Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-02-28

sge[}jfILkAMSWA WA, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS y
sfJII1S9TiAS affairs. said "a wo.
s56 iTf1:A man was no,more
5 than a ledger to
ssshim,, and Henrieite, who had been
left with him in the, old shouse when
his mother died, sometimes felt, with
! q sinking heart, that there was more
il. the comparison than she cared to
admit. = - 8. - =.
There was no relationship between
Reuben aud Retta, although they had
lived in. the same house for fifteen
!. years. Retta was the daughter of one
o. his smother,s school friends, and
s had come to the house at the tin mill
when her mother died. Reuben was
nsarlythirty then, and hardly noticed
:sthe girl of little m-:e than half his
--age; bat to Mrs. Client the girl was a
de,iyerance. The cashiers mother
would hear no word against her boy,
Init he'was isern and moody, and she
loEged for sunny episodes. Retta
brought them with her laughing face
and odd ways. She wound herself
round Mrs. Clients heart in o
week, but;made no impression on the
gsterner article owned BY Reuben.
Once or twice during the, years that
: PASSED tho old lady had hintedto Reu-
ben that he could not remain single
AL his life, and that there was1a- tidy
wife IN the house for the asking. She
was prudent woman Reuben's g
mother, and. did not lose sight OF the
fact that Retta was the mistress Of two
thousand pounds well invested, The
CIRCUMSTANCE was brought periodically
before the cashier in q practical man
sner,. for he was the girts trustee; but
@he sdeuIt with her daiyidehdss as he
dealt with q. check. for wages. Senti-
ment was as far distant from the
transaction as the stars. ! e,
AS time went on Renbsn'ss mother
gave mp her aproject .with!a:sad heart.
: for. she loved the girl, and knew how
true husband. her sonfwonld be. She
even suggested other matrimonial
projects, but the girl would have none
ofsthem, saying that she wasn'tof the
marrying. sort. She laughed when
she ssaid it, but the face seemed
Older. There were lines under the
eyes and about the mouth that should
not have been there, for she was little
more than girl. as;
. ss.sIt'sfor Reuben, I'll take my oath, I"
the'old lady silently protested with o
touch Of bitterness; "the poor lass is
wasting her heart Tor him."
Mrs. Client had long been weaken
ing before the winter came on, aud
on attack of bronchitis in the cold
days developed with startling rapid
ity into q fatal illness. Retta .nursed
/. her like an angel. Reuben was awed
by the girls devotion, and spokerey-
erently to her. ALI through the dis
maltime.of the death and the funeral
he treated her as il she were as close
tohis mother as himself, and when
she-.terms of~the willwere read, re:
curing that Retta should make her
6ome iR the tin mill .honse during her
spinsterhoods and leaving her q sub.
stantiat legacy, Rem ban carried out
his 'srnother's wishes toward the girl
with ready and aimostmesk approval.
Ghicions tongues; :Wagged over the
arrangement, but : Reubsn siienced
tIem withEa, look, and Retta letthem
pass without the appearance, of com
Germ. They were only friends, Reu:
ben, and she, but, they suited each
other, and neither was much given to
consider the views Of outsiders. .ss
ssWinter softened into spring spring
: /. wEm ed into. summer. without. any
change in the strange oompanio ionship.
Reuben took Ret tia to the Baptist
!. Chapel on Sundays, and to an occa-
sionali concord jat the cCo-operative
Hall. The big Office staff Of the
-snormous-tin- works formed -slmost
all the society of the place, and Retta
was invited with Reuben to dinner at
the,secretary's house just as she had
been before Mrs. Clients death, and
acted as lady Of the house when re.
turn feasts were given. For the rest,
she and Reuben saw little of each
other except at table. = Reuben had
his local golf club, his, gas and water
Investments, his school board work
to look after insthe evenings. Retta
had nothing The ladies of Reuben's
acquaintance did not encourage her
when they were apart. She sat: in
doors mending things, busting the
piano she seldom played, and growing
older. mo complaint about her LOT
ever passed her bps or met Reuben's
eyes Yin hers. Her 7le thought. in
life was his comfort, her one desire to
anticipate his every wish. /.
Reuben's awakening came on day
when tho town was voting for county
council vacancy - Reuben was on the
committee OF one Sof sthe candidates,
snd drove here and there aboutthe
streets and roads IN his own dogcart
with the game Old mare, for he was a
man OF substance, and might have
left his Office. desk any moment ifkhe
had felt 80 inclined. Driving wasnot
one of his strong points, which the old
mare knewyeryywelI, and each time
he; crossed the narrow canal bridge
leading to the tin mill house, Retta
trembled to see how. closely he shaved
the lowsparapet. He was weighty
man, Renben, and not the sort to Sbe
thrown fsoma cart and never feelsit.
do he more CAREFUL Reuben, "she
) timidIy 4allggestea. sYou wonldn't
look up again il you touched the side
and turned oyer there, =