Reuben's Beggar

"You WGTG more kind than wise. Charity ought to begin at home," Eve T alworth said, with a very decided and nnamia'ole pout. "I hate maxims," Reuben Wright retorted, balf in annoyance, half indignantly. "And I really could not epulsc the oíd fellow, Eve; he seetned so sick and miserable; his distress seemed so geuuine." "And because an ordinary beggar happened to seem all that, you gve h'm your last dollar and walked five miles through the dreadful storm," the firl said contemptously. Í do not woner Will Chadoek was amused; V"ill would do notuing so absurd, I am certain." The young man's dark eyes flashed and his cheeks fhished a sullen red. "I ara equally certain that Willis would never do anything of the kind," ho returned in nettled tones. "I adruit that he is quite incapable ot any indiscretion in ihe score of generosity." "1 hate sarcasm,"' the girl said lof ti - ly and with roguisbintent. "It is even more objcctionable than quoting proverbs. But I daresay Will would net mind; concious of superiority, he can afford to ignore or despise any spiteful animadversión." Reuben turned toward her with a look of unafivcted surprised. "You seem fairly conüdenfe about the man's perfections," he commented slovvly in a displeased and questioning voice. "Ofcourso I should never presume thatyoueouldbe jealous of an inferior, she answered rashly and rudely. "And I should have never presumed that you could be so ungracious and silly," he declared crossly. "Am I uiíraoious because I choose to return saure for satire?" she queried defeiiSivoly. "Am I silly because I approvo the good of a gentleman who - who - " she suddenly hesitated whih a brilliant blush íhat was rather enligtening to her aroused lover. With extreme irony and some exaggeration he finished the incomplete sentense for her. "Who desiros perhaps to succeed in your aftections ruy most unluckey self," he said. The ironj, the accusation implied, stung the spirited and perverse girl to a swift unreasoning resentment "111 -luck is but :i synomym of incotnpetence; or of what is none the less deplorable- ignorance of thrift; injudicious liberaiity, indiscriminatecharity," she said harshly nd slyly, too. "You begrudge my "poor beggar bis alms, obviously," Ruuben romarked, laughing despite his vexation. He loved her wilh a man's best love - this slendergirl with her bright face, her dazzling eyes of bonny blue, her shining hair of richest gold; and she was to be his wife. sometinie, when he would have made a house fitting He loved her unutterably- this handsome, ungrateful girl, for whoso sake he had battled manfully against an incredible series of monetary disasters. He had indeed been unlucky; his prospect of a gcodly legacy liad been spoiled by some singular legal technicality; a prodiga! and unsorupulous partner had bankrupteda tolerably prosperous business, and an insolvent bank had completed the ruinous category. The home that was to be so dear and delightful seemed sad!y f ar away; and iatterly the manner óf his betrothed wife had been neither comforting nor encouraging. Her inoods perplexed and depreesed him, her littio sharp speeches, her stuicy little affectLtions that once he deemed so wittv and eharmine:, lic now faDeied wcrë altogether too rneanintr; and he could onlv feel g-rieved and affronted. And more galling ihan all was the notion that Willis Chadock had in sorno way made "the liltle riftwitliin the lute"' that was silencius; all the music, embittenug all the swecluess, of his pleasant lovedream. Will Chadock was an undeniably f.aseinating man: not so young certainly, but he had an aristocratie countenanco, "'L" wtvvi hui ii. .lijn giCilL uAUIÜSölvc black eyes, and he was i master of ciinning öattery. He was considered. too, ns a personage of weallh and some distinotion: and altogether he was precisely tho surt of ga . plausible pretentious individual whom an irupulsive and susceptible girl might exalt into a prinne of peifection. Uut it Eve was faultily impulsive, she wa? discerning also; and her suRceptibility was tempt red bj an innate abhorence of all that ii insincero and ignoble. She Kas vexed with hei promised husband: she was momentariJy dissatisüed with him, perhaps; she had nieaflt possibly to tease and arouse him. But tben her pretty linie assumptions of tyrauny and crilicism had always seemed to amuse him; and he had never before