The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-03

him follow her, and at once usheTed him
into the paTlOr, where Agnes and another
young lady, with two or three fashiona-
bly-dressed young men, sat talking and
laughing together Agnes had risen as
the door opened. The contrast between
her graceful, stylishly-garbed figure and
Little Mart's awkward pose, ill-titting
clothes and rusty brogans, as he stood
clumsily holding his road-brimmed
wool hat, was, as one of the young men
whispered to the young lady, "too utter
ly ridiculous Agnes recognized him
instantly, and colored with the reverse
of pleasurable sensations as she said,
carelessly:
so yes, you wish to see my father. He
never transacts business at the house;
you will find him at the office. Marga-
ret" to the servant, "show this gentle
man to the door"
Then she coolly turned away, and be-
fore Little Mart fairly knew what he was
about, he was walking down the streets
with his thoughts in whirl and a dull
pain at his heart. At the corner gen
tleman stopped him.
"Why, you are Mart Dodson, are you
not? This is fortunate, as you happen
to be the very man wish to see.'
The speaker was the father of Agnes
Baird, whom Mart had seen once or twice
when Mrs. Baird and her daughter wert
at Hawk Cliff. Mr.. Baird was largely in
terested in the new iron industries then
developing throughout East Tennessee,
and after dragging our half-reluctanl
hero into an Office nearly as luxurious in
its appointments as the parlor from
which he had been so unceremOniously
dismissed, the former said to him:
young man, you are in luck. Om
mining experts have been investigating
some of the iron deposits of the Rec
Knobs, particularly near Hawk Cliff, anC
they report seme veins of unusual rich
ness. The new railroad now projected
from Cleveland to Tellico will rendel
some land there valuable. You and YOU
mother have eighty acres. | am pre-
pared to buy you out for lump sum, oI
give you $1,000 for half-interest."
Little Mart gazed at Mr.. Baird, half
stupefied with wonder. Yet amid tn,
turmoil of his emotions came til,
thought that, if this were so, he woul,
at last have the time and means of max
ing a gentlemen of himself, so that til
people would not want to turn him out
of-doors for looking like the clod he fel
himself to be at present. There wa
some further talk. Then Little MAJ
took his leave, promising to go immedi
ately home, see his mother, look arOunC
little, and let Mr.. Baird know. His ma
tive shrewdness did not altogether foI
sake him. If there was a fortune il
their poor, worn-Out farm, Little Mar
determined that the DOdSOn'S ShOult
have their share of it. He could then &.
off get an education, see and mingle witt
the world, and if he ever returned, show
Agnes that he was really worthy of heI
first friendly interest in him. and whel
she ignored him at her own house. sh,
had done her better self, as well as him
an injustice
The new manager of the great Tellic,
Company was in his private Office. \
lady entered, and he, looking up from
his morning paper, inquired:
well ma am, what can do for yOu?'
The lady pushed aside her veil. Tn,
manager looked at her more closely, thel
rose and offered her chair. He wa.
short and stout, with heavy, red nous
tache, close-clipped hair and keen gray
eyes.
"You have advertised for type-writ
er," she said. 81 should like to appl,
for the position
The manager still gazed at her curious
ly, but he only asked:
How long have you worked at type
writing?"
81 have only just learned it at the com
mercial school," she replied, hesitating
school type-writing like school tele
graphy, doesn't always answer so wei
without some actual business practice
However, perhaps we can get over that
But let me ask you a rather strange ques
ton. Do you remember getting los
once in the Chilhowee Mountains, an,
being brought home by a red-heade,
mountain boy, to whom you gave a silve
dollar and some good advice as to hi
turning from the error of his mOonshin
ing ways?'
The lady's amazement brought good
patured smile to the managers face, a
he continued pointing to himself:
"You see the boy has not forgotten
and he still retains his red hair an
freckles."
She now colored wildly under anothe
remembrance, as she said naively, yC
with some embarrassment:
~ also remember being, | fear. yer
rude to that same young on another OF
casion. | was young and-and FOOLS
then"
"And he was quite bucolic scarecro'
and should have had better sense than {
intrude where he did unlimited. don
blame you, Miss Baird. | might haN
done the same thing myself under sim
, lar circumstances. Let that rest YO
did me far more good than evil. I'll
effect of your kind words and the mem,
, nv of your encouraging smile outlaste
) the influence of your after indifference,
The desire to be some one, to max
something of myself, implanted uncOl
sciOusly by you, never left me. 1t wa
the turning-pOint of my life. See, | haI
even kept the dollar you gave me fC
good luck"
He exhibited it with a smile, where;
she again blushed slightly. Then col
tinuing, he said:
"Your father also made me the fir
money offer for my mothers little farl
that has proved veritable bonanza fC
me in more ways than one. | then +,
: solved to try to make man of myself, S
| that if | ever met you again you wOul
not feel so ashamed of me-"
"You have your revenge" she sale
sadly. Papa failed, and gradually wo
= ried himself into the grave. Mamma an
= are quite poor now"
Don't explain" interrupted Littl
! Mart, kindly. Il really feel that l ow
to you far more than the giving of thi
! position will ever repay. Your inhuenc,
? unknown to yourself, sent me off I
: study, sharpened my wits, caused me I
drive shrewd bargains, yet keep M
hands clean, and persist until-well, III
: til here l am"
1t was difficult for Alice Baird to rea
ize that this alert, polite, well-dresse
mana partner and manager of a grei
iron industry, requiring large capital an
hundreds of workmen-was the awkwaT
youth whom she had carelessly befrienC
= ed, then ignored, only few years ag,
Such was the case, however, and it onl
remains to say that she obtained the p,
sition, and that Little Mart-now NJ
Dodson to every one--Temained such
good friend to her under these new rel
tions that | would not be surprised
hear of another partnership being ei
tered into by and by-a partnership, to,
{ of the most endearing earthly nature, il
volving some change of name and othI
: agreeable future pOssibilities.-Th Ne
I Moon.