Middletown transcript., 1893-08-26

large, and its ap
p0intEents were handsome, round
table was covered with luxurious
breakfast eqnipage, and the owner
himself was faultlessl, attired in the
latest style suitable to . man Of hii
years.
Strange" unused Mr.. stillwaggt n,
polishing the bald spot on his head
thOughtfully with the cleanest of clean
handkerchiefs, ''strange that mother
and | should have struggled along in
such straitened circumstances for a
srusrter of century, with no material
.chane Elm her condition. poor dear, and
,that df, ectly this windfall, this I'M
..expeqta1 fOrtune-this opportunity Of
,n,akiugf~E comfortable which | had
ibeeu sigIJh4 fer all my life-shohld
shave come. ,Mat she should he taken
away from me. IL makes life seem
.s rangely void and 1ssolate, aud lessons
wsry materially the ct'snforteI might
bhaae taken after a lifetime spent in
unreHitting toll for a barren exis-
ttence.S +
"A servant entered at the moment, an
s0ld man small and shrivelled, with a
Wholesome face that locked net unlike
"a small russet apple left late on the
uree, and somew shrlyelled by the
frost.
rGea,d mesGisg, Henfy,is said tite
master. ''send me cup of coffee and
bring breakfast wIeG Mr.. Dixon
eomes.n
Yes, SIR" He brought the eoate
himself and then disappeared, leaving
Mr.. Stillwaggen to bis medita:ions.
''Yes, !" be resumed, "mother's death
was To be expected, in the natural
course. IF events; buC it leaves me very
much alone-desolate in fact, since my
life has not been one to gather many
friends"
This was sadly true; for Carl Still
s.waggen had for twenty Ave years sup
,po. rted his bed-ridden invalid mother
zana himself on pittance OF twelve
.dorlar.s per week. They had lived In
xpoor ibil respectable neighborhoOd, and
"a .ratefls woman whom Carl had
taken FROM !, Doorbouse, offering her a
comic, table @0me and steady wages,
had gladly tstaa charge OF the little
household and Ehe iDfirm woman.
sickness had caused her to drift to the
miserable abode of the destitute, and
Vaelrtfare and sorrow might have kept
her these all her days, had not the
doctor who attended Mrs. Stillwaggen
thought uf her as one who would be
reliable and faithful. To the poor,
weakened desolate creature, the little
tenement whose inmates were the
gentle invalid. and the handsome
cheerful young man. had seemed like
Paradise--a haven of rest after her
weary tossing on the sea of life. She
j. had been forty and Carl had been
twenty five when she first came. and
for twenty-five years the little family
i: aad lived happily and peacefully; until
con coming into an enormous fortune,
(which an almost forgotten cousin bad
.wJ lied to him, Mr.. Stillwaggen had
t,ken this luxurious house, and in-s
stalled Mrs. Dale as its honsekeeper.
Money cannot stay the hand OF death,
however, and old Mrs. Stillwagged Lad
passed away, happy iH the knowledge
that her devoted sons struggle was at
an end.
1t had been hard struggle of con-
tinual deprivation on his part, In order
that his mother might have q medienm
of the comforts so necessary to her
condition. And it was of all these
things that Mr.. Stillwaggen thought
as he waited breakfast ror his friend.
A ring at the bell, and brisk step
in the hall were followed by old Henry.
who announced "Mr. Dixon, " and de-
oa,+ed in search of the breakfast.
nWell, Carl, old fellow, how do you
feel this mofntDgp"
ITO tell the truth. Richard, feei
! better since you are here"
.You are complimentary to soy so,
=, old friend, though your words seem Id
! indicate that you have been ailing "
"Not ailing exactly; but am =
very lonely man, and realize That
more fully now than think l should
iif had remained poor. You see, l
meut of the rut 10 which l nave
moved for so long,"
"And the only cure can advise 70
aair of the dog that bit you-in other
words. get still further out Of the rut.
Why not marry?"
AT this moment Henry brought in
the breakfast, and the two men sealed
themselves at the table.
They had been boys together, Dut
lost sight of each other as men 90.
until Richard Dixon had found
deceased clients heir in his old friend
When the pros ereus lawyer had
sought the shabby clerk with the>news
of bis unexpected fortune, it.had been
! a.painfut moment 10 Carl; his success
weighed usoa him heavily, when ne
saw the alert, lie6iaed lawyer, end
thought 81 the hd1