The record-union., 1894-07-14

OOnL you Ten0mDer the laSI IlIlle ne
came here with his latest lie; as he came
up the stoop you thought he was Peter
Hopper, and l was sure he was Mr..
Welles? les, yes, the rogue has been at
his old tricks again, and we could make
$50 were it not for giving relative away.
[ think there's fun ahead, ha, hal And
If those two men reach the Kilkenny cat
stage, why, [ can bring the real culprit
to the scene. Remember, / have the
string of an allowance on him.
''I don't recognize that horrible Charlie
Vincent as relation said Ethel.
Every likely he does look like Mr.. Kop-
per-the vulgar are more or less similar;
but he is utterly distinct from Mr..
Welles.'
"Ny DEAR" replied her aunt, firmly,
"he is your cousin, all the same; you see,
your ancestors happened to have the say
in the matter. And, as for being utterly
distinct believe me, If Mr.. Welles should
meet Charlie dressed like a prig, he'd
VOW that he was gazing into a mirror"
AT about this hour, too, in the attic
of lodging house far less clean and COM
Portable than 1.-THE cold, cold ground -
that soldier OF fortune, Charlie Vincent.
was unwrapping bit of newspaper from
his breaktast-a split bologna" sus-
tanned by bread and mustard. AS he did
SO his eye caught the dollar sign and
rested instinctively.
Fifty dollars reward!" he muttered.
"By Jove, I'd give myself up if thought
old Slope would pay. AS it is, think
that business of urgent importance calls
me from the city and will actually pre-
vent my getting shaved. | can write a
fearful letter to the old lady, and brace
her for an advance. She's good soul,
but, Lord, how softl'
Meanwhile the thrower of this ''per-
xu,hI !,
circles of agitation and interest-Peter
Hopper, in word-was very angry.
He was deemed. and justly. a full
hearted, generous man; but he had
worked for his fortune and he did not
relish having any portion of it worked
from him. He chose to be the agent of
his own charity, and when he found that
some one had assumed that office he was
so unappreciative of the altruistlc quality
that he swore that this some one should
be punished ii IL cost twenty times the
amount of the reward. Vindictiveness
in such man rarely springs solely from
the wrong suffered more likely it is the
result OF the laying of the last straw.
Rogues are far more safe in the open sun
shine of smiles than in the obscurity
of frowns.
Peter was in fretful. nervous state,
too, which rage might prove lightning
rod. He counted his blessings, and they
We're ninety and nine; but the one with
out the fold exceeded all in value. How
beautiful she was, his Ethel; his" only,
alas. in that unreal world of fancy where
one has no wishes, since one possesses
everything; how beautiful, yet how cold,
how disdainfuli Why was it that his
neck was never SO red, nor his feet so
clumsy, nor his hands so stationary on
the wrists as when he was in her pres
ence? Could she not see his good quail
ties through this embarrassment? Could
she not perceive that it was an evil
dence of the very best of them, his love
for her?
Other ladies found him agreeable, he
was sure. There was Mrs. Lescelles, the
aunt; no old has-been by any means, but
a mighty fine, slap-up woman, and all
there, by George! She treated him as a
man deserved TO be treated who, ii he
asked much, was willing to give his all
in exchange. And, then, into the very
midst of Mr.. Kopper's love-sickness
would steal a certain vague uncertainty,
increasing its qualins. He loved Ethel,
oh, yes; from his boots to his bald spot,
there was not fiber of his being'-a
phrase quite original with Mr.. Hopper,
by the way-that did not quiver in re-
sponse to those sweetest of two syl-
lables; but yet, when he pictured her in
the most winning colors of his imaglna-
tion, then unaccountably she became
like unto her aunt, Mrs. Lescelles.
Jealousy, too, had stirred its bile into
Peter kopper's geniality. HIS wealth
was gradually acquiring Ior him definite
social consideration, but as yet it was
more of favor than a right. With
whole-souled people like Mrs. Lescelles
he was as good as any one else perhaps
better; but, then, who were like unto her?
The vast majority of those who had
crossed the river and now occupied the
Elysian Fields as if they had never heard
OF the other side were apt to sniff as il
through the precious unguents they de-
tected the odor of malt. Mr.. Hopper
didn't like to be shifted at. He had heard
that Mr.. II. Howard Welles had most
aristocratic nostrils, and he had kept out
of their range. He had heard, too, that
this gentleman's name was frequently
linked with the widows. OF course, be
was after the niece, as he himself was,
but, alas, how far after? Peter had never
seen him and hoped he never would.
Should he, he knew that he would recog-
nize him at glance. MY direct oppo-
Site" he would muse, bitterly, resem-
bling his rival the closer for the thought
Thus it was that Mr.. Hopper, with ire
foreign to his nature, determined to fer
ret out the imposture. meanwhile" he
resolved, Il will keep little dark, and
let my Doaru grow, anu illus lruSiIdbe
any future attempts"
Weeks passed by, and Mrs. LescelIes
had seen nothing of her two friends, so
similar in person, so distinct in knowl-
edge and character. Only the advertise
ment in the daily paper continued TO
pique her curiosity and finally to arouse
feelings of neglect. Ethel. zoo, had be-
come abnormally silent, which denoted
an intensity which could be felt, and most
i, l>Ir
ful for the sunshine Of her life; but she re-
allied, too, that it called for the making
of hay; ii she delayed, these two pleasing
possibilities might grow remote.
She proposed TO Danish one, after she
had chosen the other truly; but before
any Punishment there must come
choice. Perhaps crisis might be achieved
by bringing them face TO face. While
considering this contingency Mrs. Les
celles received letter from her nephew
sufficiently repentant in tone and dubi-
GUS in appearance TO have been written
from the very midst of the Slough of
Despond. Yelled but not hid by norid
references TO the variant qualities of
mercy and of the husks which the swine
do eat, was direct appeal for help.
Whereupon the widow took Oft her cap
and prepared for business. She replied
to the rogue by inclosing small sum
and enjoining him, by all his hopes OF its
increase, to be at her door in the rear
on that day week at P. NJ. She then dis
patched one of her prettiest notes in du-
plicate to Mr.. Welles and to Mr.. kop-
per, asking each to dine with her on that
evening, quite en- famille," she ex-
pressed it, owing, doubtless, to a paucity
of the English language.
Mr.. Welles received the missive,. and,
constituting that he would be the sole
guest, decided that be might with safety
break his self-imposed quarantine of fear.
Mr.. Hopper received his missive and re-
joiced exceedingly. ..Quite in the fam
ify," he soliloquize0. IF she thinks |
on tnn,u xuor1dar rhat cbo1l IL