Middletown transcript., 1877-04-28
"Hush Y ala Ruth. nthere is Me-

behind time, and it was just 50 yestel
day"
Rachel pouted, and went to work Ia
beling a box Of newly y-arrived ribbons
She and Mrs Wiexes had never agree
very harmoniously, nor did she afiliat
with the shop girls IA stuck.up. i'm
pertinent thing" they called her
while she, from the serene heights Q
the possibility of her one day becoming
Mrs Harry Meredith, treated then
with the disdain which was anything il
the world but agreeable.
In vain were Ruth's remonstrances
Rachel had always been willful and in
clined to superciliousness, nor woulc
she listen to her cousins mildly prof.
fered advice now.
"It's all very well for you, Ruth
you've got 10 spend all your days here,
she said, curling her pretty lip; "bu
| shall soon be lifted out of this grovel.
ing atmosphere"
ut is by no means a certainty"
Eyes, it is," laughingly answered
Rachel, blushing like damask rose.
And Ruth would sigh softly, and
think how brightly the future was un-
rolling its vast map before her pretty
little cousin.
Rachel Duer waited rather languidly
upon one or two customers that morn
ing Evidently her heart was not in
her work, and Mrs Wickes, from her
lurking place behind the cash-box, cast
several envenOmed glances toward her,
premonitory Of coming storm.
Presently a new customer hobbled
in, bent and crooked, and made bis way
directly to the counter where Rachel and
Ruth we're standing. A huge cotton
umbrella protruded in a warlike manner
from beneath his arm, and mended cot
ton gloves covered his hands, while a
rusty red wig was half concealed BY his
bent and battered hat
MY goodness ! Ruth, what a fig
ure !" calculated Rachel, in a very au-
dible voice. "What can that old bun
die of second hand clothes want here p
'Hush !" said Ruth, almost sternly,
"be will hear you"
land what if be does What do
care 2"
He is old and iDfrm. Rachel, and
his age should render him sacred in
your eyes
Rachel tossed her head sneeringly.
Ruth, you are too absurd for any
hing. l won't wait on him +"
But the old man steered resolutely
'or Rachel herself
Il want to buy some gloves, miss"
le said, in feeble, croaking voice
You'd better 60 somewhere else,"
aid the young lady, superciliously
our store doesn't keep cheap goods"
please let me see the articles
Rachel tossed a box down on the
counter: the old man bent bis specta-
led eyes down to survey the goods.
"R,W much are these n
"a dollar a pair"
'But l am a poor man, miss have
-ou nothing cheaper n
"No - snapped Rachel; ri told you
Q 60 elsewhere. I've no patience with
81 beg your pardon. miss" said the
Id man; Il am not pauper."
"Well," observed the girl, scorn-
nlly, "you look like one !''
appearances are often deceitful
lid you tell me you had cheaper
loves ~
Il didn't tell you any such thing Y
Rachel Rachel !" demonstrated
er cousin. ''Let me show you what
ou want, sir" she said, softly. turn
lg to the old customer. ave have
ome very nice gloves at seventy-6ve
ants"
"SeVenty-five cents is a great deal
f money to pay for a pair Of gloves, +"
lid the old man looking sorrowfully
own on the mended fingers of those be
ore "but the weather is getting
'osty, and I'm not so young as l was "
Il should think that was quite evil
ent, " said Rachel, with a heartless
tier.
Ruth bent toward the old man, say
lg in low sweet voice:
'Take the warm worsted gloves, sir.
be price is seventy-fve cents, but you
lall have them for fifty. l myself will
AXE up the difference to the store.
ou are an old gentleman, and / am
ouhg and able to work. y
but am nothing to you miss"
Ruth folded the gloves neatly in a
ece of paper, and handed them to
in.
"For the sake Of the dear father who
ed year ago, old age can never be
Iothing' to me, sir. Please don't
ank me; indeed deserve no graft
de-"
And Ruth drew blushiugly back,
bile Rachel burst into a laugh. |
Upon my word, Ruth. you are the =
eatest fool l ever saw r she cried !
bile the old gentleman hobbled out of !
e store. Il would have seen the old
ggar in Jericho before I would have :
ven him anything Why doesn't he .
to the poor house n 7
The days crept on, and one day Mr.. ?
AIRY Meredith astonished little Ruth
ner very much by asking her to be
) wife. C
1t was as if the gates of Paradise Ii
d been suddenly opened to her-the o
odest little girl, secretly worshipping r,
airy Meredith in ber heart of hl arts, Il
d never dreamed of the possibility Of Ii
ch good luck being in store for her. b
That evening she told her cousin. c.
nchel listened in silence. The prize o.
d been very near her grasp once, but 81
mellow it had slipped away Il