The Winslow mail., 1899-03-04

credit. l was losing all sensitiveness
about it. My face did not flush when
accidentally met the proprietor Of ii
shoe store, and on his asking me, cn
day, when l could settle with him.
turned him off with a joke.
But the day of reckoning was close
at hand. One morning in early sun.
/ ner, when I sat at breakfast with ny
grandfather, Old Pompey came in with
the mail.
"Ee always went to Danv;lle for II
scme time during the forenoon, but, as
fate would have it, be had gone ear,iei
than usual this morning by severa
hours.
My grandfather looked over the Ie.-
ters, and, selecting one on which was
a printed advertisement. handed to~cc
| to me. At the same moment, he dis
missed the two servants from the room
Il have never forgotten how that c.
velope looked, with Bailey & Co., Fint
Boots and Shoes, in big letters, in on
corner; and / can see now the on:noue
frown on ny grandfather's face.
| "'What is that, sir?' he asked, in 4
stern voice.
81 knew perfectly we'll that it was
bill, and could not lie about it, SO
remained silent.
Hand it here, sir!' said my grard
father.
Il dared not disobey, and in less time
than it takes to tell it, my grandfather
| knew my secret.
=
angry. lie denounced me as unworthy
to bear his name, and told me in ths
p,ainest possible language what he
thought of my conduct.
You contracted this debt, knowing
that you had no means of paying it., Le
said. You have taken this mans goods
under fa.se pretense. You have traded
on ny well integrity. You wert
trusted because you are my grandson
But until that debt is paid through your
own endeavors, I refuse to reccgn:ze
you 2s in any way related to me. You
Will keep your room in this house, If il
SO pieases you; but our meals will be
served at different hours
and, without giving me a chance il
reply, be left the room.
Il was completely overwhelmed at
tie consequences Of my folly, and fer
a time could think of nothing else. Bu.
at length the question CT how was to
earn money to pay the debt intruded
itself.
81 was 17years ofage, but had never
earned a dollar in my life, never done
stroke Of work. l knew my grand.
father too we'll to imagine that any ar,
guments l could use would have any
effect upon him. There was no hope
whatever that l would be restored to
his good graces until that debt was
paid.
took my gun and went out into the
woods to think the matter over. but
after a tramp of four miles. turned
my steps homewarG without having ar
rived at any solution of my difficulty.
81 had to cross a ferry in order to
reach my grandfather's plantation, and
I shouted to old Patrick, who kept The
ferry house, to bring the boat over
But it was old Patrick's son. who lived
several miles away, and whom 1 seldom
saw. who came across.
Fathers laid up with the lum-
bago,' he said. in answer to my in
quiries, 1T looks as if he was going to
have bad spell. He'll have to get some
body to tend the ferry. for | can't stop
any longer than to-day
Il suppose you can guess who the fer,
| ryman was for the next three months {"
was ready to grasp at any chance and
here was something ready to my hand
was strong and hardy, and old Patrick
hired me willingly, though greatly sur
| Prised that | should want the work.
"Of course it wasn't pleasant hal
| to be at the ferry house every morning
by five o'clock. and stay until ten. and
sometimes had to ferry my young lady
friends across, which made my heart
nearly burst with shame and chagrin
But lived through it, and learned les
son l never forgot.
81 was as proud as king when-the
very day before my tutor was expected
back to begin the fall term-I went to
Bailey and paid that bill.
Il ate my dinner that day at my
grandfather's table instead of in old
| Patrick's cabin. Nothing was said of
the past, no allusion made to my re-
turn, but ny grandfather was kinder in
| tone and manner to me than ever be-
| fore, and on my eighteenth birthday
which occurred soon after, he increased
my allowance.
occasionally we crossed the ferry
together, and once, as we stepped on the
| boat, he glanced at me with twinkle
| in his clear gray eyes and smile about
| the corners of his mouth which I could
not misunderstood, but to the day of
| his death he never mentioned again to
me the subject Of that dreadful bill.
"And you may be sure | never ran
| into debt again. When I couldn't pay
cash for an article I wanted, 1 did with
out IL"
| Jack and talked over the story after
we had left Mr.. Reeds, and [ know it
made a strong impression upon my
brothers mind, for from that time
| forth he was extremely particular how
he spent the money given him. and he
| kept his accounts in a small book with
scrupulous eXactness; and when, on the
| Christmas following that visit of which
I have told you. Mr. Reed sent him 4
| pair Of handsome skates. he was az
"happy as king g."-Golden Days.
| Soldiers Not Liked.
Soldiers are despised in China. They
belong chiefly to the coolie classes
! The German officers enraped some time