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Wealth In Disguise

Wealth In Disguise image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
June
Year
1892
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Pirase JTOBmg gentleman, do ve cara her e? These eond ar ,-M cross to a body, and i have got tü cliio 6, and chaage tiiere, a dozen times. Is this Oakl;u,d. and do we e'liange ?" "Dom't boow," sa. il Ray Allen, !:■;:.- ly. "Ask the comductor, oíd lady." "But I Ik-v askrd," sald the old ivomaa, "and tlwy are so cantankerouej - snap your Jiead oif almost." 'What ducs he want, Ray 1" asked lus cou.siu, Ed l'rice, leauing aoross thv djole, -'crlinps I eau teil." , Bothièp," !-akl Kay. "Old w ornea aa-e f o rever íufsíuíí wtieu thry travel 1 make a rule of liever answering them, or I'd be tormented out of my emees; I go aroumd so muc-h, you knKcw; and no oue -eir yet entored a -vriio diid mot finid the re at least ome okl ■vomaoi wliu liad lost lier -v.ay." E1 leamied fturtluer forward. "Madaaii," te said, "perüaps I eau help ycra. AVh-at dbd you iinquire ?" "WiR'tlwr we change here," said tdie old lady. -"JIucli obliged to you.' "We ctónge liere," eaW Ed. "I wi.-h we elkln't," s.iid the oíd lady. A body oould get along, i tlhey let 'em Kit sti'-ll to their louraey's end. It'e apetuakea tlie Iiull time Expeet lo finid BtyaU 'm Canadá, ov fume out o' tiro way place yet. la jiiy younger days stages took ye wherí ye "wunteil to go; amd ányway, tht driver was always ready to an.swer ;v -;vi queetüom." "Excuse me, madam," said Ed. "whtere are you going '?" "New York," eaiid tlie oíd lady." "Very well," saM Bd. "We are going tïuare alao. wül see tliat you go righ't and get there saiíe." "Ver}' mueli obligí i," .-a:d tliu oíd lady. "You won'i Eorget, now ?" "No, hi'1'..'u," said Ji'i. "You've goi youreélí i;i a pretty mess," sald Ray Alian. "You aro in íor it now." "For whiat 1" asked Ed. "Bot her wïth the old girl there." "It'e aio tiouble," faid Ed. "J'.oeildes, I hlave seeu yoii ta.ke a great deal of paSins to atte.nd to ladies in dilemmas." "Yoroag and pwetty ones," said Ray. "Beeldles, talkiuig of ladieg, observe Jier bomiet, and listen to her grammixr.'' "Wii y tdwuld that make any differente in my c-ondr.ct ?" asked EU. "Oh., iï you dO'n't knuw, I can't teil you," sad Hay. "i guppose you ■wouldn't eee any rea.svm wliy, ii ülie was a. darkey ?" "Certaüiily iNt," tsaiil Kil. "A woinaii, yonng old, pplaUi or protty, rich or poor, who need.s as.siwtance, Bball ahvays liavc help from me." ■D&a. Quixote," eaixl Ray. "Catch mé jilaguinii myself unle.s.s there is sometiMing to repay me for it- a pretty face, aaiid a bewitohuig smile, or, at leaciT,, t U-e knwmledge that I appi'ár to laiuw 011e of the upper tcndoon." "ClKttuge liere," saW the conducimv Ray airóse. Ed al,o tarted tu Iiíjs feet and t in-iiod to the otd la-dy. "ïhte is your place, madam," he said. "Now gire me your basket and pareéis. I'll iniry tlivm." "Ed lia gome erazy," said Kay to hixnself. "A iueti' old wouian. lui ble was a queer ome, always.' In tlie meautiime, Ed was help ing 1 okl lady down, the steps, and Juiidiug hvr a romiortable Beat in the pext iar. "Yon are a very poiiite young man,' aaid the old lady wheu the arrangemeaits wete completed. "Ttoere used tKJ Ik; a inuanber likt yo.u i.u my young S but nu't the most of them are hke youir ïrieind yonder, and thai tituck-up cunduc [u,r. WJiat liouse iu ihat yurnder w.ai the llag uil it? lts ko stupld, thi.s h.re traveliug alone, uith mbody to JxplaÜQ things." Bd mimcdiiitely sat down beside her, and pototed out the various objects oí inierest uu tlhJe ruad. The uld wwmam was plaiuly dressad, very couuitrWifd aud a little prosy. iiut, Bd had a good, kind heart, and iel6 it a great pteaouire tm rnake her enjoy her&eli. W(hem at last the Cara had aiTived ia .New ïurk, he shuuk ndfi witli hiin, and declared loudly: "He was the nUest yuung fellow tshe j ad peen