Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-12-22
REUBEN'S BEGGAR.

"You were more kind than wise.
Charity ought to begin at home" Eve
Walworth, said, with very decided and
unamiable pout
81 hate maxims," Reuben Wright re-
torted, half in annoyance, half indig-
nantly. "And / really could not repulse
the old fellow, Eve; he seemed so sick
and miserable; his distress seemed so
genuine"
"And because an ordinary beggar
happened to seem all that, you gave him
your last dollar and walked five miles
through the dreadful Storm" the girl
said contemptuously, II do not Won
der Will Chadock was amused; Will
would do nothing so absured, / am GER
tain.
The young mans dark eyes flashed
and his cheeks flushed sullen red.
81 am equally certain that Willis
would never do anything of the kind, I"
he returned in nettled tones. al admit
that he is quite incapable of any indis-
cretion in the score of generosity"
81 hate sarcasm" the girl said lofti-
ly and with roguish intent. at is even
more Objectionable than quoting prov
erbs. But dare say Will would not
mind; conscious of superiority, he can
afford to ignore or despise any spiteful
animadversion."
Reuben turned toward her with a
look of unaffected surprise.
"You seem fairly confident about the
mans perfections," he commented in a
displeased and questioning voice.
"Of course l should never presume
hat you could be jealous of an Inferior" !"
she answered rashly and rudely.
"And should never have presumed
that you could be so nngracious and
silly" he declared Grossly.
cam l ungracious because / choose
to return satire for satire?" she queried
defensively.
Gam l silly because | approve the
good sense OF gentleman who--who
-" she suddenly hesitated with a bril-
liant blush that was rather enlightening
to her aroused lover.
With extreme irony and some exag-'
geration he finished the incomplete sem
tence for her.
"Who desires perhaps to succeed in
your affections my most unlucky SELF"
he said.
The irony, the accusation implied,
stung the spirited and perverse girl to a
swift unreasoning resentment.
"Ill luck il but a synonym of incom-
petence, or of what is none the less de-
plorable--ignorance of thrift; injudi-
cious liber"''.y, indiscriminate charity"
she saiti narsnly and slyly too.
"You bsgrudge my poor beggar his
aims, obviously" Reuben remarked,
laughing despite his vexation.
He loved her with a mans best love
this slender girl with her bright face,
her dazzling eyes of bonny blue, her
shining hair of richest gold; and she
was to be his wife, sometime, when he
would have made home fitting for one
SO fair and proud and dainty.
He loved her unutterably-this hand
some, ungrateful girl, for whose sake he
had been unlucky; his prospect OF a
goodly legacy had been spoiled by some
singular legal technicality; a prodigal
md INSCRIPTIONS partner had bank
ipted tolerably prosperous business
md an insolvent bank had completed
he ruinous category.
The home that was to be SO dear and
delightful seemed sadly far away; and
latterlystIls 5pilanner of his betrothed
wife hAdNAeH neither comforting nor
encouraging. Her moods perplexed
and depressed him; her little sharp
speeches, her saucy little affectations
that one he deemed so witty and charm
ing, he now fancied were altogether too
meaning, and he could only feel grieved
and affronted. And more Calling than
all was the notion that Willie Chadock
bad in some way made "the little rift
within the lutte" that was silencing all
the music, emhittering all the sweet
ness, of his pleasant love dream:
Will Chadock was an undeniably fas-
mating man; not 80 young certainly,
but he had an aristOcratic countenance'