The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-03-14
THE STORY-TELLER,
MORTGAGING THE HOMESTEAD.
BY MRS. r. b. EDISON.

They were a grave-looking group
that were gathered in Dean Lindsay's
best room that lovely June morning.
First there was Dean Lindsay himself,
always prominent figure anywhere,
from his tall, muscular form, and bold,
resolute face. At his right, their elbows
leaning on the table, whereon lay writ
ing materials, with sundry folded and
creased papers, sat two men, one of them
idly toying with pen which he held in
his hand. He was a slight, dark
skinned man, with short, bushy hair and
whiskers-the latter of the mutton-chop
style-and both of the color denomina-
ted "pepper and salt" He had bright,
alert face, and Clear bluish-gray eyes,
and his name was Mark Seldom, and his
calling attorney at law.
The man at his side afforded the
strongest possible contrast. He was tall
and loosely built, with slight stoop in
the heavy shoulders. He had Horid
complexion, with small, sleepy-looking,
pale-blue eyes, a beal dless face, and
long, lank, sandy hair, pushed behind
his ears, said ears being modelled on
generous plan, as regarded size, and, if
may use the expression, placed in the
advantageously. And, as he carried his
head little down, they gave him the
appearance of listening covertly, with
name was Wilson-Amos Wilson, and,
though you might not think it from his
dress or general appearance, a rich man.
1 mean of course, rich for his locality
He might not have been rich for New
Vn,.1y lN,,+f no1%a,, c,,,n11
township, he was perfect Crnsus.
Besides those, there was a small col
ony of young Llndsays, in assorted
Sizes the largest of which, pretty Della
Lindsay, stood behind her mothers
chair, her arm thrown over her shoulder
in pretty, protecting way. Mrs. Lind
say had been an invalid since Harry's
birth, four years, and Della was practi-
oally at the head of the household. 1t
was, moreover, no light thing to be at
the head of this household. There were,
besides herself, seven children, which,
with her father and mother and Paul
Leicester, who had been with her father
for the summer, just eleven in the fami-
ly. Added to this was the care of a
dairy of a dozen COWS, and added to this,
the fact that the state of their finances
would not admit of their keeping SER
want And this question of finances
brings me to the reak subject of my
story.
You'll excuse me, Wilson, for being a
little down-hearted about this thing"
Mr.. Lindsay said, with faint, depre-
eating smile. at seems like signing
away my hearts blood to give stranger
a claim on the old homestead p
A slow red burned itself through
Amos Wilson's cheek. 81 wish you
wouldn't speak of me as a stranger,
he said, hastily, with an involuntary
glance at Della, which no one but Paul
Leicester saw
81 meant any one not relative, Mr..
Wilson," replied Lindsay, soberly.
You know had hope of help from my
cousin in New Orleans. L mentioned it
to YOU"
Mr.. Wilson listened and nodded
thoughtfully.
We'll, the fact that I have applied to
you shows that that hope has failed me,
and so we'll say nothing more about it.
Perhaps you had better write the deed,
now, Mr., Seldom"
Mr.. Seldom bowed pleasantly, dipped
his pen in the ink, and for a while the
faint scratch of the pen on the paper,
and the loud ticking of the kitchen
clock, were the only sounds in the
Mr.. Lindsay leaned his face on his
hand and looked steadily on the floor,
the slight twitching of the muscles about
the mouth being the only sign Of emo
tiol one could discover, Mrs, Lindsay,
white and still as a statue, her face lit
tie dropping, sat few feet at the left
of her husband, while Della retained
her old position by her mothers chair,
troubled shadow in the soft, brown eyes,
and over the sweet young face. Harry,
awed and perplexed, hid his face in the
folds of her dress, while in little group
at the open window were gathered the
rest of the children. t
How unnaturally still it was How
in contrast to the freshness and bright
ness of the sky and air Looking from
the open windows one saw long reaches
of softly-undulating prairie, bathed in