The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-06-13
RALPH'S

S4~ &~~O~ $3.50 IN AN@N u Nulll DCA1 ALI L44O
mouth, and turning to scowl upon
Ralph, who held the door ajar and
looked at him. "Shut the door and go
away. What business have you to
come here peeking into my room? Can
not | have one spot where l will not be
meddled with7 say, shut the door!"
His voice had grown louder with
each repetition, and Ralph finally shut
it, a trife frightened and a good deal
angry.
81 believe Rupert has been drink
ing, "he said to Fred Street, who stalked
along beside him. 81 never heard him
speak in just that way before, and I
shall not stand it; he needn't think I
will. What harm does it do to open
his door, I wonder, just to see if he is
in7 To be yelled at as if I were a beg
gar boy Or some kind of a tramp! I
shall speak to papa about it this very
day, and tell him I think Rupert has
been drinking"
"Why, I didn't know he drank a
DROP" said Fred with wide open eyes.
mo, more he doesen't pretend to.
Papa thinks he doesn't. Papa wouldn't
have a coachman that drank for any
thing in the world, and I heard him
say only a few days ago that Rupert
was the steadiest, most faithful driver
he ever had but I guess he won't think
so after what I have to tell him. What
should make a man yell like that at me
if he had been drinking? 1 wasn't do
ing any HARM"
Maybe he feels bad," said Fred.
''Feels bad7 What has he got to feel
bad about, I should like to know9
Papa pays him good wages, a great
deal better than most folks pay their
coachmen, and he hasn't got any folks
to take care of, and has a room all his
own over the carriage house, and I am
sure he dresses nicely and has plenty
to eat. What more does a man want?"
Lots of things, I suppose" said
Fred, sturdily. IF you had plenty to
eat and drink, and clothes and a room,
and nothing else, you wouldn't be salts
fed; it's folks you want-friends.
What would you care how many
clothes you had, if you were alone in
the world as Rupert is9 1 guess he
feels bad; I guess that is what is the
matter with him. Don't you know his
brother is dead?"
Il didn't know he had a brother"
said Ralph, Grossly. He was not &C
customed to being shouted at in the
way Rupert had just done, and he
could not help feeling angry. 81 didn't
know he had a brother anybody in this
country. He came from Germany a
good many years ago, and left all his
folks there"
st know that, but one brother came
over here last winter, and lived way
down on the west side with some folks
that my uncle knows, and he has been
sick five or six weeks. Rupert has
been with him all the time your father
didn't need him; he sat up nights with
him, and all. And just last night he
died. Ny uncle heard about it this
morning, and said he wondered if your
father wouldn't do something for him"
He doesn't know it." said Ralph,
not a thing about it. He doesn't think
that Rupert has any folks in this coun-
try but I don't know what there is be
could do if he did know. Maybe he
might have helped him if he had known
he had a sick brother-got him things,
you know, or something like that-but
if he's dead what's the use?'
Folks like to have things sometimes
for their friends after they are dead"
said Fred, firmly, Il can tell you some
things that Rupert wants badly enough.
He wants a lot up in the cemetery to
bury his brother in. My uncle says
he can't bear to have him buried in
that part of the ground where they
bury folks who haven't got any money
.-paupers. He says that his brother
wasn't a pauper; that he worked hard
and earned his living as long as he
could, and he cannot like to have him
buried there. And he wants to have a
nice coffin, and the hearse and things
like other folks; but he cannot do it, of
course it takes a great deal of money
to bury people. I guess that is what
ais Rupert this morning; he feels so
bad and hurt to think that he cannot
have everything nice for his brother,
the only brother he had. Now the
family are all gone. I'm sorry for
him"
80 am l." said Ralph; "but he need
not have yelled at me as he did, when