Year: 1877

BIZ TEE AUTHOR OF "HRLEN's BABIES"
/ From the Christian Union.l


CHAPTER V.


| Why old Bunley had made Barton


his place Of residence nobody knew


The most plausible theory ever ad.


vanced on the subject came from the


former proprietor of the Barton House,


who said that Bunley, happening to


be travelling that way, had found the


brandy at the Barton House SO good


that he hadn't the heart to leave it.


The brandy lasted SO long that old


Bunley-then twenty years younger


while consuming it became acquainted
with nearly everybody in the town ;


and as he had no engagements that


restrained him from making himself


agreeable, he found himself well liked,


and entreated to make his home at


Barton. He reported-and his report


was aftsrward verified-that he was
the son OF a Virginia planter, and was
unpopular at home because he had
made runaway match with splen-
did girl, whose only fault was that her
family did not rank very high. Bun
ley'e father had cut his son off with a
thousand dollars, but had considerate-
ly sent the money with the letter of
dismissal, so the happy couple We're
leisurely spending the money aud
waiting for the old gentleman to re-
lent, as irate fathers always do in
books. But while Bunley was enjoy
ing the hospitalities of Barton, an
noyed only by the the fact that his
purse was growing light, he heard Of
his fathers sudden death and Of the
inheritance by an cnloving brother of
the entire estate. Then the young
bridegroom attempted to obtain money
by borrowing, for this was the only
method of money-getting he under
stood, but the small success which at
tended his efforts did not pay for the
annoyance which his sOulless creditors
gave him. Then he tried gambling,
and, by devoting his mind to it, sue
ceeded SO well that no one but an occa-
sisnal commercial traveller to whom
Bunley's ways were unknown would
play with him. Then, under the
guise of being clerk of the Barton
House. he became its actual bar
keeper, aud attracted SO much custom
away from the other liquor-sellers that
the grateful proprietor took him into
partnership, and. dying year later,
bequeathed the whole business to him.
But the good brandy which had first
persuaded Bunley to stop at Barton
continued it's destinations, and the
new proprietor of the Barton House,
while liked by all travellers, grew SO
unpopular with purveyors of -four,
meat and other hotel necessities that
the sheriff wAs finally called upon to
settle the differences between them by
disposing of the hotel property at
auction.


After that Bunley ran to seed. to use
an expression common in Barton.
How he lived during the twenty years
which followed was not well under
stood. His wife died, and it was un-
derstood that he married some money
the second time, but ii was none the
less whispered about town that Bun
ley had been seen at night to borrow
at woolpiles whose owners he had not
He went upon mighty
sprees, and carried the bouquet of
liquor wherever he went. He started
a small groggery of his own, in which
many bright boys learned to drink.
He had long since ruined the credit
which he obtained OH the strength Of
his second wife's property, for he new
er paid an account.


And yet the IN ost aggrieyed Of Bun
lsy's creditors could not help being
when they saw the old
man in church, rs he was every Sun
day morning with his two boys. The
gentleman which was in old Bunley
then showed itself in his face and
manner, and it did seem too bad that
any one who could look and act so
much like man should not be trusted
to the extent of dollars worth of
sugar or hundred pounds of -four.
Squire Tomple had thought SO one
and as the squire strove to
keep worldly thoughts out of his mind
on the Lords day, his mind became
filled with old Bunley-so much so
that on the following Monday he de-
coysd Bunley into his store, and
talked 80 pleasantly to him that the
old gentleman actually made the re-
quest for which the squire hoped. He
bought rather more than the squire
had meant to sell him on credit, but
his promise Of early payment was so
distinct and emphatic that the squire's
doubt was not fairly established for
many months. This story in all its
details was told by the sqairs to Mr..
Crupp after that gentleman announced
to him that something should be done
for old Bunley.


"That was because you didn't go
about the job in the right way" said
Crupp. "He's got just enough con-
ceit to suppose that he's going to pay
all his bills some day, and he feels that
when the time comes your profitll
pay for your kindness. That conceit
Of his is just what needs to be taken
down-it's got to be done kindly-so
that he understands that whatever he
gets comes out of pure charity and the
desire to make him comfortable even
at loss. Now, he and his little fam
lily can live on about dollar n day.
I'll stand half the expense of support
ing him for three months if you'll do
the other half, and we'll talk plain,
good-natursd English to him, and let
him understand he's a pauper. That'll
put him on his mettle. What do you
say"


The Squire looked grave at once
as grave as he had appeared when an
uninsured hogshead of sugar belong
ing to him had fallen from steam
4. 4. l.. \