manifested the süghtest irritati.,n at her must capricious and tantalizina moods. She had, doubtloss, a lio wed the flattering attentions of Mr. Chadock, wiih some coquottnh gratiücation; but she could scarcely bo blamed if she preierred the wealthierand more fortúnate man, whoso devotion was so unmistakable and persistent. And then Reuben had never seemed tocare; he had never interposed the smallest jualous renionstranee; to aocuse hira of jealousy was insolent. cruel and ridiculous. She was too wilful and too provoked iust then to vouchsafo any amends for her offense; thr.tgrieved him more tha'n she could know. But after he had left her, coldly, with ayerted face and angry eyes, she began to feel somewhat penitent and wholly uncomfortable. For a long time she sat by the window meditating, absently watching the big snowilakes whirling down through the icy air. Presently a curious ügure appoared through the thick white storm, hobbling through the deep, soft drifts, and halted at length on the lovvest step before her door.The ñgure vvas that of an extremely aged man, wLose long locks, white as the snow around him, clung damply about hi3 palid and withered cheeks. Ho looked as sorrowf ui, as honestly deserving iu his evident misery, as couïd have looked the beggar who " had excited Reuben's generous pity and Kve's oareless scorn. While tho man erouohed there, ering, Mr, Chadwlck, wearing a stylish ulster, and swinging a costly cane jauntily with his fastidiously-gloved fingers, carne briskly toward the house. '1 hoso expressive black oyes were very unbeautiful, the expression of ïis aristocratie countenance was very hateful, as, with acoarseand untitnely exulatnation, he lifted his elegant eane for an unuianly b.ow upon the white head of tho old man, whose startled protest sonnded strangely distincl through the peculiarly resonant winter-air. "I bes here for Misther Wright, when he' Jl bc comin1,' Evo watching at the window, heard him sa". '-He bes a rale gintleraan- God love him!- as lint me the dollar in the storm this day week. Yees may save yer line cano, Misther Chadyck, for anolheriinethafe likeyersüf; forthaviDgit is, and no less, owin' money as ye does to your betthers, Faith, I know je well. Yecs had betther pay back the thray hundred dollars yees borrowed of Misther Wright when ho had tho plenta, than be bating and honestman wid your unholysthick. It is yerself as would have the swato trouble if I tellb Misther AVright how yees put up tho miud of a dhirty lawyer to chatehiui of his own legacy. If it bes the gurril yees would decaive away from him by yer thricks to kape him down wid the poor, then yees had betther bo goin' back to the ould counthry tothe ill-trated colleen who ought to be yourthrue wife." Ine girl's checks burjied scarlet as listeneo! In an instant sho had sprung from herseat and Üang open the door, and stood gazing'with scatbing contempt down upon Willis Chadock, who was perceptibly uneasy, although there was brazen assurance and an odious snner still upon his countenance. Miss Eve, my dear girl." he began, mellitluously; but she iuterrupted him by an imperious gesture. "I believe all this poor man has asserted," she said firmly and haughiily. Aud as he bowed submissively and turned away he understoud thatthenceforth ho must be a stranger to her and IllfM llera. Atthe sound of hervoieethe oldman tottered tohisfeetand extended tovvard her a large and rather ffrimy envelope. "It bes for Misther VVright- the gentleman as lent me a dollar," he explained, a3 bo turnea and hobblad away. And while she marveled at the oddity of it all, Reuben himself canae slowly throufjh the drifts and ascended the Steps. # "I havfl come back to make peace with yon, Le;" he said simply; "I mean if jou still have any faith and affection for one so unlucky as I am." "I am sorry I grieved you, dear," she answered with charraiug frankness. 'But goodness! -what does it all mean?" she cried as she glanced over the paper he had just unfolded. "It means, my darling," he said in wonder, "that my beggar is not a bea;gar at all He is one of the most eccentric men in the city, a miser by reputation, and very weallhy. This is his check - a loan until I shall have prospered sufficiently for convenient uayment - for an amouut quite enough for me to re-establish my business, and to claim my bride whenever she rnav be pleased to come to me."