Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-06-07

Whys sVes ooh wear sach aHock IN q
week 7 said Margaret, laughing and Il was
on Last Tuesday that you gave me that besutY.
though hadn't yet hall worn my blue silk. ,
Joe Aappsn drew Der between his knees.
and held her face in bis hands. Silver and
gold isn't good enough for you bOthf' he said
with passion Of fervOr in bis voice: so never
stint yOurselffOr fear Of me-
But they both said again that they had all
they could require, even il they we're princess
es in fairy tower, Margars. added; and when
this assurance had been repeated 10 almost q
Wssrisome number Of times, Joe Mappsn was
content, and SO relapsed into silence again
And there he sat till the last rays Of the sun
had gone, and candles bad been brOught-they
lwers Of the finest wax, you may be sure-a
ai,ESr expression Of tenderness on his mastifI
face. a, n, was leading sweet chapter love-
ingly-listening to g NV . -..;1s !.
And then, when il. was quite dsrS "u'''~
went away, muffied up in bis greasy old clOsS,
as he had come, and hObbling automatically
when he came near his own quarters.
This then, vas the brokers' secret, and this
was its history
About fifteen years ago, Joe Mappin, almost
an old man even then, was called to seize the
goods of certain Captain Thornton living at
the West End. The captain was one Of those
gay, reckless, loveable men who by dint oi
sheer animal magnetism, live for years on
credit, and are only brought to account when
Il become matter of life and death 10 some
of the poorer crediton-those creditors as
sorry for their debtor as If it were themselves
going to the Queens Bench, and accusing
themselves bitterly--the tender-hearted at least
for the trouble they are bringing on him.
Joe Mappin, the hardest Of his profession. the
iron hearted, grasping broker, who was believ'
ed not to have a single human feeling, even he
was touched by the gallant frankness and gra
cious manner Of his victim, and as for his wife
that noble, patient. glorious woman, with
her little one In her arms--something rose NJ
in his heart for her which he had never felt in
his life before 1t was an infinite yearning
worship, such as he had read Of in the novels
of the libraries he had seized, but which he
had always thought trash, aRd The mere mouth
ings of author fools. He felt now for The
first time. that there was such a thing in th'
7 of
. love Of virtue, love for PHYS sake.
Captain Thornton was carried off to th'
= Queens Bench, and after a short term of i'm
prisonment, died suddenly Of apoplexy. H
had lived too freely, and taken too little exer
else; being one Of those fah haired men of san
guine temperament who require abstinenc
:, and work, above luxury and ideness, be ha
!, met the fate any medical man. would hav
predicted. His wife and child were thus le
alone in the world, and penniless. The broke
If had never lost sight of them. Gifts from
: unknown hand, money, clothing, and eve
.. food, had kept Mrs. Thornton from want-a
"A the more welcome, as by her marriage she ha
70 displeased her relatives, who were perhaps n
sorry now Of this excuse to avoid maintainin
10 her. When the captain died, then old u
. Mappin came forward openly. He told b
ad how he had lived an Ishmaelite life, withC
cd pity, and without love; he told her how
an had aroused feelings in him--feelings Of rev
ad ence for humanity, such as he had ne'
,at known before and the old man bowed hi
re self before her as a superior being, and
for sought of her the privilege Of maintaining
To- and her child. He wanted nothing, he sa
m, but to know that they were happy. and sor
i'm i'm es to hear them say so. He had not
Ii Iiatiou in the world to whom he could leave
Toe mouey--not one that they would wrong
tch taking it; he had boarded because it was
to nature TO hoard but he never knew for wi
vas end he saved. Now, he should
for Heaven, if she would accept her
no. on these easy terms. They were not ha
lret and if she objected to his going to see her
would not. Indeed it was her happiness,
adv that sweet baby's--not his Own-he cared
ken IN the offers !
What could she do, that gentewOuan "
ter out friends or fortune, or the means of earl
,tbs her own subsistence What could she
Tvs but look at her child, hold out both her hS
und to that strange old man, and burst into tsal
to gratitude, and shame, and sorrow, all m
Az
Joe took her fate from his hands? She unders
way the truth of his feelings, and was herself
nes- truthful and too noble to assume false dig
rpa, which would have been less digui6ed than
y in acceptance of his generosity. She thar
oker him by her tears, and she kissed his with
Civ hand, and that touch bound Joe MapPir
also her slave for life--lhe FIRST. last, and only
love that woman's lips had ever touched bill
Il