The Osceola times., 1880-02-14
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.
A Love story In Which Ruth. hachei sn'
Harry are Interested.

"And YOU really fancy yourself IN
love with this little fair-haired shop-
girl?' 49,, N .,,o so.,,red
man OF forty, looked rather sadly at MS
enthusiastic young nephew.
"Fancy, uncle! that is hardly an aP-
propriatc word to use, am quite certain
| of the fact"
~ suppose you will think me a bad
iudce OF human character, if tell you
| / like her little cousins demure face the
best. Believe me, Harry, there is more
real stamina in Ruth Durr than in her
pretty cousin, Rachel
"There sir" answered Harry, reso-
lutely, "ls where must beg to differ
from you"
"Well, my boy, you must choose for
yourself. Remember, it is no question
of a partner for waltz, or a pair OF
bright eyes whose glitter is to amaze you
for one or two evenings The woman
whom YOU now select for a wife must ne
cessarily exert more or less potent in
huence ever your entire life"
81 know it sir" and Harry's mirtbful
face became for moment almost grave.
"That she makes her living behind
the counter of fancy store-that they
both dds no drawback in my eyes.
independence and self-reliance are to
me cardinal virtues, and even though
| she will be raised into an atmosphere oil
comparative wealth, few lessons be-
forehand In the impartial school OF
worldly experience will be Of incalcula-
bic use to her"
Harry Meredith sat alone that night
before his snug, bright fire in his easy
little bachelar apartment, thinking over
his uncle's words.
He had met the two cousins Rachel
and Ruth Durr, at quiet little birthday
gathering at the house of friend, and
had instantaneously felt drawn toward
the elder one-elder by eighteen months.
She vas beautiful blonde, while the
other was rather of brunette type.
During the three months that had fo.-
lowed upon his first introduction, Harry
Meredith had coutrived to see the cous-
ins several times week, and conse-
quently fell deeper in love with the
golden-haired lassie, even while he was
quite conscious of Ruth's deeper char
acter and stronger intellect.
Sometimes he was almost tempted TO
wayer in his allegiance to the elder, and
then be took himself with very unne-
cessary sternness to task for his incon'
stancy.
Tonight, however, he passed the
whole of the last few weeks in review
before is memory, and decided that in
action was the very worst policy IN the
world.
"rhis suspense must be put to an end,
calculated our hero, half aloud, and then
he smiled mischievously to himself as
bright idea came into his head.
f "Ill do it," he thought. biting his
lips. "Of course its merely for the fun
OF the thing have not the shadow OF
, doubt that she seems, but still
+ He was silent for few moments, and
then he rose TO prepare for slumber.
"They are polite to me as the tavorite
child of luxury. Now l will take
measures to learn whether that cour-
tesy is genuinely from the heart, OF
merely born of empty form and adula-
ton of wealth."
So our hero, laying his head upon
his pillow, dreamed of private masquer.
ade parties all night long.
Rachel Durr and her cousin Ruth were
shop girls in Saver & st. Clair's great
fancy store.
"0h, dear" sighed Rachel one morn.
,, ing as she took off her bonnet in the
little dressing room at the back Of the
store and shook down her shower OF
golden curls, chow tired am Of this hor.
rid drudgery! How l wish Harry Mer-
edith would propose, if he is going to.
Ruth laughed as she smoothed down
her satin brown hair and tied the bow
, of crimson ribbon at her throat.
'And what do you think of me, Ra
chel-I who have no such brilliant hopes
OF matrimony to tighten up the monot.
ony of my daily toil?'
Il don't see how you bear it 80 pa.
: tiently, should die with vexation and
ennui if ! did not hope for something
, better"
"Hush." ssid Ruth, "there is Mrs
Wickies, the forew oman, calling u.s."
"How | hate the old vixen!' Rachel
calculated, slowly following Ruth into
the store.
"Really, Miss Rachel Durr, you must
manage to be a little more punctual,
said Mrs. Wickies, pursing up her mouth
primly. "You are full fve minutes be
hind time, and it was just so yesterday
Rachel pouted and went to work la
I beling box of newly arrived ribbons
, She and Mrs. Wlckies had never agreed
; very harm lniously, nor did she affiliate
, with the snop girls. "a stuck up, imper'
! tinent thing they called her; while she
from the serene height Of the possibility
Of some day becoming Mrs. Meredith
!. treated then with disdain which wa.
ANYTHING in the world but agreeable.
In vain were Ruth's remonstrances
Rachel had always been wilful and in
clined TO superciliousness, nor would
she listen to her cousins mildly proffered
advice.
D "its all very well for you, Ruth, who
, have got TO spend all your days here
{ but" She said, curling her pretty lips, 81
. shall soon be lifted out OF this grovellinl
I sphere"
:. 1T is by no means certainty"
5 "Yes tits" laughingly answered Ra
chel, blushing like damask rose.
2 And Ruth would sigh softly, and
: think how bright the future was unroll-
l ing its vast map before her pretty cousin
Rachel Durr waited lan2uidly upon
one or two customers that morning. Evi'
dently her hear. was not In her work and
} Mrs. Wickies, from her lurking place
! behind the cash box cast several en-
! venomed glances at her, premonitory Of
! O coming storm.
r Presently Il new customer hobbled in
bent and crooked, and made his way
r directly to the counter where Rachel
| and Ruth were standing. A huge cotton
umbrella protruded in warlike manner
from beneath his arm, and meuded
cotton gloves covered his hands, while q
. rusty red wig was half concealed BY hia
, battered and bent hat,