The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-11-11

Mr.. Inward Carpenter was de-
scribed } the gossips of snowvilIe
as "cl..f old bachelor, too hateful
to live, having refused for some %
or 80 years to yield to the fascina-
tions Of maid or widow He lived
in a largo old fashioned house, occu-
pying 81, |ower floor only, and his
domestic duties were performed by
Jonatha. stnbbs. who was older and
crustier han his master, but who
cooked and cleaned to his entire
Unprt'hdiced eyes would have
seen tha Mr.. Carpenter was yet on
the brieI. side Of fifty, that his fea-
tures us|> iin6 his eyes large and
-express and the form that he
clothed .11|.u shabby garments
was erect and vigorous. That be
was wealthy, all SnowvilIe knew,
as well as that there was but small
part of his large income spent upon
his personal wants.
But he was stern, harsh to the
boys, savage to intruders upon his
privacy, and had been heard to de-
clare that
Gle hated widow or a brat. If
ANYTHING was more detestable than
a widow, it was brat; and if any
thing could be worse than brat, it
was a widow"
Therefore, May Carroll. being a
widow, though not yet twenty four,
and mother of Nan. who was but
four, bestowed upon Mr.. Carpenter
her most scornful glances and with
ering frowns.
Nan was tiny creature-blue-
eyed, fair-haired; and TO see her
draw up her childish stature to its
full height and flash contempt from
her baby face was really something
wonderful.
Who first called Mr.. Carpenter
sold Snap -'em-up," from the short,
cross speech he bestowed upon chill
dren, was never clearly proved.
But everybody in Snowvillc knew
the name.
Still it was rather startling to the
proprietor oil the title, when saunt-
ering along through the woods, just
at dusk one summer evening, to feel
a wee cold hand slipped into his
own, and to hear pitiful voice say:
"PIease, Old Snap EN- up, take
Nan home; Mans losti''
lie looked down. A baby face,
red with weeping, purple with ber-
ry-stains, but beautiful with its large
brown eyes and rosy lips, looked up
at him. No hat, and the golden
curls all tangled; one shoe quite
gone; an apron, berry stained and
torn; hands grimy and dress to
match. That was Mani
"Nan's so tired" she pleaded,
"and the little chicky is ruined far
away"
Was that Mr.. Carpenter who lift
cd the child and put her on a fallen
tree as tenderly as her mother could
have done? Was that Old Snap
'em-up, who said: "The naughty
chickyl" and then dipped his hand
kerchief in little run of water, and
gently washed Mans face and grimy
hands?
"Yes it was" said Nan, "and it
runned so far that Nan lost her shoe
and hurted her foot, and she's so
tiredl Please take Nan homeI'
And Nan was lifted into strong
arms and cradled so comfortably
that she was fast asleep when Mr..
Carpenter met Mrs. Carroll in dis
tracted search of her darling, and
did not hear him say in his gruffest
tones
eyes, I found her. Here she is,
and wish people would look after
their own brats, and not let them
run wild all over town."
How could the mothers thanks
be gracious after such a speech as
that2
But she did not fail to give her
timid acknowledgment of his kind
ness. her great, blue eyes misty with
tears, and her little white hands
trembling as they were stretched
out to take her one treasure.
"You know 1 am teaching all day"
she said in apology, sand 1 must
leave Nan with Jane, or 1 cannot
earn enough to feed her"
A grunt was the answer to this,
and Mr. Carpenter strobe homeward,
frowning heavily, like the woman
hater he was known to be. How
could Mrs Carroll know that Just
Such hahx- hI,,a o,,os -. -. l. 4