is Ben?'
ssOh he lost one of the checks for the
largest trunk, believe, and those stupid bag
gage-people would make difficulty. So he
sent us before him. Here he comes" as
Ben, tall and thin as ever, and with the usual
appearance of having just been blown by
violent wind into an excited good humor,
came IN.
''God bless you, boysp' selling the old doc
tors hand and mine. 1 melted at the first
touch. There certainly never was a fellow
as gentle and genuine as Pulley. Melicent,
when he turned to her, gave him a motherly
kiss Her keen eyes had seen already the
patches on his coat, and that Susan and the
children, July as it was, were still perspiring
IN their winter clothes. The water stood in
her eyes with all their keenness.
''Now, could anything be better than this ?'
cried Ben, finging hat and vallse in one cor
ner. San here together once more! had
no hope of seeing the doctor tonight tell
you, doctor, that offer of yours was the
plank to the drowning man. had well-nigh
me uLder. And you're just at supper!
We're always just in time, Sue. Here Joe,
and jim, and Molly" ticking them off with
enormous slices of bread and jam. "We're
all half-starved-forgot somehow to bring
lunch"
ssWhat about the lost trunk?, interposed
Melicent.
sob! it will turn up sometime. Iput the
matter into the hands of cabman down
there, an honest, reliable-looking fellow. 1
couldn't stay all night. What became of the
check is the mystery. l did not put it into
the unlucky pocket, Sue"
His wife laughed, giving the baby lump
of sugar.
"Ehp How's that, Pilley?"
"a pocket of mine, out of which nothing
comes at the right season. Cost us dear,
though, lately. You heard of the chance l
lost in A. college? No? Vacant chair
of astronomy and natural sciences. Why,
SAUL" energetically, ''tlleir observatory 1
consider equal to that of any in the country.
They've one lens there which man would
give years of his life for the chance of
using.'
''Was the professorship offered to YOU"
Eyes. The most absurd mistake! The
trustees wrote to me making the proposition,
and of course accepted. 1t was just after /
closed my school. l put my letter in this
pocket No, l did not neglect to send it, but
when did I forgot to put stamp on it.
It was too bad, too badv' growing serious.
They waited until their patience gave out,
and then Boehm, German from Bonn, was
pushed in by his fri nds. A month afterward
my letter came out of our village postoffice,
quite clean and fresh.''
The salary was large, suppose ?"
"Yes. But one can make money any
where. But such lens
"When will your furniture be here, Susy2' |
said Me.lcent, to break the awkward pause.
Ben and his wife glanced at each other and
laughed. "To tell the truth, we have none"
,aid Susy. "Ben being out of work of any
sort tor so long-you understand. cts all
zone somehow"
ooh we'llsoon bringa few traps together"
said Ben, rising from the table. ''WelI. bows.
[ am delighted to be with you once more.
I've been anxious to find out what you think
Of Darwin's last step, eh?"
was obliged to leave home the next morn
ing for couple of days, and, when re-
turned, the Pilley's were established in No.