Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-09-03
THE ONE DOLLAR BILL.

Iule closer to the tirea great open mass of
glimmering anthracite and gazed with a
snrt of sleepy, reflective satisfaction at the
crimson moreen curtains, and the gray cat
inst aslcep on the hearth, and the canary bird
rolled into drowsy ball OF down upon its
perch.
clad had that leaky spot in the barn roof
dyc1 last week. don't object TO a stormy
npht once in while, when fellows under
cover, and there's nothing 'Iparticular to be
dOne Mary!
fitting about, between the kitchen and sit
tinr.r0om, with great blue checked apron
lied around her waist. "l'm nearly ready to
come in now, Josiah. Now, | WONDER" soto
roce, 'if that was really knock at the door,
or lust little extra rush of the windS and
rain.
She went to the door, nevertheless, and a
minute or two afterwards she went to her
hui bands chair.
",Joe, dear, its Luke Ruddilove," she said
half apprehensively. The Squire never
looked up from his paper.
"Tell him he has made a mistake. The
tavern is on the second corner beyond
"But he wants to know II you will lend
him dollar p said Mrs. Pralet.
Couldn't you have told him, no, without
the preliminary ceremony of coming here to
ask me ? Is it likely shall lend dollar, or
even cent TO Luke kuddilove2 Why I'd a
great deal better throw it among yonder red
Goals! NO-of course, no"
Mrs. Pratlet hesitatcd
ale looked so pinched, and cold, and
wreched, Josiah. He says there's nobody
in the world to let him have a cent"
tim hpttar fpr him, if bp did bui kpnt,,
il, sharply enunciated the Squire. ''If he
had come to just that pitch a half dozen
years ago, perhaps lle wouldn't have been
the miserable vagabond he is now"
I'VE used to go TO school together, said
Mrs Pratlet, gently. "Ile was the smartest
boy in the class.
That's probable enough, said the Squire,
" hut II don't alter the fact. He's poor.
drunken wretch now. Send him about his
business, Mary; and if his time is of any
consequence, just let him know that he had
better not waste 1t coming here after dollars
And the Squire leaned back in his chair
after positive fashion, as if the whole mat
ter was definitely settled.
Mrs Pratlet went back TO the kitchen,
where Luke Ruddilove was spreading his
poor thin fingers over the blaze of fire, his
tatered garments steaming as if be was a
pillar of vapor.
"IIe won't let you have it, Luke" said
she 81 thought he wouldn't" "
"'rhen I've got to starve like any other
dog :" said Luke Ruddilove, turning moodily
away. ''And, after all, | don't supn0se Il
makes much difference whether shuttle out
of this world to-day or tomorrow"
"Oh Luke-not to your wife 7"
"Shed be better off without me- said
Luke down-heartedy.
"But she ought not to be-"
'Ought and is are two different things,
Mrs. pratlet. Good night, amt going to
the tavern, although I'll wager something the
Squire thought was"
'And isn't it natural enough he should
think so, Luke 7"
''Yes-yes, Mary; I don't say but what it
is, murmured Luke RuddiOve, in the same
detected tone he had used throughout the, in
terview.
stop" Mrs. Pratlet called to him, as his
hand lay on the door latch, in a low voice.
Here's dollar, Luke, MIR. Pratlet gave it
To me for a new piece of oil cloth in front of
the dining room stove, but I'll try and make
the old one do little while longer And
Luke, for the sake of old times-fOr the sake
Of your poor wife and little ones at home
do try and do better"
Luke Ruddilove looked vacantly first at
the fresh, new bank-Lill in his hand and
then at the blooming young matron who had
placed it there.
THANK you, Mary" he said, and crept out
of the warm, bright kitchen into the storm
and darkness that reigned without. Mrs.
Pratlet stood looking into the kitchen fire.
81 dare say I've done foolish thing" she
pondered, "but indeed | could not help it,
Of course he'll spend it all at the public house,
and | shall do without my new oil cloth ;
that will be the end of it al"
And there was conscious flush on hei
cheeks, as if she had done something wrong,
when she joined the Squire in the sitting
room.
"Well," said Squire pratlet, "has that ne'er
do well gone at last ?"
"Yes."
''ro Stokes tavern, suppose ?"
81 hope not, Josiah"
I'm afraid it's past hoping for" said the
Squire, struggling his shoulders. "And now
for pleasant evening. How it does rain, ia
he sure"
And Mrs. Pratlet kept the secret of the
dollar bill within her own heart.
1t was six months afterwards that the
squire came into the dining room where his
wife was preserving great red apples into
Jelly.
"Well, WELL" quoth he, "wonders will ne
yer cease. The Ruddiloves have gone away.
Where ?"
81 don't know-out West somewhere will
colony. And they say Luke hasn't touched
drop in six months
'Im glad of that" said Mrs. Pratlet.
1T won't last long, said the Squire, des
pairingly
'Why not ?"
''Ob. | don't know. haven't any faitl
in these sudden reforms"
Mrs. Pratet was silent; she thought thank
fully that, after all, Luke had not spent tn
dollar in liquor.
Six months-six years-the time sped a
long in days and weeks, almost before bus,
little Mrs. Pratlet knew that it was gone
The Ruddiloves had come back to SequOsset
Luke had made his fortune, as the story went
far away in Ell Dorado, vaguely phrase(
tout West, by the simple Sequosseters.
''They do say" said Mrs. Buckingham
that he's bought that ere lot down opposit
the Court House, and he's gOin' to build sucl
IL house as never was.
''He must have prOspered greatly" saiI
gentle Mrs. Pratlet.
''And his wife she wears a silk gown tina
will stand alone with its own richness" sal
Mrs. Buckingham. II can remember whe
Luke RuddilOve was nothing but poor drur
ken creature"
''All the more credit 10 him now," sai
Mrs. Pratlet emphatically.
''Its to be sure all o stun, said Mrs. Buck
ingham, "white marble mantels and inlai
hV,1 l,nfu mt lpf ~ N