Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-12-15

"Oh, it's me he wants, is 1t = sald EIn-
lily rising from the table.
''Do you want your husband" !" asked
Leonard, curiously.
7"No," said she, laughing; am do with
out my protector this time. If | scream
you can come, you know" And then
she tripped out of the room.
A few minutes after Squire Gripe limp.
ed down the garden path, and drove on,
as Emily came into the kitchen again and
sat down to finish her dinner
s'What does make you all so gloomy Y
she asked; 81 declare, father, one would
think there had been funeral instead Of
wedding. Mother, l must have another
piece of that delicious PIE"
"Ah, Emily" said the farmer, Hyou've
got a cheerful heart. Ye1'll be "a blessing
to Leonard Nothing can damp your
spirits.
"a blessing to all Of yca;z I hope" said
Emily, in a low and thrilling tone, as tears
started into her kind brown eyes. "Dear,
dear!r' she added, in a haIf-vexed voice"
"why don't some of you ask me what
Squire Gripe wanted with mel Have
you no curiosity in the Bell family 7"
The father, mother, and son exchanged
embarrassed looks; for all conversation on
the subject of the dreaded mortgage had
been avoided among them by common
consent since Emily came; and they
could not speak of the man who held it
except with direct reference to the one
subject The sudden words they had ut
tered at the sightof the Squire at the gate
had been evoked by the excitement Of the
moment, and forgotten as. soon as uttered.
'sWell if you-won't ask me-" said EN-
lily, ''rll tell you without asking Or "a
ther III show you. Come in the parlor,
please"
She took hold of Farmer Bells muscu-
lar arm with her two little hands, and
they all went in. There was folded pa
per lying on the table. Farmer Bell
stared at it as if it were ghost. The word
'.noRTGAeE" was printed omit in large let
ters, and there was some writing under
meath. .4,
'.He came to bring you that, father
ee'ANA 1ni'is'. = - - -
''Bring-me-EE;sst ;sst X s5s!QsqsEA Far
mer Bell, with white lips, HIS eyes moving
from the paper to the young woman like
a man in dream. 'What isit9"
'Look at it and see" said Emily; 'you
ought to know it. You hase seen it be-
fore" -.Css.
Farmer Bel took the paper from the
table with trembling hands and opened it
He looked at the top and read, "This In
denture;" he looked at the bottom and
saw his own signature, and under it that
of his wife Ruth Bell and opposite each a
little round seal with blue edge.
at is yours, father" whispered Emily
'ftear it up"
"Whatia cried the farmer, finding his
voice at last. "AIinel Where'd yOa get
it, Emilyl You can't have wheedled old
Cripe out of two-thousand-dollar mort.
gage, for all you're the winningest bit Of
womankind alive. Mine, Emily Why,
this is the mortgage on my house, Ha,
ha, hal Mother, what are you crying
about! God bless you, daughter, can't
understand it, but l know you're"
The old fellow broke down in spite Of
himself when he got so far, and drew ous
his red silk handkerchief and wiped his
moist eyes that he might bend over aud
look again at the mortgage; which he had
put back on the table as carefully as if it
were made Of gold leaf
How Emily explained the presence here
of the mortgage was very simple: sbe had
bought it sine time before--in fact on the
day of-its expiration-and as a part Of
her bargain had stipulated that the paper
s ould be delivered to her, at Farmer
Bells, by Squire Gripe himself, on Thanks
giving Day.
But to her present auditors this expla-
nation only served to create deeper mys-
terry; where should Emily get so much
money!
$50 the time has come" said she,
'when 1 must expose my secret secret
that have kept for three long years with
out a solitary confdante. When my mo-
ther died she left me property worth a
few thousand dollars which my father new.
er disturbed, ,and though he died insolyenb
you see 1 had something But as my
property was in Reyton here, and was
managed by an agent who never used my
name TO tenants, it was supposed that ]
was penniless. When / saw what differ
enee my supposed poverty made in the
manner of the bigger ser towards me,
concluded not to dissipate their delusion,
so that if ever did marry should mar
, nv an honest man, who loved me for my
self; and that is Just what l have done,
she said, putting her hand contentedly II
Leonard's.
'You blessed little humbugP murmur-
ed Leonard.
"And now," said she, "whats to bt
done with this ugly bit of paper" pointing
to the mortgage on the table.
'It is yours, dear daughter" said Far.
! mer Bell; "you have bought it with.youl
money, and will pay it off yet You'll
! give me plenty of time, l know, an5pIen-
I ty of time is all ask"
, "Oh, don't be so soberp cried ETily
! impatiently; and then she added, s'hov
much-eh-time do you call-eh-plen
, ty of time2" in such a surprising imita
j ton of Squire Gripe's piping, hesitating
voice that it was irresistibly laughable
| and Farmer Bell nearly choked himsel
over it.
Emily patted the farmer on his broad
, back with mock solicitude, and when ht
. was quite recovered and stood wiping BIZ
, red face with his silk handkerchief, Emily
quietly took the mortgage from the tabl,
, with the stove tongs, and holding it off al
arms length, carried it and put it in tn
fire.
'Therep' said she, 'thats the end o
E that thing. And now, father, Pm dying