The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-03-12

know that he had better not waste it
coming here after dollars
And the squire leaned back in his
chair, after a positive fashion, as if the
whole matter was settled
Mrs. Pratlet went back to the kitchen,
where Luke Ruddilove was spreading
his poor fingers over the blaze of the
fire, his tattered garments steaming as
if he was pillar of vapor.
"Then I've got to starve, like any
other dog !" said Luke Ruddilove, turn
ing away. "But after all, don't sup
pose it makes much difference if shut
file out of this world to-day or to-mor-
row."
ooh, Luke, no difference to your
wife? 2"
"She'd be better off without me, he
said, down-heartedly.
"But she ought not to be-"
/ Ought, and is, are two different
things, Mrs. Pratlet Good night; I
amt going to the tavern, although I'll
wager the squire thought was"
"And isn't it natural enough that he
/ should think so, Luke?'
Yes, yes, Mary; I don't say but
what it is, y murmured Luke in the same
| detected tone he used during the inter-
! view
! "Stop," Mrs. Pratlet called to him as
! his hand lay on the door latch, in low
| voice. Here is dollar, Luke. Mr..
! Pratlet gave it to me for an oil-cloth to
| go in front of 1.-THE parlor stove; but 1
Will try and make the old one last a
little longer And, Luke, for the sake
of your poor wife and little ones at
| home, and for the sake Of old times, do
try and do better. Won't you?'
Luke Ruddilove looked vacantly at
the new bank bill in his hand, and then
at the blooming young matron who had
| placed it there.
"Thank you, Mary, | will. God
bless you" he said, and crept out into
the storm that reigned without. Mrs.
Pratlet stood looking into the kitchen
| fire.
@ I dare say I've done a foolish thing,
but, indeed, could not help it. If he
will take it home and not spend it at
The tavern, l shall not miss my oil-cloth.' >
! And there was a conscious flush on
| her cheeks as if she had done some
thing wrong when she joined her hus-
band in the sitting-room.
"Well," said Squire Pratlet 50 has
that unfortunate gone at last 2"
Eyes"
I" To the Stokes tavern, [ suppose 2
II hope not, Josiah"
| "Tm afraid it's past hoping for, said
the squire, Struggling his shoulders.
But Mrs Pratlet kept her secret in her
own heart.
It was six months afterward that the
squire came into the dining room, where
his wife was preserving great red apples
into jelly.
! "Well, we'll quoth he, wonders
| will never cease. The Ruddiloves have
gone away"
! "Where 2"
g I don't know--out West somewhere
with a colony. And they say Luke's not
drank drop of whisky for six months. .
| g I am glad of that" said Mrs. P.
! +" 1t won't last long" he suggested,
despairingly.
| why not %
! "Oh, I don't know, l haven't any
! faith in these sudden reforms"
| Mrs. Pratlet was silent; she thought
thankfully that, after all, Luke had not
| spent the dollar for liquor.
! Six months--six years; the time sped
along in days and weeks, almost before
busy little Mrs. Pratlet knew that ii
| was gone. The Ruddiloves had re-
/ turned to Sequosset. Luke had made
/ his fortune, so the story went, far off in
Eldorado.
"They do say, said Mrs. Bucking.
ham, that he has bought that ere lot
down opposite the courthouse, and he
is going to build such house as never
was"
"He must have prospered greatly, "
observed Mrs. Pratlet
/. And his wife, she wears silk gown
that will stand alone with its own rich
ness I can remember when Ruddilove
was nothing but poor drunken crea-
! ture"
s'All the more credit to him now, !
said Mrs. Pratlet, emphatically.
"Its to be all of stone, with white
mantels and inlaid floors; and he has
put a lot of papers and things under
he corner one, like they do in public
buildings"
"Well, that is natural enough