The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-08-16
MARGARET'S MONEY.

\
Then l thought he looked at me.
"Why should he look at me ?"
thought. ''fm not husband worth IN
Cling for, as he knows very well, thi
man who pays me my small salary ever.
week with his own hands"
Still he did look at me And l an
swered with a word or two. forge
what now.
EYES," he said-talklng with mean
ing too, looking at me evidently to SCI
how took the news; Eyes, and what do
you suppose she does with it2 Has i
locked up in my fre-proof safe, IN my
tire-proof vault; don't use it in any way
don't get interest on it; locks it up a.
she does her rings and pins, and lets i
lie never touched"
wonder you don't give her better ad
vice." | said.
"Give woman advice! Try it. How
ever, / approve of this. Better to keer
the dowry locked DIP safe, than risk snd
lose it. My frc-proof safe and fire
proof vault will hold her money-the
money her husband is to have the day
he marries her."
Then the old man trotted away to his
own desk and looked over at me.
81 am her guardian" he said. "Her
father and l had quarreled, you know
But when he. died he left her and her
money in my care. A nice thing for all
old bachelor,to to have young niece quar-
tered on him for life. I'll marry her off
as soon as can. l say, Fisher, come
up and take tea with me onight."
He did mean it. He offered his niece
and her five thousand pounds to me. He
never liked me, either.
Shall l go? l asked myself. Why
not l might as well-see the heiress.
was not the man to be bought by mon
ey, if she was coarse, Vulgar creature,
like her uncle; but, otherwise, why not
see what stuff she was made of. At
least it could do no harm 10 take tea with
old Simon Giddings.
l went home with him that evening.
| noticed some little changes in the par
lor, as though lady's hands had been
busy there, and in a moment more ] saw
sitting in the shadow of the curtains a
girl dressed in deep mourning.
Margaret, Mr.. Fisher; my niece, Miss
Giddings, Tom,' said the old man, and,
as bowed, j saw a little velvet headed
icrutch leaning against the girls chair.
She was lame, then. Old Giddings
thought this an obstacle to her making q
good match. So he offered her to Tom
Fisher.
at won't do,old man." thought. 81
shouldn't mind a plain face so much, but
a lame wife will never do for me.
Then something whispered faintly in
my ear: @
.sFive thousand pounds"
For the rest, Miss Giddings was fair
and sweet looking, and pleasant in her
manner. She was lady, too, which APP
pearcd odd for old Simon's niece, for he
was as vulgar as he was rich, and she
sang to us after tea very sweetly
/ like girl Of dash and color, but
still her blue eyes and sweet smile haun-
ted ltie little after l went home. "She'll
never quarrel With one" thought; and
a woman with five thousand pounds will
be catch, certainly. But that crutch
"Tll stay away from old Simon's house
for the future"
But he would not let me stay away
he kept constantly urging me to go home
with him..
There was Marian Moore. Perhaps
she liked me a little. l admired her in
tensely, but she had no money, and |
should take her away from her home to
some poor sort of a place if l married
her. l shonld find it hard work to feed
and clothe her decently.
This fair, sweet Margaret was rich;and
as time passed on l began to see her
liking for me. And, / sat in the office
one day, three months from the time of
my first visit,wondering whether / could
be quite sure that l would be good
enough to the little thing l meant to
marry for her money, to keep her from
knowing that there was no actual love
for her in my heart.
And as / pondered, the voice of old
Simon Giddings reached my ears: Tom
Fisher, up in the moon again, eh? Well,
when fellows in love we excuse la
ziness In him. There's my niece Marga-
ret, pouring the tea into the slop basin
and oversetting the milk at breakfast
Maggie says l, you're thinking OF
some one amt you3' She blushed to her
ears. You've managed to get into the
good graces Of somebody in that quar-.
ter" .
"Do you think so ?" said.
"I know so" said the old man. 81
ought not to say SO, you know, but I'm
frank"
/ listened to him, then two voices
whispered, to me:
"You don't love her." said one. "You
don't hate her, said the other. "You
don't want q lame wife," said the FIRST
"You do want five thousand pounds"
said the other. .It would make a man
of you; you could 60 into business on
your own account. You would cease to
be a slave in this dingy Office
s.Five thousand pounds J" said to
myself" then started to my feet
'.Mr. Giddings,' said, would you
be willing to give your niece to me as my
wife p
His answer was:
"Tom Fisher, I'd give her to any de-
cent young man. A girl bothers me- ]
am tired Of the charge. Every one don't
want lame wife. II you like her, take
her, and on your wedding day I'll hand
the five thousand pounds to you, and be
rid of the charge. She'll say Yes DOM
fear. I'll tell her you asked me tonight
and hurry on the wedding.
/ thought / heard the thump of hel
crutch in the church aisle as he spoke
/ thought OF the graceful step Of Marian
Moore. turned faint and sat down q
my desk; but l went to old Simons
house that night and saw Margaret
She looked as fair and happy as a child
sat down and took her hand.
"Are you going to say No., Maggie
said and she lifted her. innocent lip
GaIs L i -,