Fair play., 1882-09-23

Van Note property, and as every one
knew the Widow Wickett's house was
upon it. She owned the building, but
not the land, and paid a mo'licum of
ground-rent. Mr.. Van Note being very
Close it became every year some ones
painful duty to extract that small sum
from the Widow Wicket. 1t was worse
than il would have been to extract her
few remaining teeth.
LudovicO was set ut the work this
time, and being young and sympathetic,
came out Of it quite crushed and miser-
able. At the tenth visit little pile OF
the dirtiest bills and crookedest coin pro-
durable lay at his elbow, and the widow
thus held forth:
There's your money. Now you've
extortioned it ont of me. take it. twas
give me by good lady to put the glass
i'm nv windvs and save me from rheu-
matics agin the winter; but no, I've got
to suffer now. hope you'll think of
that when you're warm as toast in your
feather beds and blankcts-yah"'
"Indeed it's not I. 1 couldn't ask it
of you," said LudovicO. almost in tears.
"Look herer' said the widow. "See
nv panes. Two windys. Twelve panes
in each. Three whole in the lot. This
them boys broke. and this cracked I'M
knownst, and this my elbow went
through: and when the stOve-pipe fell
it went through these four; and this is
them boys again and | put bit of
stick that give under it, is the way 1t was
them went. The cat was on the sill
under it at the time. All. well! the
Corvner'll have me this winter"
LudovicO went away with swelling
heart.
"Ahr' he said to himself. "If l
were rich as my dear old friend intended
l should be. Id not opprcsS the poor"
There, SIR" he said. handing the
money to Mr.. Tibbetts, 1.-THE wretched
old soul has paid it. and now she can't
have her window-panes put in. She II
die of cold. How cruel Mr.. Van Note is. y
80, Widow Wickett's panes. We all
know about them" said MIR. Tibbetts.
"They re her stock in trade. Why. lad,
they re always out"
ALWAYS. all these bitter winters -
sighed Ludovico.
Then an heroic thought possessed him.
He would take the money he had saved
for a coat and go TO the glazier and buy
nine panes Of glass and some putty and
himself mend the Widow Wckett's S
windows. And when Office hours were
over away he sped. carried out his good
intention. and appeared at the Widow
Wicketts door with his hands full "f
glass and smiles of benevOlence on his
face, and announced his intention.
The widow was Mortified. The broken
windows brought her half her income in
charitable gifts from pitying strangers,
but she was obliged 10 submit. and pre-
tend to he grateful. She sat in her
rocking chair, ruefI,ily looking on, while
LudOvico extracted the old hats and
pans, and ripped off the parchment. and
threw the whole outside the window
into the door yard where the goosebrrry
bush grew Happily he worked. and
soon the windows were all restored tC
their original condition
THE Lord bleS>in' on you.' whine,l
the widow. meaning something else.
20, don't mention it. ~ said Ludovico.
politely. You mu>n' wash them until
tomorrow, or they'll fall out. Good
by"
Mrs. Wicket never washed anything,
but she began t. mediate on doing il
instantly; and LudovicO marched away.
He would have no coat, but his con
science would not trouble him.
80, if were rich, how good would
be to the poor" - he said.
At this instant something hit his hee
sharply. 4 blessed breeze had impelled
one half of the parchment he had taken
from the widows window after him.
He stopped and picked it up. The first
thing that struck him was his own name.
He looked at it closely. 1t was part Oi
a will-in his favor. Back flew the boy
the widow WAS just examining the Other
part under her tea-kettle. but he snatche,|
it from her without word, and rushed
away. Mr.. Tibbetts saw him coming,
and his prophetic soul saw a great reve
lation in the boys pale face.
"What have you got there?" h.
shouted.
LudOvico answered:
The Willow Wickett's window
panes-"
A few days after the widow was in
court, explaining how she came by such
window panes.
And so the boy came to his own, ant
really is the rich man he dreamed O
being as he daubed the putty against the
| frames Of Mrs. Wickctt's window; and
that cid lady is well provided for by tn.
gratitude of the young heir. who has
bought her house for her. furnished it.
and settled on her an income beyont
her wants but she keeps an empt,
snuff-box in her pocket, and amiable
strangers are often heard to mention
that they gave a few pennies just now
to poor old soul. who never could sav.
enough for her one luxury-a pinch o
! Snuff-N y Led0sr