Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-10-10


but talk of something else"
And Mr.. Golden would say:
"Ah, you don't know how it hurts
q man to have had all his schemes and
ambitions come to an end in his ma.
ture years Youth can rise again
after fall; middle-age can not No
doubt poor Mr.. Moss has failed"
And Ellen Golden supposed that
this must be so, and that night asked
hertenant to tea. and made a won
derful cake with a view to his coming.
He did not refuse to eat the cake, but
he gave her a little sermon on ex-
travagance, and begged her to reflect
what eggs cost
1T is certainly quite disinterested. "
said Ellen Golden. ''but he makes me
so uncomfortable. Being so poor
himself l can't feel hurt at his re-
minding me that am poor, too but
l wish he wouldn't"
In return for the kindness of the
Goldeus, poor Mr.. Moss was always
ready to do a thousand things. He
was handy with hammer and nails.
and had wonderful faculty for mend
ing shoes. Once or twice Ellen
thought he must have been a shoe
maker, he so ably cobbled her dis
carded walking-boots; and she had
fancied him carpenter when he put
the kitchen closet door on its hinges;
and a jeweler when he reset the
amethyst in her dead mothers ring
which she now wore in memory of
her. Once she said:
''How did you learn to do so many
things?"
And he answered.:
Nothing saves a man 50 much
money as to be Jack-of -all-trades
Still he was not saving himself
money when he dug her garden and
put new bricks in her range. And he
did it with the same alacrity with
which he sponged and pressed his own
clothes. and recovered his own UNI
brella-
When he came home at night he al
ways went to work; and they learned
that he made his own bedstead, and
his three-cornered table, and stuffed
his own straw mattress.
"a penny saved is a penny got.
said Mr.. Moss. And Mr.. Golden, who
never yet had found himself quite
able to pour himself a cup of coffee.
or find his own slippers, and who,
tn ough he had been prosperous
comm ercial gentleman once. would
have been as apt to sweep his own
chimney as to mend any thing about
the hou Sc, stared in amazement
He appears to be gentleman by
education" he said; The is well read
in the classics; he understands music
as few save professional folk do; and
stocks-my dear, l think he knows
more about stocks than any one ever
met. What an invaluable man he
would have been to me in my business.
I would gladly have had him for my
head clerk. He might have saved Inc
from failure; yet see to what pass
he is reduced himself"
Mr.. Moss certainly was a mystery;
but, since he did not choose to explain
himself, the Goldens were too polite to
ask questions; and whether 1t was the
fact that there was something to
wonder at in him, or whether his
dark skin and black eyes were the
proper contrast to her complexion and
blue orbs, Ellen Golden found her.
self thinking of him a great deal.
IF he only would forget money. or
the sound oft, how nice he would be. "
said she.
And one day-but this she had
never told to any one--he had said to
her:
IF man were rich enough he would
be SO much happier raarried-so much
happjer-but it is unwise to marry if
one Can not afford it. 1t is so expen-
sive q thing. Don't you think SOP"
And she had said:
Ohs ySSs ~ CItdAuiy 49, anu
had not known whether to laugh or
cry.
Somehow, she thought to herself.
knowing Mr.. Moss is like meeting the
enchanted Prince of the Arabian
Nights-who seemed a flesh and blood
Prince. but who proved to be one-half
of stone. So there were soft and
gentle. and kindly things in Mr.. Moss
almost loving things at times-but
when he spoke of money the petrified
half of him came 10 view.
Yet it is trouble that has made him
81" said she. The enchantment-or
perhaps should say the disenchant-
ment-of loss and disappointment. 1t
hurt papa. but not in the same way"
1t was a queer life that the girl led
with these two men. one old. one
middle aged, and yet it was not an un-
happy one.
Mr.. Moss had no other friends, save
portly, bald-headed gentleman who
came now and then with important
looking papers and envelopes in his