The Opelousas courier., 1891-09-05

"Pity for you then, I reckon, as al
men were cleaner for havin' knowed oil,
j JOSH" The men laughed, the ladie
Uttered again, and the old fellow, con
scious this time that he must have sale
something to the point, bowed his &C
/ acknowledgements. Just her his daugh
; ter appeared, standing in a door.
asFather,n she called, 81 am ready"
III am ready, too" he answered, and
withdrew with clumsy haste.
That evening, while Miles and several
other men sat under a tree, smoking,
the old fellow came out with an enor,
nous cigar in his mouth and ''squashed'
himself down on a bench.
"Boys," said he, breaking into the
conversation, ssI'm gittin' S I ruther
like this here cne-hoss place. I did
think that it would be a little too much
fc: me to stay out here, and I want
keen to come nuther, but Minnie set
her heart on it and away we come. My
name is Beck"
No n said any thing, and Mr.. Beck
continued: 81 reckon I've done about
as much hus'lin' in my time as the most
of men. Twas a pore boy, but instead
Of foolin' away my time with books
went to work and amt sorry for it. |
have noticed, in my knockln' round,
that money is putty nigh the boss. 1t
may not be happiness in itself, but
without it there amt very much enjoy
ment. Larnin may command the re-
spect of the few, bat money employs the,
services of the many, and to challenge
the complete respect of men you must
make EN- serve you"
81 don't know but you are right" said
n of the men.
stOf curse I'm right, and what is the
use of people shuttin' their eyes against
the fact, or ruthcr pretendin' that they
doa know that there's a sort of re-
~spectability, or | mout say ~aristocracy
that money sometimes amt got. but just
wait awhile and moneyIl git it all right"
"What business are you in2" some one
asked.
sWell, / amt in any business now
have retired you might say. / made my
money in different sorts of speculation
and have got it well invested, DRAWN a
fust-rate interest. I live in Georgia and
am putty much at home when I'm there,
/ can tell you. My wife has been dead
a good while. and about all I've got to
look after is the enjoyment of my daugh-
ter. Her will is law with me. and | am
straightforward enough to say right here,
or right anywhere, for that matter, that
the man who wins her love will be for
tunate. There's about two hundred
thousand dollars waitin' for him.
George Miles looked up quickly and,
with a sneer, said: II wouldn't marry
her three hundred thousand"
The old man seized his cane, which he
had leaned against the bench and, spring
to his feet glared At Miles, who,
without changing his position, sat
smoking.
es.Do you mean to insult me, sir2n
Beck roared.
aNot in the least" Miles answered.
when | want to insult a man I hit him
and then insult him afterward. You
had, without interruption, expressed
your opinion, and I merely expressed
mine. You introduced your daughters
name in a way not only unnecessary to
che force of your former statement con-
the power OF money, but with a
aarrow-minded vulgarism that was dis
If you want to strike me, do
70. | have said nothing in belittlement
Of the young LADY, said that I wouldn't
marry her for three hundred thousand,
ind / wouldn't. not that she Is not
Of me, morally, but because our
,astes are, doubtless, dissimilar. Now,
you want to hit me with that stick,
i'll right
81 won't hit you," Beck replied.
What you say may be right from your
but no matter what you
;hought about my daughter you ought
have kept it to yourself. It looks to
ne like / would have thought a long
lime before / would have made any such
'emark, and I would have thought that
true gentleman would have done the
anne. / am q rough-and-ready sort of
man, and admit | don't always do the
thing, and if my room is worth
more to you than my company, why, ]
wish you good-evenin'."
ssOh, no. several of the men cried,
nut he ~brusquely hastened away,
ssGeorge, you ought not to have said
hat a friend remarked. stYou can't
,lame him for thinking s. much of his
laughter, nor for his determination to
i've her future husband two hundred
thousand dollars
aMy dear fellow Miles answered,
Il don't blame him for thinking so much
i her, and I commend his determine
ion to reward her future husband, but I
10 despise his vulgar show. He is an
Id bear, and I want none Of him.
81 wouldn't mind marrying tho girl,n
aid q young fellow named Hicks; 81
ould put up with the girls possible bad
aste and with the old mans vulgarity.
go the old mar and the girl. He
looking this way, and / warrant he is
cling her about you, George
II don't care il he is Miles replied.
His iIl-will and her prejudice can't hurt
le.n