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Mistaken In The Poison

Mistaken In The Poison image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
November
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Mydear, you'll be very puticuliulbout the dinner," said Is;ti;ili Süuthinayd, toasting liis coat tails before the ruddy breakfast fire, " and 1 bes aud ètttreat j'ou don't let Poggy spoil the wild dueks.' Airs. Soutlimayd rubbed her forehead in ■ gort of bewildered perpleiity. She fas a pump, ovtr-drjssed ut Ij matron, with round blue eye.s md putr nosc, not unlikc a Dutch ol . Is iali Sjutiun&yd ! hul married her tor the live thousand dolli. ■ th .t BPei ed leun 1 m wtalih to him w en he was struggling cltr.c at Ihroe huudrcd per annuni. " Yes, dear," said Mis. Soutiluiyd, "but you know just as you woco telling in ■ yesterday, Charlie's w.fe carne into asi; for plaiu sewing, and reallj my poor head !ot so confused, that" - ' Charlie's wife," roared Isaiah, whirlround so rupidlj that his coat tails narrowly tscaped a conflagra' ion, " Didn't i E oxprcsily charge you not to rauntiim Charlie or his Wliè r I don't want liuymoiid Kiinington to know anything bout Charlie. Lot him suppose that Charlie is safe in Ciilifjinia, where ha ought to bc. Confound the laay, idle Fellow. I don't believe he's a bit sickcr Uian I UU." " Hu's your brother," mildly sngze sti d the Dutch doll of a wife, who evidently had a littlc heart somewhire in her internal meohanisin, " and poor Fiinny wcais such shabby bonnuts." " My brother '. Is that any reason he shuuld pestcr my life out of mo with his everlasting notes and letters, and his old white hat bobbing about aiuong the olerks in my office ': V put a stop to it ut ouce - I will, Mrs. Southmayd. Charlie ts coming to my office this aftemoon, and ït will bc for the last time. The idea of bis asking me to eiaploy that tall, starving girl of his as govorncss to my children : " "Whftttime will you have dinncr?" asked Mrs. Southmayd, quietly. " Six will bc sutÜciently early. The Iberia comes in at tour - and of courso Mr. lïemington will send for me immediately," id lsaiah Southmayd lolïily iut on bis hat and went out, a portly and well to-do alruinen of the New York merchant. Breakfast at Charles Southmayd's was a different aft'air. " Mamma, can I have a littlo more molanses with my bread 'i" "Hush, Tommy," said Clara, "mamma has no more molasses for yon." " If Tommy den't like hi bread without molasses." chiined in a hungry-eyed elf, " I would eat it." " Why don't Wfl have milk and water this niorning 't " asked Charlie, junior, eyeing his cold water rathcr distastefully. " 1 Srcause," promptly responded Tommy, " the milk m:in said he wouldu't leave any more milk till the old bill was sottled. Oh, mamma, wouldn't it be niee to have; lots of money f " "Hush, ehildren," said Mrs. Southmayd, deftly transferring her own portion of bread to the plato of the hungry-eyed elf beforo mentioncd. " Surely, Charles, you won't think of going out this mornmg with that cough 'i " "1 think the fresh air will do mo good, my love," answercd the pallid, grey haired man, whose sunken eyes and colorless lips plainiy betokened the presence ot somc wearing, organic disease - probably consumption - and besides, you knew I must see lsaiah to-da-y." " lsaiah, indeed," replied the wife, with a toss of her head. "Muchgood it will do to appeal to lsaiah. A hard-Ueavted, cold-blooded, money woTshinping - " " My dear, my dear," iiiterrupted tho poor invalid, " he is my brotlior." " I can't help it," sohbed Mrs. Southmayd, "he has no moro heart than a block of stone, Clara, briug me the rolls, of work, deai1," The Iberia had tinally moored her pondecous length in the blue sparkles of the bay, and the little stoamljoat had just brought the eager passengers ashoie. Amid the tumult of the piers, the rattle of stage?, and the distant roar of Broadway, old Raymon lïemington gtatked through thocrowd, with his hat slouchcd over his eyes, and his hands olasped behind his back, until he reached the hotel. I ie sat down by the. hastily kindled smoky fire of the hotel parlor, unconsciously shivering in the wintry draughts. "I'U go and see lsaiah, gonthmayd - I&aiah and I were boys together, and Churlie. Poor Chiirlie ! Isaiuh writes me hc is in California) doing very well. 1 wisb lui oould have been here to shake his old friond's hand - 1 usod to bo fond ot' Charlio." There was but r,no shaded light btirning in the littlo back office dedioated to I Isuiah Southmayd's special use and boneüt, und the clerks in thu counting-rpoiu beyo:.d glanoed furtivoly over their ■hooiden and whispered to ons aaothjsr various private opinions respecting the awful bad