Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-09-20

of his palace. The millionaire was
gone as the soapbubble goes. Where
the poor man went nobody knew but
his creditors.
Ten years passed like dream, but
looking at the face of Maud Stanley
one would scarcely have believed it,
for it was as fresh and fair as rose
bud. She sat in a beautiful apart
ment looking out upon the sea. At
the next window Aunt Alice was
seated. Her plain cap of spotted
muslin had been exchanged for one
of real lace, which was fastened with
a diamond pin; her alpaca gown no
longer hung plain and straight to the
tops of her prunella shoes rich silk
cut by modiste of distinction reveal
ed neat satin slippers and silk stock
ings; she had pencil in her hand
and was making little calculations.
Suddenly she paused, and SAID:
"When I look back how strange 1t
seems that I should be rich woman.
Maud, who ever could have believed
Cousin John would have boarded and
saved to leave so much to me? Well,
I'm truly glad that I shall leave you
beyond the sordid troubles of this
world when go; and, my dear, you
are rewarded for your kindness to
me. You would not leave your old
auntie, or have her sent to poor
house; you'd rather give up rich
husband. / know you never told
me about it, but I heard something
and guessed more, and tell me, have
you grieved for him. darling, have
you been unhappy?''
Maud shook her head. "No," she
said, 81 regret the conduct of the
man l fancied that / loved, but /
thank heaven that I was saved from
uniting myself to one so coarse and
mean"
At this moment there came knock
upon the door, and two ladies were
announced. They had inquired for
the elder Miss Stanley, and at her
bidding were shown in at once.
"We are strangers, my dear Miss
Stanley, said one of the ladies, but
your philanthropy is we'll known.
We came to you to beg; we have a
home for old and poor persons in this
place. 1t receives forty, and there
is vacancy we wish to secure for a
very unfortunate man. He was once
rich, but lost his fortune, and fell
into habits of dissipation, when final
| ly his health broke down. He is only
forty, but one would think him seven
ty, and the physicians say that he
can never support himself. He is a
gentlemanly person of elegant man.
ners, and what we desire is that you
should head subscription list for the
purpose of buying him into the home
but as we are strangers, we should
be glad if you would come with US to
see him. Our carriage is at the door. .
"Your names are a guarantee fol
your sincerity, ladies'" said Miss
Stanley, looking at the cards in hel
hand. 81 know the home too. / have
visited it. 1t is a pleasant place
Tell me the poor mans name, an6
let me take your paper. Here Maud
read it to me-
Maud took the paper, glanced al
it, and started violently. ''Arthul
Norton y she calculated. SIS il
possible that he has come TO this ~
"You know him then?" asked ont
of the charitable ladies. "He LIVED
in New York at one time, and had ;
splendid residence there. He is {
slender man with light hair and yer.
regular features.
Eyes, it is the same Mr.. Nortol
we knew" said Maud.
Then Aunt Alice held out her hant
and took the paper and wrote some
thing on it with her pencil.
"You shall have the check to-mor
row." she said,
"How kind of you to sign tn
whole amount, the five hundred dol
lars - exclaimed the ladies.
They were profuse with compli
ments and thanks, but Aunt Alic
only answered them with smil
they could not understand.
81 am sure that Mr.. Norton woul
have been glad to have done the sam
for me. 1t is strange how thing
come about" Aunt Alice often sal
to Maud. ssAfter that I should nc
have gone into the Old Ladies' HON
if you had agreed that Mr.. NorUo
should put me there, not while
could earn my bread in nursery G
kitchen. But how little 1 thought a
I sat behind the screen in our littl
fiat and heard him propose buying m
/ in that I should do the same by hil
[ in ten years time, and he be thank
} full for it.
: Whether he is thankful or not n
one knows. He lounges in an invs
| lid chair that some one sent him an
J eats the fruits forwarded by the sam
e friend, idly reading the books ths
E come in the same mysterious wa.
, Perhaps he fancies they come fro
Maud, but 1t is Aunt Alice who seno
them, saying, 81 should like sue
things if 1 were in his place." If thi
, was revenge, it was an amiable phas
q | of STAD