The Van Buren press., 1893-05-06

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what fools, silly, silly fools we werel
What's the use Of repeating q tale Of
such follies? We spent all, and then,
worse still, were owing money. There
was bankruptcy md shameful SELL
ing up OF our stock and sticks At the
beginning Of the winter season.
Everything and everybody seemed
against MS then. At the sale thinRs
we had given pounds for went for a.
many pence; and the proceeds were all
snatchcd up by the creditors. After IL
our relations wrote prim letters to soy
that they washed their hands Of us Z
douglas had been brought up to NO
profession and knew no trade. We
couldn't tell what to do. We were
pennilcss; we were In despair; We
were unable TO keep even those humble
two-roomed lodgings any longer. It
was awful.
"Then a curious note reached us,
written in struggling, scratchy hand,
and signed by the man who till recent
~ had been our butler. It was word
ed half in the third person, half In tho
first, and was SO painfully respectful
in places that the sense was almost
lost. The writer had taken liberty,
great liberty, but he could not help
seeing how things had been going for
some months past He hoped We
should pardon his presumption in SEQ
Ing.
Further he had done thing that It
was not his place to do at all. He had
taken upon himself to interfere with
our affairs-which was great liberty
for which he craved pardon. but
know from experience how hard Il was
to get q new place after leaving an old
ono without money. atz54 s,..zs
''And SO he sent . sofa cushion.
bought at the sale, which he would
most respectfully beg us to accept
The cover was not worn much, but the
inside was valuable. If we ripped up
the silk we should see. After which,
hoping no offense, he was our most
obedient and obliged servant to COM
mand. s4l las aissl.
"A yellow silk cushion came with
the letter. Douglas stared at it up and
down, not understanding. Was the
man mad, do you suppose, or drunk
said he, when that letter was written?s
He's underlined rip the silk" - said
l. Then ripped 1t shall be-, replied
Douglas. and brought out his knife.
"And, then, what do you think? In
and among the rest of the fluffy elder
down were some two score Of little
balls of feathers tied around with flne
cotton. Douglas opened one and found
. diamond. took another and great
emerald dropped into my hand.
"And then l began laughing and cry
ing and behaving SO stupidity that Ihad
to lie down on the sofa and turn my
face away from the white heap of down
in the middle OF the carpet.
But after . bit pulled myself TO-
gether again, aud Douglas showed me
his gleanings There was . double
Embellishments, rubies, emeralds
and more diamonds and more rubies,
and q great opal that cleaned and
burnt in the lamplight like blase Of
colored fres 5
"Then thought struck me aud
gasped out faint question as to
whether they were really ours.
"'Yes,' said Douglas, all yours We
laid our creditors to the last penny
ind It ruined US I'd do it Now we must
start afresh. and, thank sProvidenee
and an honest, thoughtful servant.
we've got something to begin upon. In
the first place, they will provide us
with passage money to Australia, and
don't think we shall be quite penni-
less when we land s1 e
"Well. we went Douglas became
great squatter, the owner Of many
miles Of country and OF million
sheep, and we made happy invest
lnents. And what we won was not
frittcred away in jewelry or Ia stupid
emulation Of people richer than our
There was q silence for some min
ntes, and then asked about the man
who had stolen, for his masters future
benefit, the precious gems.
Didn't tell you: Why, he waited
On you at dinner tonight. We hunted
him out when we came back and
wanted to do something big for him.
We could we'll afford II, you know,
and, moreover, felt very grateful.
But he's most eccentric person.
He wouldn't accept anything. II we'd
pardon the liberty he'd taken that was
Ill he would ask, unless, indeed he
night come into our service. What
queer people there are in the world,
aren't there?" Chicago Post.