The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-05-01
Found Wanting.

"And you really fancy yourself in Low
with this fair little shop girl Z"
Mr.. Meredith, a tall, noble featured MAJ
of fifty, looked rather sadly at his enthusi
astic young nephew.
"Fancy, unclel That is hardly an ap
propriate word to use. am quiet certain
of the fact.
g ! suppose you will consider me a yer,
bad judge of human character, if tell yol
that | like her little cousins demure fac
best. Believe me, Harry, there is NOR
real stamina in Ruth Durr than in her pret
ty cousin Rachael.
"Ihere, sir, answered Harry rcsolute
ly "is where must beg leave to diffe
with you"
"That she earns her own living behnC
the counter of fancy store-that they botl
do is no drawback in my eyes. Indepen
dence and self-reliance are to me cardna
virtues, and even though your wife will bC
raised into an atmosphere of comparative
wealth, a few lessons taken beforehand il
the impartial, school of worldly experience
will be of incaculable use to her. F."
Harry Meredith sat long that night, be
fore the snug bright fire in his snug little
batchelor apartment, musing over his un.
cle's words.
He had met the two cousins, Rachae
and Ruth Durr, at a quiet little birthday
gathering at the house of a friend, and in
simultaneously felt drawn toward the elder
one-elder by eighteen months. She was g
beautiful blonde, while the other was rather
of the brunette type. During the three
months which had followed upon his first
introduction, Harry Meredith had contrived
to see the cousins several times a week, and
consequently fell deeper in love with the
golden-haired lassie even while he was
quite conscious of Ruth's deeper character
and stronger intellect.
Sometimes he was almost tempted to
waver in his allegiance toward the elder,
and then betook himself with very unneces-
sary sternness to talk.
Tonight however, he passed the whole
of the past few weeks in view before his
memory, and decided that inaction was the
worst policy in the world
"This suspense must be put an end to, y
calculated our hero half aloud, and then
smiled mischievously to himself, as an idea
came into his head
"Tll do it," he thought, biting his lip
"Of course it's only for the fun of the
thing. / have not the shadow of doubt
that she is all she seems"
He was silent for few minutes and
then arose to prepare for sumber.
"They are polite enough to me, as fa-
vored child of luxury. Now will take
measures to learn whether this courtesy is
genuinely from the hart, or merely born of
empty form and adulaton to wealth"
SO our hero, lying his head on his pillow,
dreamed of private masquerade parties all
night long.
Rachael Durr and her cousin Ruth were
shop girls in Savery & St. Clair's great
fancy store.
"Oh, dearl" sighed Rachael, one morn
ing as she took off her bonnet in the little
dressing room at the back of the store, and
shook down her golden shower of curls,
How | wish Harry Meredith would propose
if he's going to-"
Ruth laughed as she smoothed down her
satin brown hair and tied the bow of Grim
son ribbon at her throat.
"And what do you think of me, Rachael
|, who have such brilliant hopes of matri-
mony to light up the monotony of my daily
toll 2"
Rachael shrugged her shoulders
81 don't see how you bear it so patient
ly. should die with vexation and ennui'
il | did not hope for something better"
"Hush" said Ruth, 'there is Mrs.
Wicks, the forewoman, calling us.
'How hate the old vixenl" Rachael
CALCULATED slowly following Ruth into the
store.
Greatly, Miss Rachael DUR, you must
be a little more punctual," said Mrs
Wicks, pursuing up her mouth primly.
"You are fully five minutes behind time,
and it was just so yesterday"
Rachael pouted, and went to work abel
ing box of newly arrived ribbons. She
and Mrs Wicks had never agreed very
harmoniously, nor did she affiliate with the
show girls. "a stuck up impertinent
thing" they called her, While size from the
serene heights of the POSSIBILITY of her one
day becoming Mrs Harry Meredith, treated
them with disdain that was anything in
the world but agreeable.
In vain were Ruth's circumstances. Ra-
chae had always been willul and inclined
TO superciliousnes, nor would she listen
to her cousins mildly proifered advice
now.
ats all very well for you, Ruth, you've
got to spend all your days here, but" she
said, curling her pretty lips, "but shall
soon be lifted out of this groveling atmos-
phere."
at is by no means certainty
"Yes it is, loughingly answered Racha-
el, blushing like damask rose.
And Ruth would sigh softly, and think
how brightly the future was unroling its
vast map before her pretty little cousin.
Rachael Durr waited rather languidly
upon one or two custumers that morning,
Evidently her heart was not in her work,
and Mrs. Wickes, from her lurking place
behind the cash box, cast several cyenomed
glances toward her, promonitory Of com
ing storm.
Presently new customer hobbled IN,
bent and crooked, and made his way direct
" to the counter where Rachael and Ruth
were standing A huge cotton umbrella