Little Falls transcript., 1886-01-22

81 IAOIAHhltb1eu NO4 HO Bd1SGlnCGly.
but vet his guess was not far from
i the truth For there was no denying
Il that Dick with his battered costume,
i his rather dingy hands, aud the reck-
i less, devil-rna y care expression on q
i face grown coarse that had once been
handsome, looked u disrepntable
character, with whom refined Girl
4 could have nothing in common. !.
Therefore Iris withdrew her eyes with
calm Indifference, and went on :aesss-
urlng some medicinal compound.
Her face, with the indescribable air:
OF fearless innocence about it that
some faces will wear to the end, aWoke
IN Dick q novel sense of emharsass-
ment. He hesitated, but the desire
to speak to her was too strong, and
he crossed over to the invalid's side
Can s boot any use?" he asked
politely. Il .a 5.s..
No, thank you," said thegirl a triHe
coldly; but her voice was very pleasant
I and musical. Mrs. HARTLEY will be
here presently" She turned a pass
ing glance on him as. she spoke, dis
trustful and yet Indifferent. EVIDENT
" not the kind Of girl to whom any.
one would offer impertinence in cold
blood. But Dick paid no heed to the
restraint; he spoke again, warming to
the old manner. fT@ r.
| II have brought him some wine,' he
said, in a careless undertone, dis
| burthening his hands as he spoke. II
thought it would be needed, and they
have very little money. You see 1
have lodged here now. for two years;
| and ! am sorry he, has broken down.
There iss no hope. 4 suppose?'' he
added, in a yet more guarded voice,
though the patient was sleeping heav-
! lily. =. "
| Theg girl turned again, and looked him
full in the face. He fancied
he could trace in her. eyes some
regret for having judged him too
harshly, and her voice was more
cordial, though in all her intonations
when she spoke to him, then and al
terward, he thought there was q sus-
picion Of disdain. He never blamed
her, and he knew instinctively that if
his old social standing had still been
his, that element in her voice would
have been rather more pronounced.
''rhere is very little hope, I am
afraid" she said gravely. "Has Mrs.
Hartley any friends who can help her?
The doctor said he would require con-
slant care" 80"
"She has been earningfor them both
for some ti1ne," said Dick, "and her
hands are full already. I do not
think she has any friends who are like
ly to be of any use. If ever you are
i'll need OF a helping hand I hope you
will rely upon me. I can easily sit up
with him nights and never feel it,"
And indeed, he looked as if he were
SO used to sitting up all might that few
additional times would make no dif-
ference to him.
''Thank you," said Iris, and was
silent again. The real or imagined
hauteur in her voice annoyed Dick un-
accountably.
"Unless you are too fastidious," he
said, in q sudden tone OF bitterness
that astounded himself, "to take help
at the hands of apoor blackguard like
me-"
Thegirl looked at him, with a strange
blending Of compassion and repug-
nance in her eyes.
"You could have been gentleman if
you had Wished" she said calmly. "If
you are what you choose to be, why
blame me for taking you at your own
valuation?"
There was something terribly true
and relentless about her words, and
Dick WINGED under them as the most
| him vince.
THANK YOU he said. *v'You show
me what have to expect from people
OF higher moral standard. And yet
what right have you to assume that I
am worthless?"
"Itisyour own epithet, "she returned
| TRANQUILITY. "But-forgive me-to a
certain extent men write their charac-
| ters in theirtaces
Dick nearly swore a heavy oath,
but he checked himself just in time.
and spoke in tones of exceeding
suavity.
| "What excellent discrimination you
! have! Then you have ascertained
| that my character is too far gone to
allow OF my associating with you, to
however small an extent, in a work of
mercy" 3s%i..,A
| @ A half smile broke over the girls
face, faint and transient, and yet it
lit up the whole countenance and
softened its youthful austerity.
II did not say that" she returned,
relenting'y. "Who am that should
look with scorn on any human being?"
| (This, by the way, she should have
thought OF before. 'sIndeed, if you
care to g'ye 1t, believe that we shall
oe ,, graoe1ul lot your nelP:
lhank you, SAID Dlck, MS anger
melting as neon prehenslbly asst had
arisen. II am at your service: