The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-09-29

1
having amassed q 5DFtune of some half a
million, displays his strong good sense
by quiet, digHified unostentatious life
|, and bearing"
1 laughed heartily:
'And poor Philip ~sI said directly.
81 haven't the re1notest idea to what
you aIlude," she replied distantly.
But in few mifl1tes she came over to
me, put her hands I'd my shoulders, and
looking straight intf fmy eyes, said, softly,
but decidedly, Esther will not, can
not, marry a poor man. Never mind
about it."
''Poor Philip!" I halfshouted reproach-
fully and defantly.
\ Two days later Philip Oswald ceased
coming to our cottage.
"What has become of Philip ?'' |
asked Penelope, after several previous
and futile efforts to put the question.
"Gone to the centennial, she answered
cody.
Yes"
"Did he ask you to go with him ?"
''No, indeed" spreading a sandwich
with vicious intensity and vigor. "He
asked me to live with him in Mrs.
Kemp's cottage on five or six hundred
| year IeH lduShCu, anu hI' 0lO O"VV0l
a terrible blow.
"And you declined ?'
"Of course with thanks, and told him
/ prefer single blessedness, the sandwich
business, and the centennial"
81 hope you will regret it forever and
the day after" was snapped.
''Very kind of you, Pm sure" carving
a ham with more muscle than suspected
her having. "But, sweetness, there comes
Mr.. Whitney. Run aud take off your
apron"
'I shall not; take off my apron for
Mr.. Whitney! Run yourself and powder,
and primp."
II shall not stir from this spot. hate
Mr.. Whitney,"
ooh ho!5 1 chuckled to myself; "she
repents, already, having refused poor
Philip"
Mr.. Whitney made long call, 1OOuld
assist in cutting flowers, and actually
put dozen lemons through the squeez-
| ing process. l began to thing him not
altogether unlike Pens description of
him and when he offered to help butter
the sandwiches, was suddenly convinced
of his fascinating powers, and from that
moment-but the rest of that sentence
would be premature.
"We are getting rich, Mr.. Whitney"
1 said sweetly, but with profound
sarcasm.
"Ah! 1 am glad to hear it,
eyes, we have over hundred dollars
in the bank, and good supply OF stock
in trade as you see. We are actualsy
coming money. We can appreciate now
the earlv experience of our self-made
millionaires, Vanderbilt, Drew and
Others"
This was said with delicious thrust |
at himself. He smiled loftily.
at is centennial funds" 1 pursued |
with growing simplicity and enthusiasm,
''the money in bank mean. All to be |
invested in grand centennial benefit |
for us two poor, drudging, miserable |
women"
"Are YOU two ladies going to the
centennial alone ~ he asked with an air |
of sudden interest.
+. Certainly, who would go with us?
Pen broke in suddenly and viciously.
'I think party would be pleasant"
he answered. What do you say to
adding gentleman or twoto your select
party of two ?'
''Depends on who they are. Esther
and l cannot afford to travel with a hGI
q millionaire. Gracious what is that p
al
pale face in the doorway.
1t was Horace Boggs.
cob! he's killed he's killed Miss
Esther, Miss Pen! The cars ran over
him"
E" Who?" we gasped.
" Jimmie Jimmie! !"
Alasl what wild time there was.
The poor child had fallen in getting off
of the platform of the rear car, and mar
rowly escaped being crushed to death.
One arm and one leg were broken; and a
poor, sad, white face, scratched and
bleeding, looked up at us as we gathered
about him and carried him, not home,
but to our own cottage. go
Penelope was miserable.
awe have murdered him " she cried.
1T all comes of our foolishness. | be-
ieve you were right, Esther; one should
not strive, but should wait and wait, and
wait forever Poor little Jim" and Pen
cried and moaned piteOusly.
We spent the days and nights with
the poor little sufferer, and our project
was forever abandoned. Penelope said
she would not have any more money
made at such sad risks. 81 hate that
hundred dollars in bank, and shall never
touch a cent of it.
L. |
Jimmie. He visited him daily sent or
: brought him the costlist dainties and
books and games. Pen always thanked
him warmly, profoundly. "Esther, that
money in bank shall be Jimmie's," Pen
said, with tears in her eyes. "Think of
it an arm ana a leg broken, smashed,
and deformed and then his pains and
Poor Jim Mr.. Whitney, he
must have a nice roller chair that Horace
can push him about in. Please get one
at my expen.e."- The chair came, with
"Mr. Whitney's compliments to Jimmie
Boggs."
"it's all right" Pen said. ''He ought
to be doing this sort of thing every hour
he lives"
'And you meant him to do it," 1
asked.
Ofcourse. He shall pay for all poor
Jim's comforts, so the money in bank
can remain intact for him"
was sitting by myself in the grape
arbor, enjoying the fragrance of the dewy
summer night. A foOtstep crushed the
footstep that had become
full of music and poetry to me. Mr..
Whitney seated himself by me, and after
a few sentences, said: 80 you have
given UP your trip to the centennial ?'
eyes and poor Pen wanted to go so
badly" 1 answered, thinking he wanted
to talk of her, and hiding my own pain
as best as 1 could.
"And you-didn't yOu want to go?''
he asked, very kindly
eyes, of course; but 1 never want
anything know 1 can't have" How
miserable 1 felt when l said this.
''Miss Esther, there is such plaintive
untrutb in that remark, | am forced to !
reprove YOU You must want thousand
things that you have known the use and
beauty of in-in other days"
| felt the tears coming and turned
silently away But somehow new joy
was stealing into my veins. Was it the j
tenderness in Mr.. Whitney's voice that
gave a new aspect to life No; had I
not made up my mind that he loved
Penelope?
Esther" he said, ''you say you never
want anything you can't have. Do you
always want what you can have? ?"
''Nol thousand times mop answer j
II . and uildnasc | ,