Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-05-26

IelC udnp ana CldInIny 10 Cn6 LOucn, as
if Octavia had put her hand by mis-
take on a snail; vegetable-scented
whiffs came up now and then from
the cellar, and the room in which old
Ferrigan lay gasping with rheumatic
pains felt more like dungeon than
anything else.
No carpet was there, no table, only
a shelf, where dispirited kerosene
lamp had smokedits-ehimney into a
black cylinder; no chairs, the window
uncurtaine3;7 and the shabby bed
spread was tattered and soiled until
its pattern was beyond all recognition.
Octavia's soul recoiled from this inn
personation of hopeless poverty.
"Can 1 do anything for you, Mr..
Ferrigan?" she asked, after she had
tenderly administered the farina-jelly,
the fruit and the sponge-cake, straight
ened up the bedclothes and trimmed
the lamp afresh.
"It's very good of you, am sure"
said the old man, with the plaintive;
courte.y of his nation. "And II not
deny it was a word of comfort and,
kindness that 1 was wearying for,
But it won't be needful long, Fmi
hoping. I've sent word to my SON
he's a bookbinder, miss, and doing well
at his trade, but it is natural like, don't
you see? as he wouldn't like to be
dragged down by such useless old
clog as me-"
But he is your son, isn't he ?" cried
| nofox,;o Gs aDd uo.,,ro hi. fafhor 90
"taith, and that's true, miss, DEAR
said old Ferrigan, with sigh. "B1t
he's a fine, ambitious young mana
rale gintleman to look at, and of a
Sunday you couldn't tell him from the
gentry themselves. An he may
marry grand lady yet-who knows?
am he wouldn't like me to be spOilin'
his chances. Sol just keep dark, Miss
Glenn; an sometimes l think-Lord
forgive me that I'd be better dead
an out of the way. But sent word
to him day before yesterday. An
he'll come-I think he'll come r the
old man added, with scarcely audible
sigh.
At that moment a careless step
came up the stairs-the door was
pushed open and tall figure strobe in.
"Sick again ~ said petulant tone.
at appears to me, old gentleman, that
it's your chief mission in life to make
trouble for other people. Well, what
lis it now If it's money you want,
you may as well understand, first as
last. that l can't let you have any.
You'll have to swallow that absurd
prejudice Of yours against charitable
institutions, Or"
He stopped short, impelled by the
hurried gesture of the old mans
hand.
Somebody's here ?" said he, peer
ing through the seml-darkness.
.Well, why couldn't you say so ? Who
is it I? The old hag downstairs, or"
"It is l, Mr.. FitZ Arragon," said
Octavia. quietly advancing Octavia
Glenn"
"Oh, l beg a thousand pardons p
said Mr.. Ferrigan Fitz Arragon, hur-
riedly assuming his company man
ners. eff could have imagined that
such an honor as this was in store for
me-"
"I don't know what you mean by
such honors," said Octavia, bluntly.
II am working girl ; you are book
binder. We have neither of US any
reason to be ashamed of our calling
vet see no necessity for fine language
and stilted titles. Your poor old father
is very i'll, and seems to be in need of
the cOmmonest necessities of life.
suppose you sell your diamond ring
and help him ?"
That was the end Of Mr.. Fitz
Arragon's pretensions. He never
came back to the country solitudes
again, to Fernando Glenn's bitter dis
appointment.
But how could he face, them all,
after it was discovered that his author
ship" of "Stray Leaves" and " Float
ing Fancies" was confined only to
putting the covers on the same, and
that the real author was a stout, short,
old gentleman in spectacles, and that
even his name was fabrication ct his
own ingenious brain?
Old Mr.. Ferrigan died. Perhaps, as
he himself had hinted, it was the best
and wisest thing he could do.
But Octavia Glenn's kindness and
watchful care soothel his last hours.
and she had the sltisfaC tion of getting
the .pri of a decent funeral out Of
the ambitious son.
"a jay in borrowed plumage !" she
thought. Il never despised any one
SO mu b in my life 7"
And when Fernando bewailed her
| aol..nior old Erandfafhar Glenn only