simce she wa.s a gal." "I wouLdn't liiivr been yon íor a kiligdoin," t,aU Hay, whcn liis oousio rejoined hiin. "What a goose you are." Thoy had pa-odeeded but a short djstamte on theár hom-eward way, ■wtoen a vok-e, siuirp aud .shrill, cried ia thieir ear.s: "I ay, jToiui,g maai, eau't you teil me -wliieh ík iiroadway? Xhey say I was to take th Brctadiway stage to Twenty-second street." "Your old womam again," sail Kay. liure enough it was, aaid delighted iie .secmed to meet iM ooice more. Of teoui-se Ed put luer right, liailed affli om'iMbuw, hrioimied Uue driver that tlids lady must be put down at Twenty-secoaid street, and saw her tlrive away, aoddüig and amUing trom the AvindlcAv. Bay was goine out of sight. iSoine f Mm tríemete niight liave ïancied ho blad gomethiiiijg to do with the old womaii, Ihiad he waiited. Ed found liiuv at dunner, relating the story to liix aiMjther, iather and young stoter. 'She lia-d a black straw bonnet, with aai immense bow on it, a regular coal seuttle, andi a' hand basket, am umbrella a mile long, wltill a ítremendoTifi ltook on the handle, ehe wore la ehort blue lrock, and yarnBtockings, 'and leather boots and a' plaM Mh&wl." said he, "and people asked me wliether it was Ed's grandmotlier, ar whether he had marriod af tavera-keoper's widow for her moeey." ■Xo ome spotee about the matter," salid Bd, quietly ealttog 1" dinner, aiiwl iif thiey Jiaul made a.ny erach remark, I Khoiild OOÜy have thought leee of tlu' peraoeo who maxje then;. I wae - iy diity." "It certainly te nöbody's dnty to play gallont to UI Hie shabby old womain mi the care,'] said Ray. "Hcw■rr. uil as you pleas!.-. It's all tlie bo ;:"■. omly ym will never catch Ime iraveltag with you unds'r such c-ircumst anees aj.-rji." i;d Prlce wa am todependent eo-rti of ïeltow. He dlid wtat he thou.irht riig'ht, thougli he was the poor pelar tiwn of tte iajnüy, aiut had only a situatkm ín his nncle's offioe,.-wliH-U Ray -tt-auld Inave scaifed .it. As it wa. Ik' was econamwal enough to pay his own way wilth the sálary aaid now boarded wttli hiis unele, altliooigh lie might have lfved there tree of expense, and lia.ve cut a dash, instead of dressitog as plainly as any mechanie. Ray despifeed liim ior the latter f act. A ünain iui klö glo-ves was mucli greater iln hte estimatioil than a man wïth bare hands. And oendy iim idiot, he thought, wouia wear a soit bat, vatoe two dollar?, wIkmi, by accepting íavors, lie mighs have spent ten upon a fílosxy pipe. Kd t-lKOUglit diiferOTitly. He wae i Uimdly teltow, too, always doimg some thiim' Por eomebody. LAttle crossing pweepexa were sure of pennics ji they saW liim apjwoacftlng. He eéí tlae brobem legs oí vagrant doga, ielivered aistnutod emlgrauts to their írionds, liko lost pírcela, and was alwaja Btoppitng cara, liaiuün.ií up íarós, amd making a raartyr oí him. sell im a presa oí passengers in the clity caie. He undortook errands fo hte aunt and cousön, and alwaya brougti borne the shade oí worsted or wkllh OÍ ribbon that was wanted Bay couUl ateo be poUite wlien .. served has ovni Interest. The iiexí. day ai cüuner time Mi-s. Alié, .Trho had been náy!mg calis all the neon, was found in a sta ie of liteat ■xcitement. Someflvisijï was &i her mmd. At last Bfre gave it uttera ■■Yho do you suppose has come to the city, Mr. Allen-.1" she said. ■■Can't mess." said Mr. Allen. "Queen Yk-toria ?" -Queeai said Mre. Allen, --liut you ■ wijl pever sueae, mn are Bp stupM. Aune Charlotte Bay, after v.