Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-02-17
CHAPTER x.
General Mouss's View.

IN ri All Ruve an appalleU RHucF
IM about the room-at the pic
iii lures. the tapestries, the rich.
dark. old furnitureAat the ele
gance. luxury and beauty that every.
where surrounded him. you couldn't
he exclaimed, overcome. "iou don't
understand what It Is to be poor. You
see It staged and dressed up. and with
a row of footlights. and roses climbing
over the cardboard cottage: but 1t isn't
like that at all, Chris: it's ugly and DE-
testable. and l should be the most self
ish brute alive to let you do such a
thing"
ut needn't be ugly and detestaGle
Matt" she returned, with u tender,
reproving seriousness. THE trouble
Is that poor people are usually poorer
still In taste, and are horribly oil
clothy, and given to chromos Of Swiss
lakes and screaming green carpets
We won't be that kind Of poor. and II
you fight about 1t any more shall
think It is because you really do not
want me-"
"Oh, Chris, 1t isn't that God knows
It isn't that Liam a man. and
~
She drew his head to her bosom
1.-THE mouse was some help after all"
she murmured with a happy little
laugh. Lion thought he was at the
jumping or place, but mousie caught
his beautiful frightened tail just In
time-though 1t took an awful big
mouse pull to save him from going
overland now she is going to kiss him
for being stay at home work lion,
and ready to fight the whole world
rather than let her CO."
Its going to be a hard business.
Chris"
81 know lt-but you mustn't get dis
couraged."
Anderson, the surveyor, might give
me a Job. ! know something Of that.
you know-a great deal"
"Then there are the mills"
"All too skilled for me. I'm afraid
and unionized."
1.-THE telephone company"
"Yes. I'll try them. The electric
branch was very thorough ut the
academy. could take dynamo to
pieces once. and. what's more. put 1t
together again and make 1t CO."
"You see. you know lots more than
you thought you did"
"And there Is Beckles' bank. Bee.
kles Is such a funny old fellow. Chris;
Unsuitable about the islands and spe-
cially about the girls. Has dreams Of
going out there. fancy, and turning
grand Turk. the fat old scallawag.
When l said the prettiest women In
the Pacific came from Manihiki and
Uahinc he carefully wrote down both
names in little book. with the most
owlish expression you ever saw, right
In the middle of stocks and bonds and
mortgages"
"And Doty. Be sure and remember
the Rev. Mr.. Doty. Matt. He likes
you awfully we'll. admires you and
looks up to you tremendously"
"Oh. I'll manage somehow--some
way. And then SIS a month and you"
"But try to save every penny OF
what youshave. and I'll begin saving
my allowance. don't wanr to live at
your horrid Mrs. Sattane's. We must
have n little home all Of our own"
"Well, that's long way of. The
important thing now is to land pay
envelope every Saturday night. isn't
itT
Important, Oh, Matt, you just
must!''
~And then you'll come-really Gomez
Chris, still can't believe It."
"You will when you've got $75 a
month"
II may not even reach that all Mt
once. God knows. 1t may be hard to
get $40"
THAT will be start, anyway, and
II we do have to wait little my allow
ance will be mounting up"
I'VE shan't wait II can help 1t.
III turn the old town upside down
oh, Chris, with you to work for what
couldn't do!"
Matt strode homeward in a state OF
indescribable Joy. though with many a
care running blackly through the
bright woof Of bis hopes and raptures.
He was pledged to desperate plan
and one that would bring down on him
q universal reproach. Such marriage
would shake Manaswan to its founda.
tons and unloose torrent Of gossip
that would be harder to endure than
poverty itself. Alternately he gloated
over Chris fortune-those three smua
old houses"-and then inconsistently
wished them to the devil. Matt was a
proud man, and the thought Of being