THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
15 
When the young visitors saw these provisions 
to help the needy, their own empty-handedness 
became painfully apparent, causing no little cha¬ 
grin, and leading Rudolph to remark in an un¬ 
dertone to his friend, 
“Why, Charley, they’ll think us either very 
stupid or miserly not to have brought something 
with us for the family we are about to visit. 
I’m afraid that the girls will form but a poor 
opinion of our generosity, unless you can make 
some suggestion that will help us out of the 
scrape.” 
“ That can be easily done. Lew,” was the an¬ 
swer, “ if we find there is a fitting occasion for a 
display of our generosity. I suppose we can 
raise a dime or two between us, and you know 
money is always in place. But I’m sure that I 
shall make no display of liberality just to appear 
well in the eyes of the girls.” 
“Thanks for your suggestion,” replied Ru¬ 
dolph. “ I care as little as you do as to what 
two soft-hearted girls may think of our do¬ 
ings ; but I do not wish any one to believe that 
I am sordid and mean, for I do not own up to 
such traits of character.” 
“Well,” answered Davidson, “as I hardly 
