The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-11
"Then I would like to see him at

"Then 1 would like to see him at
once"
lie looked me fairly in the face and
ac ually grinnel ut me. Then jerking
his head tow wards the rear oil the store,
said:
"Back in the office"
l went back into the office and found
only a lady there.
: II want to see Mr.. Edwards. Is he
inY
you want to see me, then. There is
no Mr.. Edwards. Ny husband died
three years ago."
Twas too much astonished to say any
thing for moment.
| "IS it possible that you are Edwards,
the fiDur merchant"
81 am the person, sir,
"And am Johu Middleton, of New
York. must beg your pardon, madam,
lOr writing you very sharp letter. l
isupposed was writing to man, or IL
would have been very differently word
ed. Your being "A lady makes it q rude
ness on my part"
81 know deserved it, she said, smil-
ing, "but i'll spite of JVhn's remOnstran-
ces Ohm is my boy j tnat l was running
my credit with you, l simply couldn't
see former customers starving when il
was possible to iced them. You have
come for your money, sir. Sit down and
l WIll pay you what l nave here. / must
borrow from the banker enough to pay
the rest. They offered 10 take mort
gage on our houses but hoped to get
| along somehow without that. But you
must have your money, | know, even Il
| tuere is mortgage puG on the house,
| And she went 10 the safe and took out
what money tuere was-Dot much; and
sat down to write me check tor what
| she had III the bank. While she WAS Ii l.
ing the check she kept looking up at me
| in The oldest way. Such Il pretty little
woman she was, too. But was so much
ashamed of my seIt that sat dumb as an
! oyster. Here was the little widow going
| 10 mortgage her house, and perhaps her
self, OH my account. 1T WAS rough-the
rous hest l had ever seen. But let her
| ill out the cheek. Two hundred and
seyen dollars and thirteen cents. 1t took
me last cent OH deposit, and she had just
| gwen mo the last cent in the cash
drawer.
| Sue was so pretty as she sat there
gravely writing i'll her check book, and
every now and then glanclnG shyiy uT
al me. Where nad l seen that tace be-
fore? l puzzled myself in vain;
couldn't tell.
Sac gave me the check, and now my
wandering brains mad come back into 4
business channel again. l tore up the
caeck.
"Mrs. Edwards, l am heartily ASHAMED
Of myself tor Wnat has just passed be-
tween US. You shall not mortgage your
property tor me. Do the best you can
| When you can collect and pay me, do it
Ii the whole world was ike you 1t woult
ma q better world tuau it 49,"
She was crylng, actually crying; ant
[ feit--Io matter how ieil; DuL 1t WA
time to hasten back or miss my train
Perhaps l said so, but this is what sh
said:
God bless you! You haven't changed
one bit since you Were boy. Ana Wn
can't all the world be like you, job
Middletonp
j Then there was perfect torrent Q
teals. VINO in the world was This littl
woman woo knew me in my boyhoodI
i You may laugh or trown as you please
don't care. Ips nobody's business II
did take that little woman in my arm
aud kiss her wnen | iould that she an
| had been playmAtes and schoolmates
Sue was the widow OF that Chicago mar
too, and that money had kept on Dc
) posit so long was ners.
1t took 80 long to say all we wanted t
Q say, TO ask about all the living and dead
that the train went on without Its pas
i senger.
q And it is singular how many tende
I recolIeotiOns return when olscussin
: the scenes of youth. 1t was not Mr..
= Edwards ana Sir. Middleton, but IL wa
/ George for her name was Georgi
Washington, oddly eAough) and Jaci
j. precisely as if we were twelve instea
. of forty.
Q or course 1 shall tell the whole stor!
p and if people laugh, why let them.
) When | came back to New York
II brought George with me as Mrs. Nil
G die on. And that Is all there is abol
% il