The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-04-08

ZcS@N&SS VA sums of money in
NCIIMHNNA their pockets felt as
IJ)(YISSHNSNA he did.
(VI\%TIAS A sharp electric
Z NN)S} light flashed upon a
jewelers. is pl ay.
With a sort Of glow, Roper felt that he
might 90 into that shop and buy any
one Of the glittcring things he pleased.
Then lie laughed. Imagine missus with
that diamond star on her calico breast!
Yet it need not be calico breast.
But no. he decided, missus would do
without diamonds and a silk dress. For
how could he tell her about the money!
A hot feeling surged up into his face.
But wasn't the money his2
He could reason rs well as any walk
ing delegate he had ever heard, and his
reasoning told him the thousand dol
lars in his pocket belonged to him.
Ha Int he worked faithfully for Boyd s.
Co. for twenty years? and hadn't old
Boyd said ten years back that Roper
should be remembered in his will to the
tune Of thousand dollars2 For why2
Well, young Tom had come down to the
wharf the day old Boyd said that, and
fallen overheard and sunk twice.
"A thousand to the man who saves
him. cried old Boyd. like a ghost.
But Roper was already in the water,
diving under boat, and had the boy on
terra trma in tive minutes, miraculously
escaping the craft that threatened to
suck both of them under. Old Boyd
laughed then, ana said the ducking
served Tom right, and would teach him
TO behave himself next time, aud-Oh!
ch'--thc reward! Well, he would re-
and now everybody get to work.
Roper had always counted on the
thousand dollars, and it made missus
proud, and Nleia and Mary Edith sort of
heiresses. Old Boyd died month ago,
and missus and the girls and Mary
funeral cortege quite as though they
were relations, and Roper had got de-
cent suit of black from Isaac Blum,
round the corner, and trembed every
day when he went down to the ware
house.
IrcmGled for nothing; for when old
Boyd's will vas opened it was found that
everything went 10 charity, even Tom
tclns Cut of with few dollars.
1t Wa, hard on RoTcr, icr Mother
Jones, iii the lower iltt, hai 1t on missus
and laughed on the stairs about people
who expected money and did not get it.
MissuS aud Meila and Mary Edith were
rather cool too; aud missus told him in
private now much in debt they were, and
told 1t with sort of satisfaction
Roper could not forgive old Boyd. 1t
was not that he wanted to be paid for
saving the life of Tom-perish the
thought! But the promise had been
given, and be had believed his old en-
ployer
And worse had come; for only last
week Badger, representing Co., had in
formed him that sixteen dollars a week
for a porter was preposterous, and
that hereafter it would be twelve, and
there were many who would be glad of
the place for ten.
Roper brooded over it; could not eat,
could not sleep. And now here he had
the thousand dollars in his POCKET. OF
course 1t WAS his, if old Boyd had made
his Will that day ten years ago there was
not the shadow of doubt but that u
thousand dollars would have been be.
queathcd 10 the man who at the peril of
hls own life had saved that of Tom.
That the will had not been made ten
years ago was no fault of Roper's; it was
Old Boyd's fault. No; il was Toms
'ault-Iom, the scaregracc, vino had
nearly ruined his father, and whose ill
doing had soured the old man against
i'c world. But, any way you could fix
1t, 1t was no fault Of Ropcr's. What was
public charity Did he not need it
as much as church fund 2 A church
fund 1t would go toward building a
magnificent temple into which the poor
and lost would never dare TO look, said
Roper Queer, that handsomely dressed
llch people should 80 to Il beautiful room
once a week, and hear about lost sleep
and sort Of thing, and feel good and
safe 1t was no charity to leave money
ior such things, and even the walking
delegate couldn't have seen that quicker
than he did. There was Tom Boyd cut
oil with Il dollar or two. Where was
the charity i'll that Tom would 90 to
the old boy faster than ever now,
and all the time his fathers
money would 90 towards keeping
up u handsome church. Tom had looked
very rocky to-day when he came down to
the wharf. Tom would only be clerk
there till the end Of the month, then he
woaid 90 West, and Badger would be
glad to shake him. Tom had looked
queer when he spoke to Roper this even
ing, and kept him till all the rest had
cone, and commiscratcd him on having
his wages cut down.
"And you weren't even remembered
in the will, " laughed Tom. 81 was"
Roper broke from the youa fe!lo at
TIC door, and made for home. When
he reached the corner, he pulled him self
together; he had done something he had
not done IN many ycars-hc had lett the
house to be locked up by some one else.
iom's stopping him and tantalizin" him
lad ratified him. So he went "a Ii;