Daily Republican., 1886-10-08
A PI0U5 FRAUD.
'Does Mrs. Murray live here?"


on the glass counter of the bakery
with the handle ofhis whip. 1t seemed
almost q liberty thus unceremoniously
TO address the gaily -attred young wo.
man who was adding up the accounts
behind the tall desk.
He stood near the door, keeping a
sharp lookout on the baretooted boy
who was holding his sleepy old horse
for had he not heard many q time
and oft, of the wicked ways of Juvenile
New York.
In reply to his respectful question,
the young woman nodded her head and
CURLY answered:
Cup stairs"
''It's pretty big house." said Mr..
Webb, glancing about him. "The
Murrays wasn't rich when they lived
down our way; but Rachel never had
good judgment. l should say, now
the rent of house like this"
at amt house," said the young
woman speaking with lead pencil be-
tween her teeth.
Saint house, ehy" Martin Webb's
honest, onion colored eyes gradually
expanded, until you would have
thought the lids could scarcely contain
them. Not-a house?"
"No; it's flat. Fourth story, back
room. Name of Murray. Staircase
just out in the hall there"
And SO. for the first time in his life,
Mr.. Webb found himself in the pre-
cincts Of ''hat."
He lost his way half dozen times,
this gaunt, good humored giant, with
a ham in his arms,two or three strings
of country sausage over his shoulder,
and basket of red "Josey Moore
apples clasped tightly against his breast
| That was matter of course.
He walked into the Kitchen of one
flat, brought up In the parlor OF another,
and presented himself, smiling, at the
late breakfast table of third, where
a luckless printer, who worked all
night on the early edition of a morn
ing paper was sleepily chipping the
shell of an egg.
Call them eggs" said Martin, con
temptuously. 1T our VOLTS Corner.
hens can't beat that ERE sort o. thing
but I'm sure l ask pardon; l guess
I've got into the wrong fiat
P'r'aps you can tell me where lady
named Murray livssp"
| And by dint of many such question.
ings and inquiries, Mr.. Webb at las
got himeelf. his red apples, ham anc
sausage into a scantily-furnished room
looking out on a bare brick wall,
room where everything had a starved
look, even down TO the cat, which ga
iDtently watching mouse hole in til,
wainscotting.
Mrs. Murray, a tall, pinched, elderly
woman, was engaged, through doubl,
pair of spectacles, in mending fin,
laces but the slow motion OF he
needle, the certain expression of he
face, denoted no very brilliant success
| And seated on the window ledge op
posite her, in a riding habit of darl
green cloth, a beaver hat, with black
green veil tw sted around it, and
jaunty little ivory handled whip, was
pretty girl of eighteen or twenty.
Both started at the entrance of MI
Webb, both smiled glad recognition.
| "Why," cried Mrs. Murray, at
Cousin Mart n! Hilda, give your cousil
chair. l declare, Martin, l am as
tonshed to see you here!''
"No more'n | be to get here,
guess" returned the farmer, with
peculiar noise down in his throat
"These ERE city folks, they do TAX
the starch outen fellow. Amt nue.
like our medder flats down at Wolf
Corners, ELI? Here, Cousin Rachel
I've brung ye one of Elizas best sugar
cured hams an sausages, an bushe
of tile apples that growed on the tire
beyond the well-the real red cheeke'
Josey Moore's, you know"
"1t's very kind of you, | am sure,
said Mrs. Murray. "Hilda, can yo
not offer your cousin some refresh
ments after his journey"
Hilda colored painfully. How coul
she explain to her mother that the cur
bo- I'd was utterly empty, even of
crust of bread?
'1'll bring up something directly,
she murmured.
And then she vanished.
From one good hearted neighbor-
the very printers wife, indeed-sh
borrowed a potful of fresh made coffee
from another few slices of cold boile
beef; from third, pan of new bake
biscuits, with little butter and com
OF honey, and then she flew back t
spread the frugal meal.
care they all well, Cousinr sh
asked, timidly, as, hol ing up her rio
ing habit with one hand, she arrange
the table and ministered to the appt
: tite of her guest with the other.
Mr.. Webb nodded his head; keenl
} surveying her the while.
"All well," he responded, betwee
the swallows of coffee. ELIZA, sh
sent her love-and Reed-no, Rec
didn't send no love, but he wanted [
be specially remembered, Reed die
He's had dreadful good luck with th
sweet potato patches and tobacco croI
this year."
I HAS her" and Hilda blushed rosl,
: She might have added somethin
more, but Mrs. Murray officially il
terfered.
"You mustn't be late for your al
pointment with MIR. Dulany, daugl
ter" said she, with glance at I'll
clock.
And she added, in explanatory fasl
ion:
"Hil6a rides out every day. Tw
hours. With--aheml-a gentle
: man frien'."
Rides out, does shef" said M
| At q