tempor ui' their chief on this particular evening. ls;ii:ih Southmayd was cross - and perhaps not without reason. bix o'cloek was approaehing and no noto hao beun recoivod front tho rich Bast Indian, summoning his obsoquious relativ: to utteiid his leisure. " Now, then, sir, what's wanting?" A palo faced clerk had in.simmtod his head mcokly through the halt oj)cn door. " If y uu please, sir, a gentle - I ïnoan a man, wants to opeak with yi u." " A man. Haven't 1 s.iid I wouldn't see any ono to-night, yon idiot í " " Picase, sir, he saya he' a - a relation of yours." "It's that begging rascal, Charlic!" roared Isaiah, losing all self restraint in hi.s towering passion. "I'll sett e his businesn tbr iiim. Sciml hiiu in, Arnutt." The spare, bowed figuro, wear ng l.y soiuo curious coincidcnco, just su. li a white hut as Isni'ih had anathamatiz'. d as belonging to poor, broken down Charlie, had scarccly crossed the threshclJ of the darkened back offico before thc indignaut merchant gave loóse to his foolings. " Don't come a stop nearer, sir. Aren't you ashiuncd of yourself, coming hero in that absurd dress, to dograde nie before all my clerks 'i 1 won't givo you a cent - nor I wouldn't if you were starving in the gutters '( Now you have my ultimatum, Charles Southmayd, and I hope your satistied with it. I am not bound to provide for all my poor relations, and I tcll you so, once for all. I haven'l opencd your last begging letter Michael, hand that note to the person - and I return it to you us a prooi' that I want no more of 'eui." And Isaiah plungvA his head in among a wildorness of mammoth lcdgers and day books, as a signal that the interview had ended. The spare, bowed figure turned slowly, without a word, and glided through the counting house, where the clerku wcr; already turuing down tho gas lights and ostentatiously preparing for departure into the open street. "A singular weleeme - a strangcly worded welcome," muttered Itaymond Kemingtou to himself, as he mcchanically paused beneath the glare of the lamps without, and oponed the unsealed onvelope that liad been given into his nerveIc88 iingers by the ofíicious Arnott. "Poor Charle? I poor Charley ! " he murmura!. " And here is Charley 's address ut the bottom. Htarving, suifering wifo and littlo ones, in want of the comiuonest nocessancs oí 'lie, en f 1 tuink J 11 can on Charley. His own brother has re pulsed him from his door. Perhapa he'll be glad to seo oíd K ymond Bcmington ! " Mrs. Southmayd was stiil stitching laboriously at the Boldiers' clothi'S, and poor Clara, who had Ivon out all day answering adveitisements foragow was setting tho tablo fot a scaiity evening ni m] ; while thc litilo ones playod quiotly in the corner, nnd Charles Sontümayd lay on tho worn sofa, with closed i -s, thinking sorrow'ully of what futuro lay before his belovvd, when he should be removed bevond all oare and trial. ' M other ' " ejaculuted Clan, " somo ono is knockingat lli ) door. If it should 1 e the cross old groter with his bilí ' And Wi! liiivo no moncy " "Hit it i.-n't th) orow old grooer ' " gaid a hearty voioo. "It's Itaymond Remington - your - Chirley Southmayd! My boy l"iu glad to se you!" The E ist Tndian liad no reason to coraplaio of tbs welcome ncaorded him in this humblo little housohold ; tbr in lesi than flve minutes cveiy obild was clingi-.g about his knee - pretty Clara crying on liis kind shoulder, and Charley and liis ïrife Boaroely moro eelfrestrained. " I'vc come to the right house, at last," thought old Raymond Ittmington with new happiness in his lieart. And when, the next day, Isaiah South - mayil's elegant curriago stopped at tl ; hotel to convey Mr. Remington to his own resideneo, the ydlow-faced old gentleniin overwhelmed his relative with contrition by dryly reininding him of tho office scène the night before. " My doar R lymond," ejaou!ated Isaiah, turning whi'e.md red, "howcould'I Ituv nade suoh i mi'takei' " " itwas an awkwanl mistAke - vciy," assented Reuiington ourtly. " But you wUl ftooomgany me home, now 't " " No ; I'lB going to set up housekcoping with my COUSÍn Charley." " Bnt my dear Remington," spasnioilioally urged Kouthmayd, "suro " I have made up my min'l," shortly answered Mr. Remington ; " I don'tfanoy the general Btyle is whieh you address your relations, Isaiah. Poor Charles alWftys was my favorito. And you know, added liaymond, with a gleam of grim humor irradiating his fice, " I am not bound to providü for all my poor relations." And Isaiah Southmayd retrnated, convinccd that the little mistake had forfoited him tho golden gloam of thos ICast India hordes. He did not roflect that his wholo lif.; was a inistake.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus