Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-09-01

Presently a new customer hobbled in,
bent and crooked, and made his way di.
rectly to the counter where Rachel and
Ruth were standing A huge cotton UNI.
brella protruded in a warlike manner from
beneath his arm, and mended cotton gloves
covered his hands, while rusty red wig
was half concealed by bent and battered
nat.
"My goodness, Ruth, what figure !"
calculated Rachel ia very audible voice.
Hush, said Ruth, almost sternly, "he
will hear you
aud what if he does What do I
care 20
"He is old and iufrm, Rachel, and his
age should render him sacred IN our eyes?"
Rachel tossed her head sneeripgly.
Ruth, you are too absurd for anything.
won't wait on him. "
But the old man steered resolutely for
Rachel herself.
II want TO buy some gloves, miss" he
said. in . feeble croaking voice.
"Yoa had better 60 somewhere else,
said the young lady superciliously Our
store doesn't keep cheap goods.
/ Please let me see The article"
/ Raenel tossed the box down on the coun-
ter; the old man bent his specialized eyes
/ down to survey the goods.
! How much are these ?"
! " A dollar pair.
"Bab an Door man, miss, have you
/ nothing cheaper %
"N5," snapped Rachel 81 told you to
go elsewhere. 1 have 10 patience with
/ paupers."
Il beg your pardon, miss" said the old
| s--, NJ ,,@r74,er .
"Wen," observed the girl, scornfully,
"you look like one.
Appearances are often deceitful. Did
you tell me you HAD cheaper gloves ?"
! g. didn't tell you any such thing"
& Rachel Rachel 20 demonstrated her
cousin. "Let me show you what you
want, she said softly, turning to the old
customer. 1--WE have some very nice gloves
at seventy-fvs cents.
Seventy.fve cents is a great deal of
money to pay for a pair of gloves, said the
old man, looking sOrrowfully down on the
mended fingers Of those he wore, but the
weather is getting very frosty, and am
/ not so young as l was. %
60 should think that quite evident,
said Rachel, WI h a heartless litter.
! Ruth bsnt towards the old man, saying
in a low, sweet voice;
Take these warm worsted gloves, sir.
! The price is seventy five cents, but you
shall have them for fifty. 1 myself viii
make up the difference TO the store. You
are an old gentleman. and l am young and
| able to work. "
g But am nothing to you, miss"
Ruth folded the gloves neatly in piece
of paper and handed them to him.
I" For the sake of dear father, who died
a year ago, old age can never be nothing to
me, SIR. Please don't thank me indeed l
J deserve no gratitude"
And Ruth blushingly drew back, while
Rachel burst into a laugh.
upon my word, Ruth, you are the
greatest fool ever saw" she cried while
the old gentleman hobbed out of the store.
." would have seen the old gentle nan in
Jericho before would have given him any
thing! Why does he not go to the poor
house ?"
The days crept on, and one day Mr.,
Meredith astonisned little Ruth Dnrr very
much by asking her TO be his wife.
L was as If the gates of Paradise had
suddenly opened to her-the modest little
girl, secretly worshiping Harry Meredith
IN her hearts OF hearts, had never dreamed
of such good luck being in store for her.
That evening she told her cousin !; Rachel
listened in silence. The prize had been
very near her grasp once. Bat somehow
it slipped away.
81 think you must be mistaken, Ruth,
she said, scrimoniously. 81 think Mr..
Meredith never would"
She checked herself, for that instant the
door opened, and Mr.. Meredith was an
nounced.
We'll, Rachel, he said pleasantly, "are
you ready to congratulate me on the sweet
little wife have won ?"
Rachel muImured one or two formal
sentences; she was very pale. Mr.. Mere.
dith answered with smile.
Ruth, he said, turning to her, II have
something to show you.
He put tiny parcel in her hand. She
opened it and out fell a pair of worsted
gloves.
she looked wistfully in his face, then
the whole tide of memory came upon her
heart
Harry were you the old man."
81 was the old man, dearest.
And then Rachel knew why it was that
the ship freighted with all her hopes had
drifsed away, when it was so near the
haven.