Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-14
REUBEN'S BEGGAR.

Charity ought TO begin at home" Eve
Walworth said, with very decided and
unamiable pout,
81 hate maxims," Reuben Wright re-
torEed, half in annoyance, half indig-
nantly. "And l really could not repulse
the old fellow, Eve; he seemed SO sick
and miserable; his distress seemed SO
genuine"
sand because an ordinary beggar hap.
pened to seem all that, you gave him
your last dollar and walked five miles
through the dreadful Storm" said the
girl contemptuously. l do not wonder
Will ChadOck was amused Will would
do nothing SO absurd, I am certain"
The young mans dark eyes flashed
and his cheeks flushed a sullen red.
''I am equally certain that Willis
would never do anything of the kind, y
he returned In nettled tones. 81 admit
that he is quite incapable of any indis-
erection in the score of generosity.
81 hate sarcasm, the girl said loftlly
and with a roguish intent. SIT is even
more Objectionable than quoting prov
cribs. But I dare say Will would not
mind conscious of superiority, he can
afford to ignore or desplse any spiteful
anlmadverslon.
Reuben turned toward her with look
of unaffected surprise.
ssYou seem fairly confident about the
mans perfections," he commented slow
ly in a displeased and questioning
voice.
''Of course I should never presume
that you could be Jealous of an inferior, +"
she answered rashly and rudely.
'EAnd | should never have presumed
that you could be SO ungracious and sill
ly," he declared Grossly.
cam ungracious because I choose
to return satire for satire?" she queried
defensiyely. cam I silly because I
approve the good Of gentleman who
who" she suddenly hesitated with a
brilliant blush that was rather enlighten-
ing to her aroused lover.
With extreme irony and some exag
geration he flushed the incomplete SEN
tence fer 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.
''Illluck is but synonym of incom-
petence; or of what is none the less de-
plorable-ignorance of thrift; iniudi-
cious liberality, indiscriminate charity"
she said harshly and slyly, too.
ttYou begrudge my poor beggar his
aims, obviously" Reuben remarked.
laughing despite bis 7exation.
He loved her with 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 battled manfully against an incredi-
bic series of monetary disasters. He had
indeed been unlucky; his prospect of
goodly legacy had been spoiled by some
singular legal technicality; a prodigal
and unscrupulous partner had bank
rupted tolerably prosperous business,
and an insolvent bank had completed the
ruinous category.
The home that was to be SO dear and
delightful seemed sadly far away: and
latterly the manner of MS betrothed wife
had been neither comforting nor encour-
aging. Her moods perplexed and de-
pressed him; her little sharp speeches,
her saucy little afectations that once he
deemed 30 witty and charming, he now
fancied were altogether too meaning.
and he could only feel grieved and af-
fronted. And more CALLING than all was
the notion that Willis Chadock had in
some way made s'the little rift within
the lutte" that was silencing all the music,
embitteling all the sweetness, of his
pleasant love- dream.
Will Chadock was an undeniabIy
fascinating man; not so young
certainly, but he had an aristocraGic
countenance, a high-bred mien, and
great expressive black eyes, and he was
a master of cunning fattery. He was
considered too as a person Of wealth
and rome distinction; aud altogether he
was precisely the sort of gay, plausible,
pretentlous individual whom an impul-
sive and susceptible girl might exalt in
to a prince of perfection.
But if Eve was faulty impulsive she
wss discerning also; and her suscepti-
biiiby was tempered by an innate abhor-
renee of all that was insincere and igno-
bic. She was vexed with her promised
husband; she was momentarily dissatis-
fed with him, perhaps; she had meant
possibly to tease and arouse him. But
then her pretty little assumptions of tyr
rennY and criticism had always seemed
to amuse HIM; and he had never before
manifested the slightest irritation at
her most capricious and tantalizing
moods.
She had, doubtless, allowed the fat
tering attentions of Mr.. Chadock with
some coquettish qualification; but she
could scarcely be blamed if she preferred
the weaJthier and more fortunate man,
whose devotion was so unmiStakable
and persis tent And then Reuben had
never seemed to care; he had never in
terposed the smallest jealous remon-
STRANGE; to accuse him of jealousy was
insolent, cruel and ridiculous.
she was too wilful and too provoked
lust then to vouchsafe any amends for
her ofense; that grieyed him more than
she could know. But after he had left
her. coldIy, with averted face and angry