Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-01-04
MisfelIauenos.
MIR. FITZ-HUMES' ExPERI-
MENT.

b street, and pOndered deeply. The
subject of his cogitation was wife, OF
rather how to get one. There were
enough young ladies who would be
glad to bless their lucky stars for the
privilege Of becoming.mistress of his
home, as he well knew; but he also felt
tolerably well assured the home was
all they cared for. For the fortune
they would wed its owner.
"Deuce take the moneyr' he excleim-
ed, 81 wish I'd never had a cent, and
then-but botheration! to marry, any
way. Why could 1 not just have had
wealth enough for all my wants, and
nothing more? I'll foil them, though,
the mean adventuresses.,,
A furious pull of the bell cord
brought the house-keeper to the room
in hurry.
"Pack up your trash, Mrs. Ashfield," "
he exclaimed abruptly; ''for l am go
ing to close the house."
1t was evident he had to come some
conclusion.
'Shut up the house, Mr.. Fitz-
humes" calculated the house-keeper,
almost believing she had lost her rea-
son. "Why, such thing has not oc-
Cured since your lamented uncle took
possession five and forty years ago!"
"That makes no difference, maam,
Pm master Iere now, and I shall close
it for the present. Meanwhile your
pay can still go on, and that of such do
mestics as you think indispensable.
Have you no relatives you wish to WIS.,
it?'' he inquired. @ @
That settled it. The proffer to con-
tinue pay removed Mrs. Ashfieli's
scruples quite effectually. Shet re-
membered she had friends she had not
seen for years.
Three days later, Mr.. Augustus Fitz-
Humes was safely domiciled in quiet
boarding house, End shortly afterwards
he began to sell his diamonds and seals,
and other paraphernalia of fashionable
life, as well as to dress himselfin plain
er clothes. A rumor that his property
was lost through an unlueky specula-
tion was soon afioat.
He lost friends rapidly. By twos
and threes they ceased to know him
on the street. He only laughed and
snapped his fingers at them behind
their backs Had his adversity been
real ne would not have felt like laugh
ing.
Then came the time when the circle
got narrowed down to three. But
| | three of all Afornar- friends. still
clung to him, true in adversity. II is
no wonder that he grew misanthropic.
Out upon the street one day, he met
carriage, containing some of his form
er acquaintance, who had been absent
from the city since he closed his house.
He thought they would not notice him;
bat each inmate of the carriage bowed
politely as of old.
"They have not heard the news, "
he muttered cynically.
He was mistaken. That night the
owner of the carriage came to see him.
"Rather close quarters, my friend, !"
he said as he took a close survey of
Augustus not very pretentious sur
roundings.
Pretty close, that's Il fact" said Mr..
Humes icily; "but since lost my prop
erty, which l suppose you haven't
heard, have become quite economi-
cal. i"
"But 1 have heard" cried his audi
tor abruptly, "and that is why came.
I knew you needed friends now if ever,
and the fact is-well-my daughter,
sir-I mean came to offer you the pO-
sition of head clerk in my counting
roo m. Will you accept it?"
"Ahem! Well will think oft. But
is long way from my boarding
house?'
"You can board in my family as a
well as sort of guest, you know"
Augustus locked him over closely.
Reuben Stanley was wealthy man
very wealthy-he was ealled-and in
his face there was nothing to warrant
the suspicion that he had learned
Augustus secret, and wished to curry
favor, aiding him while undeTanappar-
ent cloud; so that idea was speedily
dismissed. OF course he quickly thank
ed him and accepted.
Once costly snugged in Stanley's
mansion, it was not long before he
wondered why he had not noticed
Nelly Stanley before. She did not
seem to feel above him, notwithstand-
ing the wide difference in their posi-
tions, and treated him as cordially
more cordial y, he thought-than be-
fore the change in his fortunes. He
would not have been human had he
not learned to love her.
The climax came when she gave q
grand party. Then, before the elite of
the city, she did not hesitate to receive
attention from him, on which but one
construction could be placed. He
thought her quite heroine, and ask
ed no futher proof that she could love
him.
The next afternoon they met in her
fathers library, where he had waited
t0 see her.
"Nellie, ne said, as soon rs the usual
courtesies had been exchanged, 81
come this morning to learn my fate.
| 7 know the difference in our nosjtion