Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-08-24

was heard ascending the staircas,
which led to her room. Then ther
was knock at the door. She aros
i'll some surprise and opened it, think
ing it must be the landlady or one o
the servants. .....
She was right. 1t was a servant.
"Here's letter for you that th'
postboy just brought, Miss Morris"
"a letter for mel" repeated Heller
Morris, in surprise, taking it from tn,
servants hand. "Who could hav,
written to me ?"
"Maybe it's q valentine, Miss" sale
the girl, laughing, 'You know this
is Valentines day, More by token
I've got to myself this morning. Ones
a karakter, (caricature,) so mistress
calls it. Just look at it,
Bridget displayed a highly embel
liOhod pictorial roprooontetion Of o
female hard at work at the wastub
the cast Of beauty being decidedly
Hibernian.
Helen Morris laughed absently, but
did not open her letter while Bridget
remained-a little to the disappoint-
ment of that curious damsel,
Helen slowly opened the envelope.
A bank note for ten dollars dropped
from it on the floor.
Heaven be praised" she said fold
ing her hands gratefully. "The sum
will enable me to carry out the plan
which had in view"
Eight years passed away. Eight
years, with their lights and shadows,
joys and sorrows. They brought with
them the merry voices Of children
they brought with them new.made
graVeS-happiness to some and grief
to others.
Towards the last they brought the
great commercial crisis of 81, when
houses that seemed built on a rock
tOttered at once to their fall, Do not
many remember that all too we'll
when merchants with anxious faces
ran from one to another to solicit
help, and met only averted faces and
distrustful looks? And how was it
in that time of the universal panic with
our friendS-Stacy { Wilbur ?
Up to 1851 they had been doing an
excellent business. They had gradu-
ally enlarged their operations, and
were rapidly growing rich when this
crash cama.
They Immediately took in sail
Both were prudent, and both felt that
now was the time when this quality
was urgently needed.
By great efforts they had succeed
ed in keeping up till the l4th of Feb
ruary, 1858. On that morning a note
of two thousand dollars came due
This was their last peril. That sur
with assured confidence.
But this, alas was the rock on
which they had most apprehension. =
They had taxed their resources to the
utmost. They had called upon their
friends, but their friends were employ
ed in taking care Of themselves, and
the selfish policy was the one required
then.
"Look out for number one," sus-
pended the golden rule for the time
being.
As | have said TWO thousand dol
lars were due on the 18th of Febru-
airy.
"How much have you got toward
it ?" asked Wilbur as Stacy came in
at half past eleven.
Three hundred and seventy-fve
was the dispirited reply,
yves that all you could raise 2" in
quired his partner, turning pale
''Are you sure you thought Of every
body ?"
Il have been everywhere. Pm fag-
ged to DEATH was the weary reply of
Stacy, as he sank exhausted into a
chair.
"Then the crash must come" said
Wilbur, with gloomy resignation,
q suppose it must"
There was a silence. Neither felt
inclined to say anything. For six
months they had been struggling with
the tide. They could see shore, but
in sight of it they must go down.
At this moment note was brought
in by boy. There was no postmark,
Evidently he was a special messen.
ger,
It was opened at once by Mr.. Will
bur, to whom it was directed. 1t con-
tanned these few words only:
"If Mr.. John Wilbur will call i'm
mediately at No.-,Fifth-avenue, he
will learn something to his great adj
vantage"
There was no signature. -s
John Wilbur read it with surprise,
and passed it to his partner. "What
does it mean, do you think ?"
Il don't know" was the reply, "but
| advise you to go at once"
at seems to be in feminine hand
writing" said Wilbur, thoughtfully.
eyes. Don't you know any lady
On Fifth-avenue 2"
"None,'
"Well it is worth noticing. We
have met with so little to our advan
tage lately that it will be a refreshing
variety"
In five minutes John Wilbur Jump
ed into a horse car, and was on hiI
way to No., Fifth-ayenue.
He walked up to the door of mag
nifcent brown-stone house and rams
the bell. He was instantly admitted
and shown into the drawing-room, su
perbly furnished. .rsa H