The Republican journal., 1875-03-04
The Love of a Fool.
BY JAMES l.. BOW EN-.

La stood behind the little counter wher
she passed so many hours of her life, he
fingers resting upon the glass of the show
case, which she tapped impatiently, Will
her ewes roved from Ned Snyder, behint
the opposite counter, to the door, through
which she hoped some customer woult
enter.
Ned's attention was divided between
leering at Lu, with his shocking contor
tions of face, and volunteering various
clownish remarks each of which eliciteC
from their object only a movement of i'm
patience. a sharper tapping of the glass
with her fingers, but no word of answer
Finally Ned left his place, sauntereo
around behind LUIS counter, and ended
the mannuver by thrusting his face uI
before hers.
''Oh, 60 away, Ned" she exclaimed,
turning from him, 'do 60, now !"
"What'll go away for ?' he demanded
creeping up again in front of her face.
''Go because am tired, and want you
to go,''-this in tone of marked impa-
tence, which Ned evidently understood
that it would not do for him to disregard
$50 back behind your own counter, OF
stay here and I'll go there. What do you
suppose customers would think to see you
acting in this way?"
Ned hustled over to his own side of the
room before he answered. in matter Of
fact way Suppose they'd think we ought
to be married !"
"Married-you foolish fellow! Why
do you keep talking such nonsense?"
"Wall, now l tell you there IS lots OF
| folks that talk in that way, whether you'd
think 1t or not, and course they're right
about it. Tell you one thing-when we
be married you don't drive me around this
way; just make up your mind about
thatn'
The last part Of Ned's information had
been volunteered as the door opened to
admit Homer Harkness and Lu had
scowled silence at the owner of the wag
ging tongue in vain But if the young
man who entered had heard anything of
what was being said he did not indicate it
! by any change of expression. He greeted
the twain with a friendly word to each,
and passed through to the dning-room
When his footsteps died away, La turned
her great brown eyes to Ned, and said,
sorrowfully -
'Ned. why will you talk so, and before
y
don't want you to talk THAT way and yon
| alalStntn'
"Mustn't!. Lord, what words you use
But you'll get over it some dty-won't
always feel as bashtul."
A voice from below called for Ned, and
he tumbled from sight much to Lu's re-
| lief
Any person seeing Lu Towner, day by
| fl1v 1u0u11 hayp llndprStOO1 how cheer
less l.er young lite really was. An evil
star had seemed to rule at her birth. Her
father, formerly engaged in a comfortable
business, had taken to drink, ruined his
custom, squandered his little property,
Her mother, broken-hearted, struggled
with adverse fortune for few years, and
then she. too, died, leaving her little
daughter to the care Of her only relative
a married aunt. The aunt was kind. in
so far as her nature knew the meaning OF
the word; but she had made Mammor
her god, and nature had given her great
power tor physical endurance-two dan.
gerous qualities for the same person to
possess, especially if that person be a
| woman.
LUIS uncle was the proprietor OF s
bakery, and in connection was sales
room, and a boarding house Mr. ToWnel
superintendent the former; his wife the
two latter; and SO it was that when Lu
had mastered the rudiments of the com
mon school education, she was taken il
as sort Of general help for her aunt il
was as though the sunlight of her dawn
ing life had gone behind some great cloud
There was so much that she could do, ant
she was so willing to do whatever nigh
be demanded or her. From peeling pota
toes, chopping hash, and washing dishes
her sphere Of usefulness gradually eX
tended through all the departments Of the
boarding house and sales-room; till nov
we find her, at the age of twenty, aite
eight years of incessant toll, with no pros
pect of any change, so long as life an(
health should remain. From very early
in the morning till very late at night
through seven long days in every week
with only an hour or two of respite OF
Sunday, she was here, there, wherever
her services were demanded, not con
scious that she was doing more actua
physical labor than two like her shoul,
perform, besides shutting out from hel
young life the joys of companionship an'
ignoring all those social privileges which
are so dear to young life.
Lu was not especially pretty. At frs
glance she seemed so-her small compac
figure, oval features, and great brown
eyes, so full of honest truth, were Ger
tanly the elements of beauty-but her in
cessant toll had wrought its lines upol
hands and face; insufficient sleep, con
tnued care and the absence of social Joy
: | 4 nd ohoI bay uho1a 90
hue of sadness. Sometimes she smiled
but it was only for a moment, and fur
lively, as though she feared to allow ever
this expression of human feeling-no ONT
ever heard her laugh. Those who knew
the most Of her life said it was too bad t'
keep her there, year after year, in tina
manner, but Lu never said so-neve
thought 50, in fact. She had known n
happier life she never expected to.
, 50 it was that her heart was all kind
ness, and even for foolish Ned Snyder
, with his unbearable ways, she had bu
!, such words as we have recorded; non
f more severe. In the depths of her hear
there was lying great store Of love an
2 tenderness, latent now, but waiting TO
i some other loving heart to develop, an
q thus to change the whole weary blank c
her life course, by the sunlight of happ
=. affection.
Ned Snyder was familiarly known a
"the fool" In some respects the epithe
, was quite appropriate, for while he ha
sufficient intelligence to be of much ser
vice in the bakery, and oven in the sale:
D room, he was yet OF such uneven menta
g balance as to puzzle the most astute phi
losopher as to his degree Of mental sount
:. ness and accountability. Ned, too, ha
: been adopted by Mr.. Towner, just as
a would have taken horse for Its keepin!
!. 1t would be handy to have such a DO
s about the establishment, there was alway
: something for him to do, and there wei
| ol ..r,.,c fro omnntS annuOh left alter tll