Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-06-05
For the SPECTATOR.
Hardwick's Visitor.
BOUNDLEss WEALTH REFUSED.

" There came maiden bright and fair
Over the pavement tripping,
And never thought had she of care,
And never fear of slipping.
But, o! alas for all of that,
Her feet flew out and down she sat
Down in the cold, cold snow!
And in her face came q flush of red
And look Of surprise, but all she said
Was-'Domino!'
Old lawyer Hardwick, rich, close, and
penurious, smiled after reading this
verse, and then laid aside the paper con-
tanning it. The humorous conception
and ludicrous deseriptivenass of it ap-
pealed even to his hard fancy, and all
the more from the fact that he had seen
it illustrated that very day by "a maiden
bright and fair" while he was on his
way to his Office in the lower part Of the
city. The smile had scarcely left his
face when a mysterious knock sounded
upon his office door. The door crept
slowly open, and tall, slender-limbad,
airlly. clad young man tiptoed in, placed
his fnger On his blue lips, and, like
Othello, whispered, fearing lest the very
walls had ears, eager to catch the preg-
nant secret of his heart and soul.
"Histu'
Hardwick dropped his jaw and the
lnk eraser he was cleaning his nails
with, opened his eyes and ears like
Staunten cellar-deors, polished his bald
head with the back Of his hand till it
shone like 9 new blsck-tin stew. pan,
ana then gazed spell bound upon the
care we alone" whispered the new
conner In voice not as tragic as Mac
beth's, when "Banquo shook his CORY
locks" but in tones in which hoarseness
and Irish whisky struggled for the boss
ship.
Not much, Dick Turpin, Jack shep-
pard, or whoever XaW are. Ny great,
big, bouncing Or0ther's in the back office
swinging club, and there's three of the
a!l-firedest shacklin policemen, regular
giants, tramping up and down the hall
at the present minute" replied Hard
WICK, fearing he was about to be gayrot-
ed and the safe robbed. u "
"Bl9e-ceated my f1nidona of tho law,
evolved tsguments Of justice, Atlas-like
supporting the temple of our National
Constltutlon-l fairly loathe and laugh
at theM-there Is no fear of such before
ray eyes" grandiloquently exclaimed
the airily-clad youth, taking chair and
drawing it close to the cheerful grsta-
fire. "Hearken! Wouldst thou, aged
patriarch, thou wha ,ookest like noble
Doge of fair Venice In her palmy days
have wealth to flow into thy Golfers till
thy ducats were as countless as the sands
of the sea ?'
Hem !" calculated Hardwick.
Nv Whisper then, and breathe It net to
living soul! upon the ys5Y peril Of thy
glorious life iu4s drawing into full ma.
turity, tnou Mcky manI I have at last
discoyeted Charley Ross. The reward
OF thousands, the Life -Rpa gratitude a1
bis parents, and the applause of a na'
tlo4, afs Y1thln nay grasp. You, noble
ana pala. headed stranger, shall share
the h0nors with me,O said the A. G.,
Youth, rubbing the heat into his hands
"PshawW
Don't scoff. / Can show Won a silve,
mine in the Black Hills whero yoS
cou'' load million cars vita ore 81
rlch that it shapes tssslf into quarter
and half dallaEs.' Thine eyes, generou
ana warm. hearted philanthropist, shal
De the first to gloat upon the boundles
treasure. l have sworn it upon my
knlghtly oath. If need be, I will affil
my royal seal thereto, promised tha new
conner, taking off a disreputaole iookin.
shoe, and wringing the water out of
weil-worn and nigrous sock.
"Besh ~
What! incredulous still? Shades O
the mighty! can it be thus? List to me