New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-03

laughter. By and by Tom Smith roare,
too, and when he had had his laugh out
finding that Abels attention WAS still On
crossed by the wondrous joke, seized tn,
opportunity to throw his arms erount
Polly's waist, ct which the dansel, who die
not like being laughed 1t, told the devoted
lover to "s.d0ne. and not be so silly"
"Well, what brings you heres" inquired
Abel. whose laugh had now subsidized into &
oieele, and waking at his young ffiead.
"Why, father, he saw me home and
brought the eucumbsr for present"
my stars, that's . beauty; I'm much
Obliged to y0u, Tom, for there's nothing
like better: Some people says cowcumbert
amt good; that you ought to peel 'em nice
i ". and then ding 'em ont Of the window;
but taken With little of the rind on, bit
4 of ingun, and lots of pepper, don't think
there's much harm In 'em-leastwiee they
don't harm mo-" And apparently cucum-
bers were thoroughly inocuous to Mr..
i Webb, who speedily drew his chair up to
the table and began to ply his knife and
fork with will. - -,
Mr.. Tom Smith deliberately waited until
his old friend had completed his repast, and
THEN explained the object of his visit.
Polly, who was busy clearing the supper
table, wanted to leave the room, but her
betrothed wouldn't hear Of such thing;
and by and by that gallant swain exercised
that, all aglow with bushes, she was in
| duced to take q seat upon the foOtstool be-
| tween the two men, of whom it would be
| hard to say which loved her best.
| "YOu know, Mr.. Webb, Polly and have
| been counting long time, nigh upon eight
cen months, and were beginning to think
| that is, I'm beginning to think (this altera-
! ton in response to q protest from Polly,
| it's time we got married. l don't like to see
her wearing her young life out in our hO5
| work rooms. My salary, as you know, is
at present ESQ year, and live on The
premises. Now l think if l was to tell Loo
string the facts of the case, and that l
wanted to live away, he'd give me el3O
Now amt that enough to get married on.
and have you any objection to Polly and
being married at Ohce"
Here Tom Smith paused, not because he
exhausted his subject, but for the reason
that he WAS out of breath.
Then Polly took uD the parable. Siding
her stool to her fathers side and resting
her head upon his knee, she said tremb-
lingly:
married will make any difference to you
and me, for YOU are to come and live with
us: eh. Toni"
Mr.. Smith, thus appealed to, vowed that
his father in laws residence with them WAS
considered quite 8 settled matter, as in
truth it was.
A tear stood in old Abel's eye, and his
voice quivered with emotion "a, laying aside
his pipe and taking his daughters hand
lovingly within his own, he said:
tom Smith, know you to be true and
honest fellow. There is no man upon the
face of this earth l would more desire to
call my eon.in-law; but before l give my
coneent to your marriage must tell on Of
something that may perhaps cause you to
draw back"
Tom was about to speak, when Abel, in
trembling accents, resumed.
"If you'd both been content to wait few
never have been know to either of you. l |
was still q young man when l first entered |
Baker Il Bakers warehouse; you, Polly, |
were three years old; but your brother Sam |
was eleven or more. He used sometimes To |
bring me my meals at the drug warehouse,
and Once or twice Mr. Baker-the old man |
I'm speaking Of now-tOok notice of him. |
me, Now, Abel, when that boy e old enough. |
I'll take him into the counting-hou il you
like II l would like! / treasured those
words, and your mother and myself did all |
We could in the way of sending him to schol |
and such Ike, - as he should be fit when |
Mr.. Baker wanted him. Oh, how We loved
that boy! How proudly We watched him
grow up, and what hopes We formed Of
him! Sam seemed a steady, industrious
lad enough, and for a time he certainly |
gave great satisfaction in the counting |
house. He was then seventeen, and az
handsome fellow as you might wish 70
see, though I'm his father as says it. He
was general favOrite in the office. and at
last got trusted to collect some of tho debts
due TO the firm. About this time there
came sudden change in his habits and
appearance which alarmed me and his
mother very much. He got to keeping
late hours, made some bad acquaintance,
and began to dress extravagantly. 1t
was no use our cautiOniug him, for he
determined to 90 en- his own course.
But all the sorrow and disappointment We
lelt was as nothing to the fearful blow that
almost stunned US when, on chance exam
nation of the books, it was found Sam had
embezzled his employers money to hun
dred and fifty pounds. From the moment
Of that terrible discovery your mother
dropped add dropped until she died. What
be had done with the money he would never |
tell; but the head cashier Mr.. Robert Will
mont, he who went soon after To Australia
/ declared that more than once he had heard
the boy talk about horse raciog; and it was
n this way We always considered tho
Aoucy u6u kOno' 1Ao AVE . AL AAWocAA' NO |
stuck to it hard and fast that he was not
guilty of any dishonesty. He swore that
The money he'd collected had always been
paid over to the cashier; but the evidence
the other way was too strong, and our boy
was branded as q thief. Mr. Wimont,
who was angry at Sans insinuatlons,
wanted him sent to prison; but Mr..
Baker was q merciful mas, and did not
bring upon US further Disgrace. After this
felt could ne longer remain in Mr..
Bakers employ, and thus it was l went TO
Loostring g. Tools. So that Sam might
have chance of getting back his charac-
ter Mr.. Baker gave bim a letter of intro
1uction to a merchant at Bombay, some
where India, who might be able to tiud
him employment such as wouldn't have
Sam eagerly jumped at the
,tfer, but up to the nome mt OF his depart
lre declared himself Inn icent of stealing
Mr.. Bakers money Poor fellow! 1T was
the last we saw of him. Before the vessel
reached India she met fearful hurricane,
and every soul on board her persisted"
Overcome by these painful recollectiOns.
Abel buried his face in bis hands and wept.
Complete silence reigned in the room for a
lew moment, and then Polly controlling
with an effort the strong emotions that
swept through her heart, crept to her |
ather's eide and placed her hand in his.
Dear father" she said, in broken tones,
tine story OF your sorrow makes you dearer
10 me than ever"
embrace, and, when she had kissed the tears
rom his cheeks, resumed:
"rhere could be no doubt of your brothers
.uilt, and was too sensible Of the kindness
# his employers to allow them to suffer. l
resolved, come what might, that would do |