Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-28

a jolly looking farmer driving to town
| stopped him and asked him for q
dime. suppose | looked very bum,
tor be touched his horse and shook his
head. Cd fellow, that was the fist,
last and only timc that asked charity
ard the old mans refusal almost broke
my heart. / lost the gnaWing sense Of
hunger, and sitting down upon the
root OF a tree burst into ars,strangers
to ue since childhood.
Il guess that weep did me good for
| braced up aud went back to town to
await the arrival Of my old chum. ]
saw him drive up to the postofice, and
sent a lad with a note requesting him
to drive a little way out Of town as |
was so disreputably clad, but like a
noble Fellow he followed the boy and
insisted on my getting into the buggy,
so we could drive to the hotel, a very
decent place where stop whom | find
myself in that seotien.
Take a fresh cigar, dear boy. and
I'll open the next bottle myself, the
waiter makes such a botch of it
Where was |, hol | went to the hotel
with my friend, and in an hour | had
seen the barber, had a bath, and
donned a new suit and fresh linen, so
that | looked aud felt that Richard
was himself again., or words 20 that
effect. | went home with Audubon, VI,
frield, and as | was a complete wreck
from ulaceus.omed privations and
mental worry concluded to stay with
him a couple OF weeks, and in the
meantime have him write to several
10 my behalf By the way, he intro
duced me to the New York firm. | now
represent, and | made the most of it..
but that's neither here nor there. After
had rested and lived well for a week
| was as
FRESH AS A DAISY.
Ny friends clothes and linen fitted
me to a nicely, and [ was a heavy card
out in hat section, being an Eastern
man. One day Audubon received al
invitation for a weeks shooting, and
extended it to me, as he wa on tip
top terms with the HOlbrouk family.
who had sent it. He said if | would
not go be, of course, couldn't, and as
be was spooney GU Birtha Holbrook,
be begged me to join him We packed
up a %valise, took his guns and deg, and
rode over the mountain on horseback
some ten miles to a large old fashioned
farmhouse, nestled 10 q beautiful snow
clad valley. The house was painted
white, aud doomed up 10 the distance
as We pushed our horses down a noun
tain slope toward it. Well, old man.
LII skip a few days now, and tell YOU
that we did very little shooting. and .
great deal Of sleighiDg and skating, 50
much in fact that before | knew II |
had lost my heart to Hattie Holbrook.
and Audubon had got along so well
that Bertha had promised to become
his wife in the spring. [ felt angry al
myself for falling in love with Hattie,
and still more so for letting her read
my heart. but heads and hearts geper
ally clash in these matters, and |
found that the dear girl loved me in
return, so there was a sort of taoit and
quiet understanding without a formal
engagement You see [ was Just then
on my beam ends, living as the impe
cunious guest OF 81 old school fellow
aud With no immediate prosp, cts, and
could not bring myself to speak the
words that almost reached my tongue
daily.
Our week had expired and another
commenced when old Slr. Holbrook
returned from New York. where he
had been to buy some implements be
required. 1t was Christmas day when
he drove up to the farm as we all sat
at breakfast arranging for the dinner
party, for several young men snd
ladies bad been invited TO meet Ada
bon and myself, who being city fellows
we're great cards 10 the rural districts
The girls ran out 10 welcome the old
lDan, aud Audubon and | strollod
leisurely after them, when what was
nv horror to find in the person Of Mr..
HolbrOOk
THE IDENTICAL FARMER
whom | had met on the road three
weeks before and asked for a dime to
buy a Loaf of bread with. | turned
red and pale, hen a singing sensation
crept over me as though my blood had
concealed aud | stopped on the
threshold of the door and leaned
against the jambs. Audubon waited
until the girls had kissed all the snow.
flakes off their papa's beard and then
walked down the stoop TO welcome his
future tather.iL-law who had not vet
climbed down from his buggy. The
girls called me to them with a view OF
introducing inc to their father, and I
slowly walked down the steps with an
understandable feeling, but looked him
boldly In the face. 1t was evident
that he did not recognize me at the
time, aad l recovered my self posses
sion somewhat. AT diuuer, as the
honored guest, | occupied his right
aud Audubon his left, while NEXT IN
US we're Bertha and Hattie. | do
not know that | ever ate a
meal more uncomfortable or
failed to make myself agreeable
to my table n~eighbors, but | Ger
talnly had very little to say upon that
occasion, and by sympathy Hattie was
quiet and reserved. | imagined two
or three times that the old gentleman
looked askance at me and the color
mounted high each time, but it might
be that he was only examining the
young man who was his guest and had
been much in the society Of his daugb.
ters tor ten days. After dinner 7
pleaded indispostion and went up to
my, chamber TO smoke a quiet cigar
aud decide what to do in the premises
l was satisfied that il would not do for
me to remain longer and incur ang
risk OF recognition, and yet to leave
suddenly after accepting their invita-.
ton to remain until New Years dav
would be bad taste aud inexpIioable
! dare not say a word to Audubon. Tor
although he would probably have
stood by me in any event, yet | was
not willing to compromise him win
the Holbrooks. Before [ retired I
wrote out a dispatch aud sem a man
OF to town with it twas TO : friend
Ia Boston, requesting him TO wire me
10 come on, as business of importance
required my immediate presence. /
got an answer at noon the next day.
and thus had a good excuse to leave a,