Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-06-17

flicker and waver that he noticed that he
was no longer alone.
Then, with beaming face, he laid his
pen aside and came forward to greet the
newcomer.
sHow good of you, Bennie!" he said
"How good of you my little girl to come
and brighten up this miserable place in this
way. 1t was kind of you to think of me,
dear.'' And he drew her to him and kiss
ed her tenderly.
Don't praise me until you know the
TRUTH" said the girl, releasing herself from
his embrace little hurriedly, and seating
herself in one of The great Office chairs
which he wheeled up before the fire for
her. II didn't come on your account at
all. have told you often that I am a
selfish creature. I come simply because
didn't want that odious Lester Meredith
to walk home with me. had to 60 on an
errand for auntie. and SO I came to ask
your escort, not because wanted to make
you happy at all.'
II am nearly through now, Bennie," he
said, standing with his hand on her chair
back looking down at her pretty face with
a world of happiness and content in his
eyes. ''Shall stop and take you home
now, or will you wait little?''
swat, of course she answered. sDo
you suppose am quite selfish enough to
make you go home with me and then come
back and finish? No, indeed. Besides it's
nice and cosy here and like to stay"
''Nice and cosyl'' David Gray had new
er yet thought that either Of those words
applied to the gloomy little office, but as
he looked at it now they seemed to be very
appropriate. and that slender little figure
in that great green chair beside the fire
made all the difference.
Back to his work he went with will,
but not in the absorbed, plodding fashion
of few minutes since, for the busy pen
would stop now and then, and his eyes
would wander from the rows of figures to
the girl sitting there with her hands clasp
ed in her lap and her bright eyes gravely
studying the Goals. And at last she reused
from her reverie and met his kindly, earn
est gaze.
David" she said, as though following
out her train of thought, 'isn It it terrible
to be poor?"
Every terrible, indeed" answered Da-
vid, putting the handle of his pen in his
mouth and chewing it refectively.
II don't mean poor like the old-victual
and old-clothes people, she continued,
looking back into the Goals. ''Poverty
| isn't terrible to them, for they are used to
it and nobody expects anything of them;
but poor as am, as you are, and as we
shall always be-obliged to make respect
able appearance. and yet so poor that it is
a constant struggle to cover up the darns
and patches"
"It's rather worrying, Bennie," he said,
little troubled look coming into his kind
eyes, shut we shall not always be so situa-
ted, hope, after we are married." The
The face at which he was looking SO low
ingly, flushed suddenly and then grew very
pale. CATER we are married can make
you pretty comfortable, hope. have
never been extravagant, and when I have
my little girl to look out for me I shall
not own to being poor in the least.''
The girls eyes were turned away from
the fire as David resumed his work, and
glanced at him furtively. but she said no
more and sat quietly waiting for him while
one slender hand kept trifing nervously
with plain ring which she wore.
1t was very still in the little of1ce-so
ctil1 hot nor; 20 m
and scrape unnecessarily, and Bonnie. sit
ting before the glowing Goals, was just
falling into comfortable little doze when
the yard gate opened noisily and she awoke
to see David smile at her heavy eyes.
s'The night-watchman, he said, as she
Strengthened herself and tried to look pre-
ter-naturally wide-awake. ''No," cor
recting himself as he turned back to his
book, ''young Tredegar; know his STEP"
IT he had looked at Bonnie instead of at
his work he would have wondered at the
quick flush which came to her pretty face
at his words, but he did not see it, and a
moment later Walter Tredegar came in,
slammlng the door behind him in a noisy
fashion.
II say, Gray" he began, and then ne
stopped short, for the first time seeing
the other occupant of the room. ''Why,
Bonnie !" he exclaimed, in an unaffected
astonishment.
The girl looked around at him sharply.
Excuse me, he faltered. "Miss Keith,
1 mean. did not think to see you here"
She laughed, not quite naturally per-
haps.
II was belated,' she said, land threw
myself upon Mr.. Gray's good nature for
an escort.''
"A very sensible proceeding he re-
turned airily, and then having recovered
himself he talked business with David for
a moment or two, and then came around
to the fire and stood looking down at Ben
ME as David had done only little before,
and David, finishing his work with re-
lieved sigh, came and stood beside him,
warming his cramped fingers.
Perhaps the admiration which was so
evident in the eyes of both men made Ben
ME appear at her best, for never in her
life had she looked lovelier than she did
enthroned in that chair, laughing and
chattering like little magpie:
But even as she sat there in her girlish
beauty and chattering the gayest of gay
nonsense, she was looking at the two men
before her with critical eyes, and contrast
ing one with the other. David, in his
worn office suit and with tired look on
his face, was by no means handsome or
stylish man. Walter Tredegar was both.
Still there was bold look in his black