Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-11-30

He laughed with his new father from
Denver; he slapped his old father from
Boston on the back. They all got very
jolly. Dinner was a righ. merry meal
The ladies had retired to the drawing
room. The two old gentlemen haG
made terrific inroads on Van Liths
wines. They each took hand of
Barker's in theirs and swore he was the
jolliest fellow in the world.
"And you like me all the better be-
cause I'm well fxedf' laughed Barker
Historically.
erich or poor" said Mr.. Hanson, of
Denver, sit wouldn't make any differ
ence to me. Only give me an honest
man and one who speaks the truth, for
despise liar"
Then Mr.. Barker, feeling that the
time had come, arose somewhat un-
steadily on his legs and faced the gen.
tleman from Denver, who was mellow
and smiling with wine.
"You have right to despise me, then,
Mr.. Hanson, for 1 am hypocrite and
the biggest liar on the face of tine earth"
The old man started as if he had been
shot. Something in the expression of
his son-in-law's face told him that this
was no joke, but that he was speaking
the truth.
"You amt bin tellin us wrong about
your forching, have ye?" he asked slow
ly, relapsing into the vernacular of his
early mining days, and with his face
gradually growing purple with anger.
Charlie Barker, for answer, put his
hand in his pocket, and drawing out :,
solitary twenty dollar bill he laid it on
the table.
''That's every cent l own in the
world" he replied.
''But this house, all this fine furni-
tur'," almost pleaded the old man.
"That's yourn, amt it?"
'Not stick of it. It's the house of a
friend of mine, and haven't a penny
worth of interest in it.
Mr.. Hanson, of Denver, staggered
back from the table.
"You scoundrel," he was beginning,
''to go and steal my dorter;" but some
thing in the young fellows face stopped
him; something in the attitude of the
old gentleman from Boston, who had
crept close to his sons side and passed
his arm lovingly abt ut him. The words
of abuse died away on Mr. Hanson's lips.
"You must ha' bin dreadfully afraid
of me to hev done this" he said instead.
81 was" And as if it was a relief to
him to speak the truth again, the young
fellow repeated the words. 81 was
but l am no longer"
MI. Hanson looked for minute stead
lily at his son-in-law Despite the fact
that he was cruelty disappointed, he
could not but admire the audacity of
the New Yorker.
"Gosh all hemlock!" he exclaimed.
"If l give you IL chance you will come
out to Denver and make man of your.
self"
You bet will"
Il must do my share of this" spoke
up the man from Boston, his arm still
around his sons waist. "Ill tell you
what I'll do, Mr. Hanson. If you'll
give Charlie an interest in your busi-
ness I'll put capital enough back of him
to make it an object"
"Its a go!' cried the man from Den
YER, anu ne put Olit Ills Hdilu 10 the Olnef
across the table.
The man from Boston seized it and
shook it heartily.
"Then we forgive him. don't we. both
of us?''
Wont some one forgive me, too"
asked Il musical voice from the door
way I'm half forgiven already. I've
Just confessed to mother in the drawing
room"
Eyes, we'll include you, answered old
man Hanson, land your mother as well,
for not being sharp enough to detect you
two frauds from the very first. de-
spise a liar, but I'm blessed if your hus-
band amt dandy. Say, Barker, how
do you intend to square this with your
friend Van Lith:"
81 shall write him tonight full ac-
count of the whole matter, for PM far
too happy to go to bed, and shall en-
title my story, "In Borrowed Plumes.'"
Austin Granville in Philadelphia |
Times