The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-01-04
REUBEH's BEGGAR,

REUBEH's BEGGAR,
"You were more kind. than wise.
Charity ought TO begin at home, =" Eve
Welworth said, with very decided
and unamiable, pout
81 hate maxims," Reuben Wright re-
torted. half in annoyance, half indig-
nantly. "And ! really, could not re-
pulse the old fellow, Eve; he seemed
40 sick and miserable; and 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 contemptuousiy. II do not
wonder Will Chadock was amused.
viii would do nothing 80 absurd, am
certain" r...' "
The young mans dark eyes flashed.
and his cheek flushed suIlen red.
a,s.l am equally certain that Willis
.Veuld never do anything Of the kind"
K3SsSnsnsd, in aettled tones. II ad-
me- thas he u quite Incapable Of any
indiscretion on tho score q generosity"
FL hate SARCASM" tho girl said loft
ily. and with roguish intent. at is
even moro Objectionable than quoting
proverbs. But I dare say that VIII
lUould not mind; conscious Of superior
ityshspsn- adordsto ignore or despise
NY spitefnl Administrations" =. 's'.
Reuben turned to her with look Of
'tina0bctod surprise.
lyon seem fairly confident about the
mans perfectionsf" he commented in
Hsplessed and questioning voice.
.ayy sOf.coursc ] should never presume
that you could be jealous. OF an infe-
rior," she answered rashly and rudely.
'And ] should never have presumed
that you could be SO ungracious and
silly, y he declared Grossly.
Am / ungracious because ! choose
10 return satire for satireP" she queried
,dsjensivsiy. la
,lt.Am silly because I approve the
good sense of a. gentleman who
Who" she suddenly hesitated with
brilliant blush that Vas rather enlight-
sniug TO her aroused lover.
3tnWith extreme irony and some cxag-
gsfati9n, i, he 6nisbed the incomplete
sentence for her. .,,..........
asWho1 desires. perhaps, 70 succeed In
y6of affections, my lm6st unldcky SELF. :"
he sid. ana tioraf'v' y.s n4atG'r' fl'-
The irony the accusation implied,
stung the spirited and perverse girl to
swift unressoning resentment.
''f"Ill luck il but . synonym Of incom-
petence, CT what is mono the less de-
plorable---igroranoe of thrift; injudi-
cous libetSlity. indiscrimihste charity"
abe aid hardly E And. SHY. too, y,as. h
aims, obviously" Reuben remarked,
laughing despite his vexation. Y
He loved her with q 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 be
would have made q home fitting for
one 80 fair and proud and dainty. ~.
He loved her unuttenably--this hand
some, ungrateful girl, for whose sake
he had battled manfully against an in
credible series Of monetary disasters.
He had indeed been unlucky; his pros
pect Of goodly legacy had been spoil.
eddy some singular legal technicality;a
prodigal and unscrupulous partner had
bankrupted tolerably prosperous bust.
ness, and an insolvent bank had COM
pleted the ruinous category. '''
The home that was TO be SO dear and
delightful seemed sadly far away and
latterly the manner his lbetrothed wife
had been neither comforting nor en-
couraging. Her moods perpIexcd and
distressed him; her little sharp speeches,
her saucy little Alterations that he had
once deemed so witty and charming he
now fancied were altogether too mean
ing, and he could only feel aggrievcd
and afirontcd. And more CALLING than
all was the notion that Willis Chadock
had in some way made 1.-THE little rift
within the lutte that was silencing all
the music, embi,tering all the sweet
ness Of his pleasant love dreams.
Will Chadock was au undeniably fas-
man. no, so young, certainly,
but he had an aristocratic countcnancc.
- high bred micn. and great expressive
black eyes. and he was a master of
flattery. He was considered,
too, as a parsonage Of wealth and some
and altogether he was pre-
ciscly the sort OF gay. plausible.
prctentiOus individual whom an i'm
pulsivc and susceptible girl might cx-
alt into q prince of perfection.
But If Eve was faultiIy impulsivc, she
was tempered with an innate abhor-
renee of all that Is insinccrc and igno-
Bile. She was vexed with her promised
husbands; she was mornentarily dissat-
isiied with him, perhaps; she had meant
possibly TO tease and annoy him.
She had. doubtless, allowed the flat
tering attentions of Mr. ChaSock with
some cogucttish qualification; but she
could scarcely be blamed if she pre-
ferred the wcalther and more fortunate
man, whose devotion was SO unmistak-
1ble and persistent. And then Reuben
lad never seemed to care; he had new
,r interposed the slightest jealous re-
10 accuse him of jealousy
vas insolcnt. cruel and ridiculous.
She was too willful and too provoked
ust then 10 vouchsafe any amends for