Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-11-02
Twenty Thousand Dollars.

dow, came the sound of horses feet,
the jolting and numbering of wagons
and carts, the slang and cursing of
human voices-men's, women's and
children's-and the confused din and
babel of large town.
The yellow sunlight lay in great
square on the dirty bare floor. In
one corner stood an untidy made bed,
in another battered washstand, and
beside ricketv table, so seated as to
be invisible to all outsiders, was Rich
ard Craig, counting the proceeds of
his ten years of hard grinding work,
of severe, unremitting self denial
Twenty bills-he held them all in one
haud-but each bill worth a thousand
dollars.
"At last | am rich-at lastr' he
whispered.
With the words the red, healthy
blood began to run so swiftly and
TREMENDOUSLY in his large veins that
motion was imperative. He thrust
the money in his breast, and folding
his arms above it, began to walk up
and down the little room.
1t had come at last-that day to
which he had so long looked forward.
Ten long years he had pressed on
ward, with his eager, expectant eyes
fixed ever on this hour, and now the
hour was here.
He put his hardened hands into his
breast aud touched the bills gently
with the tips of his fingers. Yes,
there they are twenty thousand dol
lars. He smiled triumphantly, and
repeated the words softly to himself:
Twenty thousand-twenty thou
sand, and all miner
Nobody could taunt him with pow
erty again. Never, never, never
His mind went back eleven years to
the night when was born his resolve
to gain wealth. 10 Wilder, the car
penter, had showed him the eight hun
dred dollar cottage which he himself
had built, and where pretty Annie
| Gilbert and he were going to live.
"What do you think Of that, Dick ?"
said 10.
What wouldn't you give for the
nest and the bird that'll sing there by
and by"
The taunt was saarp, and it hurt,
for Dick was poor and pretty Annie
had rejected him.
"Ill build house yet worth twen-
ty SUCH" said Dick, with an oath as
he stalked away.
"A bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush," shouted 10 after him.
After that the other workmen dub
bed Craig " the millionaire" Now he
was so rich (in his own eyes, that he
thought the taunt must have been a
prophecy. His hard earned money
seemed so much to his penny wise
mind that lie considered himself re-
ally a millionaire.
He felt more and more elated as
he pondered over those days of labor
and poverty. To-day he was intend
ing to buy house worth twenty of
10 Wilder's trumpery cottages and
Annie would soon be his wife. 1t had
all come about naturally enough.
Wilder had grown fond of liquor,
neglected his business, lost his house
and some said abused his wife and
child; but Annie herself said moth
ing. Then the cholera came and he
died.
And good riddance, too" thought
Dick, speaking aloud.
Away off upon the plains the re-
jected suitor had heard of his rivals
death. When he came home he hunt
ed up the widow and found her keep
ing a little green grocer's shop and
letting lodgings. Craig was one Of
those men whose minds seem to pet
rify all impressions they receive
Annie always had been, always would
be, the woman in the world for him.
As for her she was probably very glad
to turn her back upon the dirty shop,
with its nauseating smell Of decaying
fruit, and enjoy luxury and ease
Then too, no one cared for her and
her little child as did Craig.
All, it was all coming right at last.
1t would end just as he had hoped it
would all through the long weary
years. Some of the blessed results
might be the work of Fate, but most
of it was his own labor. He exulted
in the thought. If he had not been
rich he could not have come back and
married. After all, then, he had
bro't it about and his heart Swelled
triumphantly. Annie should be dres-
sed like the best. He did not know
the name of half the foolish fol-de-
rolls women wore, but Annie did, and
she should have whatever she chose.
Dear Annie she was almost as
beautiful as ever-not so young may
be, for the world had been rough to
her. Hereafter it should be smooth.
at any rate she was young enough for
him; he was thirty two and she was
only twenty seven. He went over to
; the looking glass that hung on the
wall. He saw sunburnt face, bold
, black eyes, with hard, resolute look
in them, coarse coal black hair, and a
, full beard that hid the mouth and chin.
He looked down at his big frame, his
, coarse clothes, his hard tanned hands
and his face darkened. He was not
a gentleman, and he knew it. He ne.
, yer could be.
; 81 don't care" he said, defantlv
: {" / am worth twenty thousand"
: 1t had never occurred to him be
fore that his very wealth might rcn
der his Unborn coarseness more con
: spicuous. If the money had been lef
: to him he would have grown to man
t hood under its influences, and would
e have been fitted for it. II it was tt
t be enjoyed among gentlemen, it sho't
:. have been earned among gentlemen
But it would not do to think of that
y 1t did but irritatc him and he put tn
: thought determinedly away. His mine
t, reverted to his fortune with all tn
|, old self-congratulation. 1t had beel
e no light work to earn that money
It Ten long years he had worked earl
:. and late. In all that time he ha
e worn the cnnmnnest chaanast clothes