-l;orn We Jiamod our Ray. Actually, I iound the old lady at Wwrea's, a queer as ever." ' 'Wlhy dkln't yon come straight tome, Atr.it ciiarlMii''.1' said I." " -Forirot your sfreet,' 6ie said, su I"m to aead a cturrdiage tor her tcmorrow. J'.ay, inv tl o rememlxr how ri'-li slie is, and 'úw anotlier rolattoai as near as we are. and yon ai'1 namvd ifter lier- du le atteatu-e." "I'll do the correct thimK, mamma, tkm't fitfiii," said young hopeiuL ■'111 get Ed to teaCh me how to pay proper attention to the öld woman." ■The best o est all her lirV, for she sftttods nothing," isaiti Mrs. Alltoi, 'and tlt.rov of brO'-wn stone hoirees and the place at KayvHle Slue must be worth at least a mülu:i. It'8 WDrtli a little tronble, Kay." "A fellow could eaijoy liimseH with timt Hum. I)M you rem.mu ner oí her namesake ?" "Yes," sakl Mrs. Allen, and saiid she boped he liad srown up tu be like tlie young men of her d'a"ys.' "All bows amd ilourishes, eh? ■Wlell, 111 please her," said Kay. "Don't be afraid, motlher. I'll act a.s aai escort to two old women for hali oi that money. If she waen't my aumt, l'd mate all sure by marryiag her" And Iiay meawt kt. "There comes the carrlage," BaiJ Mie. Alten. "Kay, rum out amd hand her from it. It's aia atteution edie wlil apprecíate. Mimd your lunv." '"Oh, yi.'s," said Kay, "I'll do it up in style;" and out oí flie ia.rlor lie llew juwt ita time to open the carriage d'ccor. "My aumt," he began, "so deliighted! allow me." ■Law," ealtd a volte within, "Í kim get out teyeelf. 'Twas teu much teu aiiswer a civi! qüestion íor a body ta the cars, and 1 don't need any assJBtaBce now. Xo, I'll take my own lia.-ket. I mighit hev dome It before for all of sou;" and Ray, quite annihilatfd, followed tóe snappish relativo ilalto tilie pai-lor. "How d'ye do, ntece and nëphew? TMb i.s your darter, I suppose," said Aviat ( lwu-loltc.% whilc Mrs. Allen questfcwied j;ay ■'Aív her eyee; "and ■cilln, my! how tire ye ? So glad to seo ge agim. Xever BtoouM have got no vlvere i'f it hadn't a been tor you; and teu ïime you hare., I 11111 delighted;" and Aunt Charlotte pounced U]iOiiL Ed Prtee, uiil Khook hands wiih Then, in an instant, every one iu thie room coniprehiiiwled the true state of affaitre. Tlir shabby okl vonia;ii to whiom, from sheer goodr iiatiwe, Kd l'riue luid ofïered st ruucl) klind atH'ntion, wae tlue rich and eo oemtrBc Auint Charlotte, wiio as ablu to jnake tlie fortune of any one stae faaDeied, amd was known tio be a eoi:gtcumt Irk'iid to any one wlïo pleaaed her, and hard to comcillate wheu once offemded Wrs Allen was in despaü", and Kay blamed Mis unlucky star?. Iioth lelt diisposed to quarrel wttb Bd, amd to fancy th'at he knew Aunt Clutrlotte all thie while; but his comduct durkig luer stay disarmed them. He was polite, of coiirse, but he pakl mo oouirt to her, and left the field olear to Ray, who had devoted himself to the old lady imtLriingly, and who, at last, ftatteredi himself thati he had obliterated all remémbrame ol hiis ïormer rudemess. Alas for their toppes! All this saerifice of time and patience was tlurowm away Aunt' (■luulotte was no fooi, and enjoyed herself at the expense ol Ray to her iToart'e content Bwt on her return to her oma home, she sent for lier lawyer. made a will im Ed I'rke's favor, a.nd sent word to the Allen3 tliar Klie hád done so, by a friend ■VT'hio was ordered to report. ghe wmild have liiiu at Christmas, n:id by-and-liy actually moved to New York to be mear Mm. They forn:ed a close friehdsh.i.p. and Ed, au orphan from lus birth, valned the old w.ottaam.'e motherly kindness more tbem thE fortune she had beqiieathed 1i hkn, and when at last she left the world, shed maay tears ior her los.--. He was a ri-h ma.n., and able to do gooid oa a laorger scate thn formerly. He was mot extravagant, and liveü well but plainly. Anú Ka y sneered at him for a Blow-íroiug fellow, who dfd not enjoy life while he could. He kept oax Iriiendly terms with hls couein, hówever, who at last, ha ving nial throuKh the praperty his father !ijiid left him, eettled down a dependan om Ed's bounty, which interestiaig etoaracter he sustained, until, in the fullmess of time, he actually died f gluttooiy and idleness combtoed. E1 is liviají yet, thte head oí a numerous famiJy, and a.n actual proof thiat KO'Oid nature and politeness are not alwa.ye tlurown away, even on a

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier