Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-27

Never mind who told me, Dick. Is
it true?'
"Well, he did make some suggestion
of the kind; but don't know that the
lady would have me. Everyone isn't as
easy to please as you, little one"
"Oh, Dick!" she groaned. II
couldn't give you up, think, unless
was sure it was for your happiness"
Gould you give me up at alp" he
asked, banteriugly; but her reply was
quite serious.
Eyes, could, and would if was con-
WINGED it was for your good" the little
woman said, with such an expression
of resolution in her face as convinced
Dick that she was quite Quixotic
enough to make the sacrifice.
"And how am to convince you that
would be happier engaged to Miss
Hackett?" Dick asked, scratching his
head, with a droll expression of per
plexity.
"Dicl, dear, your father will never
forgive you if he finds out not only that
you won't take Miss Hachett, but that
you will take me-"
II haven't broken it to him yet"
Dick answered lightly. "I'm an I'M
selfish fellow, and like to keep my little
trouble to myself as long as can"
AS he spoke he lifted "his little
trouble clean off the ground with the
arm which was round her waist, and
set her then gently down. Her little
ness and lightness had for him charm
complementary to that which his great
size and strength had for her.
Hell hear of it and disinherit you,
Dick"
81 don't think so. My father is not
always like what you see of him. Be
fore he fell in unexpectedly for the
property he was the most generous of
men; but his sudden riches, which
made him socially, ruined him moral
ly. He became suspicious, cynical and
miserly, with, however, the strangest
occasional reversions to his old gener-
Gus self. Now, if caught him in one
of these lucid intervals and confessed
our engagement to him then, 1 believe
he'd not only approve Of it, but give us
a lump sum down for our emigration
plan"
But he won't hear of it from you,
Dick. Gilbert will tell him"
Colbert? He doesn't know of it him
self"
"Yes, he does; he told Miss Jackson
of it."
"Phewl He'll certainly put n spoke
in my wheel in that easel" Dick ex-
claimed with indispensable concern.
"Td better be beforehand with him,
Minnie, and make a clean breast of it
| at once to my father" he added.
When, however, Dick hurried home
to make this confession to his father he
| found that his brother Gilbert had been
beforehand with him.
$50, SIR" his father cried, the mo-
| ment he entered the study, and before
he could even open his lips. so, sir,
I'm to congratulate you upon your en-
i gagement to Miss Morris! Very good
very good! shall be glad to make
precisely the same settlement in hel
case that promised to make if you
had married Miss Hackett."
Here Dick stammered amazedly: SITS
really exceedingly good of you, father >
mot at all, sir; not at all. / prom
ised to settle on you a fortune equal tC
Miss Hackett's, and now promise to
settle on you a fortune equal to Miss
Morris. That's fair, sir, 1 hope" he
added, with harsh, sardonic laugh.
Hardly, SIR" Dick replied, bitterly
/ AZ III u6IGLcT ReuSTOuS AOE JuSL W nclI
only those who need no help"
"It's Christian, anyway, which is bet
ter than being generous or just. HI
that hath to him shall be given, and h
that hath not from him shall be take1
that which he seemeth to have Eh?"
Its hardly the moral of the parable
of the prodigal, sir. Like him camt
to ask you for sum to start US"
mot penny! Not penny! Not
pennyr' cried the old man, furiously
IF you choose to take your own wa.
you make your own way"
every well, SIR" And Dick turnet
abruptly on his heel and Quilted tn
room.
1t was a terrible blow to him, sine
he was some thousands in debt, an,
had been brought up in the idlenes
and helplessness Of a man with grea
expectations He hurried off, rathe
weakly and selfshly, it must be COZ
fessed, to confide the whole trouble
debts and ALTO Minnie. Great wa
his surprise and relief to find that sh
} took, now when the blow had fallen
the cheerful view he had failed to max
her take when it was merely impending
at will be all right, Dick, dear, you'l
see," she treasured him, brightly, owe
and over again, till she succeeded /
injecting him with this hopefulness.
Indeed, she seemed in almost hystel
ically high spirits, and laughingly il
sisted upon branding him as her yer
own" by cutting away to the yer
roots lock of his hair. She kissed, too
the little bald spot she had made-th
first kiss she had given him, but not til
last. For when he rose at last, an
late, to take his leave, she followe
him outside the door, and there in tn
darkness she said, with sudden cate
like a sob in her voice: "Stoop dow
Dick" And when he stopped she pJ
- both her arms around his neck and gav
him a clinging kiss, which moved hi
deeply.
Dear old Minniei You love me O
Fine Laundry Work.
0v1aoiaIku rooJa nf