Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-06-22


| her. Here, drink this ~
| She held some stimulating cordial to
his withered lips, but he feebly shook
! his old white head.
Pm dyin', Clarissy-medicine amt
no use to me any longer, and l want
to see my old newspapers once again.
Mrs. Jefferson had been prepared for
some such demand. She stole down
stairs and brought up a neat pile OF
Harper's Weeklies that she had Dor
rowed some time since of a neighbor to
read in the evenings, and study the pic
lures when weary of knitting.
Here they be, Uncle Philemon,
she said soothingly.
The purblind old man put out his
sh aking hand, and felt the folds. Mrs.
Jefferson thought guiltily of poor old
blind Isaac, and Rebecca who deceived
him for Jacobs sake. She had no such
excuse to plead. Could she, too, hope
for blessing
eyes" muttered Uncle Philemon;
take care of 'em, niece Clarissy, for
there's bit of paper like will under
nv pillow somewhere and I've left 'em
all to little Agatha. She's been kind
thoughtful child, and it'll help her and
Hugh toward housekeeping.
"What will, uncle !" eagerly gasped
Mrs Jefferson. leaning toward him,
more surely to catch the incoherently
articulated words.
"The money. There's bill laid
smoothly between every fold for little
| Agatha. / hain't no other place to
keep my money, and / knew it would
be safe there. It's for Aggie and Hugh
that's what the will says.
! Mrs. Jefferson sat rigid and aghast
And she had sold this pile to an itin-
Grant ragman for the petty considera-
! ton of four cents pound
The old man, his one haunting secret
off his mind, seemed to drift quietly
into sleep. Not so his niece by mar
riage. She sat by his bedside pallid and
despairing, rocking herself to and fro
ever and anon, like one on the verge OF
insanity. If she had only been content
to take the advice of Moses, her hus-
band, or even listen to Agathas inno-
cent pleadings!
'Oh, my poor girl" she walled, rush
ing down stairs, when at at last the IA
miliar click of the front gate latch
sounded, announcing the return of her
daughter and husband. I'm worse
than Jacob and Rebeccal I've sold it
for four cents pound to miserable
cheating ragman l.
"What do you mean, Clarissa z" de-
manded her husband. staring at her IN
open-mouthed establishment.
She rung her hands together hysterl-
cally as she related the sad story.
81 could tear my hair out by the
roots when I think of my mad, selfish
folly ~ she cried.
Moses Jefferson looked gravely at
his daughter, who stood listening i'll
perfect silence.
"Take your mother into the house.
my dear" he said "Tll go over and
see Hugh Darwin about this business. y"
Half an hour later, as Mrs. Jefferson
sat by the kitchen fire, still ringing her
hands and bemoaning herself, Moses
walked in escorting figure in long
skirted coat, with NANCY fur cap
tilted over it's eyes, and its mouth tied
up in red cotton pocket handkerchief.
"Why, it's the ragman." she elacu-
lated, springing to her feet with little
cry.
And all of a sudden the DISCUSSES
dropped off, and Hugh Darwin stood
laughing before her.
"No it amt the ragman, Mrs. Jeffer-
son, it's me !" he cried iovially.-
Agatha and / we thought it was a
shame to sell the poor old mans hoard
ed papers, and he dyin' by inches, SO |
turned ragmen with Squire Jones
hand barrow and the sleign-bells, and
bought EN- myself, and they're all safe
in the garnet chamber over home. y
"And the money :" gasped Mrs. JEFF
ferson.
"The moneys all there-seven hun
dred dollars, chimed in honest Moses,
who stood by, beaming with satisfac
ton. "And our little Aggie can get
married now whenever she likes. Hey,
mother! we outwitted you after all,
didn't we2n
81 never was so thankful for any
thing in all my born days." calculated
Mrs. Jefferson, clasping her hands and
sinking back into the cushionedrocker.
Uncle Philemon died very peacefully
that very same night; in fact, he never
entirely wakened from the sleep into
| which he had fallen when Mrs. Jetier-
son sat by his side; and consequently
he never knew that his beloved treas
ures, with their precious inclosure of
bank bills, had been bought and sold
A plain white maidstone CLEANS
above his last resting place now. Hugh
and Agatha Darwin are keeping house,
as happy as any crowned king and
queen, albeit their place is nothing but
a little brown cottage under the hill,
and their royal robes are but of calico
onJ bo11annrev And Mrs JeffereOn