Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-07-04
HOW THE MORTGAGE WAS RE-
DEEMED. A&#

#k ~ @
THEY were grave looking group that
gathered in Dean Lindsay's best room
that lovely June morning. First there
was Dean Lindsay himself, always a
prominent figure anywhere, from his tall,
muscular form, bold and resolute face.
AT his right, their elbows leaned on the
table, whereupOn lay writing materials,
with sundry folded and crossed papers,
sat two men, one of them idly toying with
a pen which he held in his hand He was
a light, dark-skinned man. with short,
buShy hair and Whiskers-the latter of the
mutton-chOp style-and both of them of
the color denOminated as pepper and salt.
He had bright, alert face, and clear,
BLUSH eyes, and his name was Mark Sell
don and his calling attorney at law.
The man at his side offered the strong
est possible contrast He was tall and
loosely built, with a stoOp in his heavy
shoulders. He had a florid complexion,
with small, sleepy-looking pale-bIue eyes,
a bcardlcss face, and long, lank, sandy
hair, pushed behind his ears, said ears be-
ing modelled on generous plan, as re-
garded size, and, if | may use the express
sion, placed in the most favorable possible
light to show advantageousiy, And as he
carried his head little down, they gave
v,
without seeming interest This mans
name was Wilson-Amos Wilson, and,
though you might not think it from his
dress or general appearance, rich man.
| mean, of course, rich for his locality
He might not have been for New York,
but for Dalton, a small Western township,
he was a perfect Cr9sus.
Besides those, there was a small colony
Of young Lindsays, i'll assorted sizes, the
largest of whom, pretty Della Lindsay,
stood behind her mothers chair, her arm
thrown over her shoulder in a pretty, pro-
tccting way. Mrs. Lindsay had been an
invalid since Harry's birth, four years,
and Della was practically at the head of
the household. 1t was moreover no light
thing TO be at the head Of that household.
There was, besides herself, seven children,
which, with her father and mother and
Paul Leicester, who had been with her
father for thesummer, made just eleven in.
the family. Added to this was the care ola
dozen cows, and added to this the fact that
the state of their finances would not admit
of their keeping a servant. And this queS-
tiOn of finance brings me to the real sub
Ject OF my story.
You'll excuse me, Wilson, for being
little dOWn-hearted about this thing" Mr..
Lindsay said, with faint, deprecating
smile 1T seems like signing away my
hearts blood to give stranger claim on
the old homestead"
a slow red burned itself through Mr.
Wilson'S cheek. II wish you wouldn't
speak Of me as stranger" he said haS;to
tingly, with an involuntary glance at Del
la, 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. | mentioned it to YOU"
Mr.. Wilson listened and nodded thought
fully.
"Well, the fact that 1 have applied to
you shows 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 awhile the
faint scratch of the pen on the paper, and