Half-a-crown

" Pleaso sir, will yon buy my chestnuts '{" "Chestnuts! No," returnod Ralph Mooio, lookiug carelessly down on the ujitumed face, who? larga brown i ye .-j, shadowed by tangled coxis of Bazen hair, alingso jutiiully to bis own. " 'i'ii:tr do I want with ohestnuta? " " Eut pienso sir, buy 'om," pleaded the littlo ono, reassurod by the rough kindt his. tono. " Nobody sooms to caro for thain, und an " Shc fairly burst into toars, and Mooro, -who had been on tho point of brnshing topped iustiotively. "Areyou vory muoh in nood of the y 'i " ho askud. " Indeed we are eir," sobbed the child; ] "niofcher sont me out, and " " Nay little one, don't cry in such u broken heartedway," siúd Bulph, smootking down her hair with i gentle1 don't w.mt vuur ohestnnts, but balf-ft-crown ior you, if that will do you miy good." . ,id uot stop to hear the delijr"' rent toanks tbe cliild poured out through a raiubow of smilcs aud tears, but strode on bis way, muttering bet ween his tLcth, " That ont off n.y supply of oigan for tbe next week. I dou't cure, though ihi', brown-eyed objeot reallydid if she hadn'1 a friínd in tho world. Hang it ! I wieh l was rich enough to oreaturo out of the slougu While Ralph Moore was mdulging in eery natural reflections, tho pyed little dainsel was dasbing down the . with quic . atter' of mi-r.l.i nta i her arm. Down the letweon ruinou rows of housee, and up a narrow wooden stairoaee, t'. a rooin whore ;i pair, neatg Toman, with large brown eyea . :i, was sewing as liusily as it' tho breath ut' life depended npnn overy stitch, aud two little ones were contentedly playing in the snnshrne that temporarily eupplied the place t' iiro. "lïary! back already? Surely you havo not sold your chestnuts so soon ': ' "Oh, motherl mother, seo!" ejacnlatcd the almost broathless t-lii I rl . ,v gentleman givi n:u :t wiiolü.halt'-crown. Only tbink, mother, a whole half-cro wn ! " If Ralph Moor., could only have seon the rapture which liis half crown giftdiffuged ftround it ia the poor widows poverty- Btricken home, ho would have xo{ ëtill loss the teiuporary privation of cigara io which his generosity had sub]octea uia). i went. The little chestnut girl pa itirely out of Ralph Mooi . as if pleading eyes had t ni his heart ; but 11 ■]■)■ 'it tho strangor who had given her the süver half-crown, 'I lm oritnson window ourtains vtom ly drawn, to shut out tbe storm and tempest of the bloak iJecembor aight; [re 'is glowingchourily in the well1 grate', and the dinner-table, in a glitter with ou' aa, and pol waitiug for the presence of Mr. Aadley. " Vi'h-ií c;i it be that detaina papa?" Baid Mrs. Audley, a fair, handomo matron of about thirty, .is she glanoed at the r'.ml ot' a tiny esameled watch. "Six o'clook, and he dous not make hi appearancc." 11 Thore's a man with him in the si ody, mamma, come m business," said Robi rt Audley, a pretty boy, eieren jears old, vho ing by tho iire. " F11 cali him again," said Mrs. Audlöy, stepping to the door. lint is Aic. openod it, the brilliant gaslight feil t'ull upon tho taco of tho huinh'.c looking inan, in worn and thrcdbare garmonta, who wus leaving thc ' while her husband t d iu the doe w v ci: his K.tudy, npparjiitly relieved to uü rid ot' hia vi.itor. "Charles," said IVIrs. Audley, whose :c hud paled tnd Uttsbed, "who is tliut man, and wha want?" believe, and ho oame to üee it' i ■ upon him tli!t vacant clerkship in the ba " And will jrou "] don't knüw, Maiy; I must tlnnk about it." . ïivo him the situation." " tij, my )ovo 'i " "Beoauselask it of you ns a favor, anií yon have said ;i thou B you would nevei denj i;m anythiu " Ind I wiil keep my word, M,irj-," said the noble-hearted husband, with nn attectionate kisa. " I'll writa the fellow h notu this very evening. I believe I'vogot his nddrcss about me' somewhere." Au hour later, when llobbio, Frank, and Ettgene were imugly tueked in bod, in tliu spaciöus nursery up strt irs, Mrs. Aulicy ti!d her htuband why sh: li:ul b. en bo interested in tbc i'ato of a man wliüiu sim . :en for twenty years. bat's right, my little w:fp," ropli(d i:d, folding lier i'oudly to iiis t, when tlie siinplo tale was opncluded, " wlio was kind to yon in the days whon you Uüüdt'd kindiicfs most." Elalpb Moro was si finff ;n hia ioor lodgin liis'ail j g wife's ■-.ck-bed, d :i liveiied servant br. ugut a trom the rich bunker, ÍJr. Charlea Audley. _ "Goodjiows, Uerthn," hccx he lead the brief wordfl. " We ■!: . '1 not starve ; Air. Auflley promises me the vulituation." " Vin have dropped something from the letter, Ralph," gaid Mrs. Mooio, pointino; to a s!ip of paper on the lloor. Jfoore Btopped to recover tho cstray. It was a fifty-pouud note, neatly í in u, piece of papor, on whiob was writ-' ratet'ul remembranoe of a 1 1 ; 1 1 f - orown piece that a kind stranger bestowed on a littln oheatnut gul over tweuty Balph Jloore had thrown hls mort breud upoo tbü waters, and ui'ter mauy days it hiid returned to hitn.