The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-09-18
HAD HE MADE A M1srAKE2


wife, who always took an affectionate, if
vague, interest in his business. Sudden,
ly, as his eye roved over the paper, it
ightened.
AHA! good! Listen to this, Kitty.
The alumni of the class of '65 (my class,
you know, twenty-five years back will
hold reunion at the university next
month. There will be a banquet,
speeches, etc. Well" folding the paper,
''Pm glad of that! l shall like to see the
boys again. Some of them have been
very successful"
'None more than yourself, John"
mo, probably not"
The rich banker nodded thoughtfully.
He was not purse-proud man. Still, he
had given twenty years of his life to
money-making and, naturally, he fully
appreciated the value of money.
~ have not done badly" he said.
"There's Tom Hare, too. Tom is the
head of the largest wheat syndicate in
Illinois, and Caridon-he is president of
a railroad. Dumont is United States
judge, very nice little competency. The
boys have done well by themselves
most of them"
Except poor Will Morgan said Mrs.
Horsely, with sigh.
Eyes, yes! Will, Morgan was obsti-
nate, Kitty. He had himself to thank
for his troubles. When he left college 1
said to him: You have few hundreds,
so have l. l mean to invest mine in
waste land in the Northern Liberties.
Go in with me. 1t can be bought for a
song, but the town is going that way. In
ten years cut up the land into lots and
we shall be rich men, He saw the truth
of it. Morgan's no fool. But he said,
L must have the money to educate me
for the ministry and into the ministry
he went. bought the land, and-here
we are. honor Morgan. He is high
principled fellow. But"
Mrs. Horsley was silent for few min
utes. Then she said, 81 suppose Will
cannot afford to come to this reunionp"
"No, indeed. He has little mission
airy church among the coal miners at six
hundred year. He has five children. I"
poor Bessie! He married Elizabeth
Wynne, you know. She was a dear
friend of mine, delicate and fastidious
girl, John"
EIVo. ,,,r daor
"Why can we not ask Will and his wife
to the reunion-here, to stay at the house?
Buy the railway tickets to-day, and let
me write and inclose them in the letter."
"A good idea! I'm glad you thought
of it, Kitty. shall be glad to give lit
tie pleasure to the poor creatures"
AS he was going out of the door he
stopped.
They'll be very shabby, you know.
They'll look queer among your other
guests" he said.
THAT matters nothing to me-" said
Kitty loftily. "My social position does
not depend upon the clothes which my
guests wear"
But when, few weeks later, the poor
clergyman and his wife arrived, she was
startled out of her usual calm compla-
cency.
''They have the pinched wan faces of
people who never have enough to eat"
she said to her husband. 'Bessie's
gown is one of her wedding dresses. She
looks as if she had come out of the ark.
And the MERGERS and TONNES are coming
to dinner tonight. Something must be
done at once!'
what does it matter? Morgan has
been with me all day." said her husband.
"Nobody thought worse of me because
his o1ercoat was mended."
But Mrs. Horsley hurried out of the
room. In a few moments she tapped at
Mrs. Morgan's door. She carried pretty
dinner dress. 1t was Enthusiastically trim
med and a little soiled.
"Bess, dear, we used to be just the
same size. Won't you wear this for meP"
Mrs. Morgan glanced at the gown and
then at her friends face.
81 would prefer to wear my own,
Kitty" she said coldly, unless you very
much wish it,"
81 do wish it. Some people are com
ing for dinner"
81 understand. will wear it,
Mrs. Horsley laid down the dress and
fingered uncomfortably.
II meant to be kind, Bessie" she said.
The tears stood in Mrs. Morgan's gen.
tie eyes.
Il know" she said. This pride is
wicked in me, suppose. am used to
taking old clothes at homo from stran-
gers. But you've were girls together,
you know, and equals, and now to think
that you have to clothe me that 1 may
not disgrace you in the eyes of your
friends! 1t hurts"
The visit of the Morgan lasted week.
1t was the first time they had come to
visit their old home since their marriage
sixteen years ago.
"We never could afford it," Mr.. Nor
gan said to him the morning of his arri-
val. "If we ever saved dollar or two
it was needed for the children-five of
them, you know, Bessie and could not
spend it on ourselves. So you can guess
the delight with which we read your let
ter, and found that we could really see
the old home again!"
he gave his friends hand a hearty
wrench, looking into his face with glow