The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-02-06
Bnt the old man steered resolutely for

But the old man steered resolutely for
Rachel herself.
81 want to buy some gloves, MISS"
he said, in feeble, croaking voice.
"You'd better 60 somewhere else,"
said the young lady, superciliously;
Our store doesn't keep cheap goods"
"How much are these?'
GA dollar pair
"But am poor, miss; have you moth
ing cheaper?"
"No," snapped Rachel. 81 told you
to 60 elsewhere; have no patience with
paupers.
81 beg your pardon, miss; 1 am not a
pauper,' said the old man.
"Well, observed the girl, scornfully,
"you look like one.''
appearances are often deceitful.
Did you tell me you had cheaper
gloves?"
"Ididn't tell you any such thing"
"Rachel, RACHEL" demonstrated her
cousin. "Let me show you what you
want, SIR" she said softly, turning to
the aged customer. "We have some
very nice gloves for scventy-five cents"
Seventy-five cents is great deal of
money to pay for apair of gloves" said
the old man, looking sorrowfully down
on the mended fingers of those he wore,
"and the weather is getting frosty, and
I'm not so young as l was"
81 should think that was quite evil
dent" said Rachel, with heartless
litter.
Ruth bent toward the old man. saying
in low voice:
"Take the warm, worsted gloves, sir.
The price is seventy-five cents, but you
shall have them for fifty. 1 myself will
make up the difference to the store.
You are an old gentleman, and 1 am
young and able to work.
"But am nothing to you, miss"
Ruth folded the gloves neatly in a
piece of paper and handed them to him.
"For the sake of the dear father who
died a year ago, old age can never be
nothing to me, sir. Please don't thank
me, sir; 1 deserve no gratitude"
And Ruth drew blushingly back,
while Rachel burst into a scornful
laugh.
"Upon my word, Ruth, you are the
greatest fool 1 ever saw" she cried, as
the old gentleman hobbled out of the
store. 81 would have seen the old beg
gar in Jericho before would give him
any thing. Why doesn't he go to the
poor-house?"
The days crept on and one day Mr..
Harry Meredith astonished little Ruth
Durr very much by asking her to be his
wife. .
1t was as if the gates of Paradise had
been suddenly opened to her-the mod
est little girl secretly worshiping Harry
Meredith in her heart of hearts had
never dreamed of such luck in store for
her.
That evening she told her cousin.
Rachellistened in silence. The prize had
been near her grasp once, but somehow
had slipped away.
81 think you must be mistaken, Ruth,
she said, acrimoniously. II think Mr..
Meredith never would
She checked herself, for at that instant
the door opened and Harry Meredith was
announced.
"Wen, Rachel" he said pleasantly,
ARE you ready to congratulate me
upon the sweet little wife that have
won?''
Rachel muttered one or two formal
sentences, but she was very pale. Mere
dith observed her with a smile.
Ruth" he said, turning with a low
ing look, 81 have something to show
YOU"
He put tiny parcel into her hand.
She opened it, when out fell pair of
worsted gloves. She looked wistfully in
to his face; then the whole tide of men,
DRY came back.
"Harry, were you the old man?"
"I was the old man, my dearest
Then Rachel knew why it was that
the ship, freighted with all her hopes,
had drifted away, when it was so near
the haven.
A SNOWMAN from the United States
| ~, hat fN1 r,