Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-10-05

Mrs. Banks tearfully tempted him with
corn fritters and peach pie he remained
silent and invisible.
"An is it married they are?" said Mike.
Sure l knowed twud come like that.
Folks always marry phin there's .ell-
hiscup in tho house. cud have told 30
that long since. Biddy, me darlint, ye
can't help yerself, so now let me spake
to the praste, and you tell tho missus."
Then it was Mrs. Banks turn to Ia
meDt. ''Biddy, you've been with me
ten years, and You said you never would
marry, and Mike is the ugliest"
..Savin your presence, mem, Moille's
the smartest boy l iver did see, only
niver knowed it till he talked so fine
about the tellhiscup, an tho neblars, an
the comics-an ho has chance to be
partner in q livery stable, an he's spoke
for nato little house beyant-an I'm
sorry to lave ye," said Bridget, begin
ming to whimper. Daughters and sons
may clope and mothers can endure the
blow, but when the autocrat of the
kitchen resigns the household totters to
its foundation. Mrs. Banks sat on the
stairs and wept.
The captain came suddenly out of his
study and sat beside her. "It's no use
crying, Bess," he said, putting his arm
around her. "I've sworn myself clean
out, and then-I found these kilograms
on my desk. Blame me for it ALL"
His wife refused to do anything but
kiss him, and then the subdued old fell
low had to inform her that owing to his
neglect of insurance some houses on
which he depended for much of his in
como were total loss by fire the night
before, and that owing to his neglect of
Bixby's advice to investigate the estate
of certain bank in which he had in
vested the bulk of his savings he had
lost nearly every dollar.
This last blow acted as a counterbal-
ance. Mrs. Banks braced up and de-
clared she would enjoy being downright
poor, for she would have to do her own
cooking now at any rate, since she never
could replace Bridget, and besides they
never had been very rich, SO it was not
great fall.
''It's all my fault, Bess, I've been so
absorbed i'll that telescope for the last
seven months that I've been blind to ev-
erything else. Perhaps if 1 had seen
that love affair coming on would not
have been SO hard on Lily. Shall we
write to them?"
''And RobF" asked the mother.
"Yes, Rob, Of course. don't worry
about him; he has my business head
oh, the dickens-I mean the head I had
before that confounded telescope came
here-and Lou is a good girl. You write
to them and tell them Pm o poor old
beggar, and the game is all in their
hands,"
Whatever Mrs. Banks wrote, it
brought home speedily four happy
young people, who hung over the cap
tain's chair and told him he was dear
pet, and brick, and the dearest man
and sure to be on his feet again in no
time.
My dear father" said John when the
women had gone up stairs and he and
Rob were placidly smoking on either
side of the captain, 81 learned of the
probable failure of Clark & Co. the day
before proposed to Lily in the summer
house, you know, and wanted to make
sure of my dearest love or should have
spoken to you first. But could not tell
you wanted your daughter to marry
mo because you were on the verge of
bankruptcy, and you know the general
impression was that you were very rich,
and was q fortune hunter"
''All stuff! I never was rich. Have
we lived like rich people? No; it was
nothing but that telescope that did it;
people thought bought it. never was
rich until now" And the captain laid
hand on the shoulder of each of his sons.
So the domestic solar system was once
more serene, but all the family at Gle
matis villa had to work hard and econ
omize closely for many long months be-
cuic the fallen fortunes were at oil re-
t.orcd. The telescope was sold at good
price and the observatory" except on
dusty washdays, is as before the 'pilot-
house, and the smoking room" and oc-
casionally the nursery" The telescope,
however. is still watching over the des-
tinies of the Banks family, for it was
sold to the academy which Frank and
Bess attend, and they may be heard
from next.-E. Muller in Pittsburg Bull
letin.
A Wearing Life.
1o,1 of <bo ,,,opo, c1o,,k