The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-10-24
MisceIlanGons SelGttiOns.
HOW THE MORTGAGE WAS RE.
DEEMED.

HOW THE MORTGAGE WAS RE-
DEEMED.
They were a grave looking group
that gathered in Dean Lindsay's best
room that lovely June morning.
First there was Dean Lindsay him
self, always a prominent figure any
where, 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 pa
pers, sat two men, one of them idly
toying with a pen which he held in
his hand. He was light, dark skin
ned man, with short bushy hair, and
whiskers-the latter of the mutton
chop style-and both Of them the
color denominated as pepper and
salt. He had bright, alert face,
and clear, blush eye, and his name
was Marx Seldom, and his calling at
tcrney at law.
The man at his side offered the
strongest possible contrast. He was
tall and loosely built, with a stoop
in his heavy shoulders. He had 4
iorid complexion, with small sleepy
looking, pale blue eyes, beardless
face, and long, lank, sandy hair,
pushed behind his ears-ears being
Imodled on a generous plan, as re-
garded size, and, if l may use the
depression, placed in the most fa-
yorable possible light to show ad-
vantageously. And as he carried
! his head little down, they gave him
the appearance Of listening covertly,
without seeming interest. This
mans name was Wilson-Amos Will
son, and, though you might not
think it from his dress or general ap-
pearance, rich man. l mean of
course, rich for his locality. He
might not have been for New York,
| but for Dalton,a small western town
ship, he was q perfect Croesus.
Besides these, there was a small
colony of young Lindsays, in assort-
ed sizes, the largest of whom, pretty
Della Lindsay, stood behind her
mothers chair, her own arm thrown
over her shoulder in a pretty pro-
tecting way. Mrs. Lindsay had been
an invalid since Harry's birth, four
years, and Della was practically at
| the head Of the 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 family. Added to this
was the care of dozen COWS, and
added to the fact the state of their
finances would not admit of their
keeping a servant. And this ques-
tion of finance brings me to the real
subject of my story.
you'll excuse me, Wilson, for be-
ling little doWn-hearted about this
thing" Mr.. Lindsay said, with faint
depreciating smile. at seems like
signing away my hearts blood to
give a stranger claim on the old
homestead"
A slow red burned itself through
Mr.. Wilson's cheek. 81 wish you
wouldn't speak of me as q stranger -
he said hesitatlngly, with an invol-
untary glance at Della, which no one
but Paul Leicester saw.
81 meant any one not relative,
Mr.. Wilson," replied Lindsay, sober
| ly. "You know l had hope of help
| from my cousin in New Orleans. l
mentioned it 10 you" Mr. Wilson
listened and nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, the fact that 1 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, dip
ped his pen in the ink,and for awhile
the faint scratch of the pen on the
paper, and the loud ticking of the
kitchen clock, were the only sounds
in the house.
Mr.. Lindsay leaned his face on
his hand and looked steadily on the
floor, the slight twitchings Of the
muscles about his mouth being the
only signs of emotion one could dis
cover. Mrs. Lindsay, white and
still as a statue, her face a little
tdrooping, sat few feet at the left o.
ther husband, while Della retained
her old position by her mothers
chair, troubled shadow in her soft
drown eyes,and over her sweet young
face. Harry awed and perplexed
hid his face in the folds Of her dress
while in a group at the open win
dow, were gathered the rest of the
children.
How unusually still it was. How
in contrast. to the freshness an(
brightness of the sky and air Look
ing from the open window one saw
long reaches Of softly undulatins
prairies bathed in golden light twhil,
away to the right, q blue sparkling
river, sentineled by cottonwoods ant
}, sycamores, and overhung with pale
translucent mists, flashed and rip
pied between its Velvety banks.
No wonder Dean lindsay shranl
from the thought of his fair heritag
being compromised, but there wa
no help for it, and he had got t
make up his mind to think of it n,
longer really his, but subject t
Amos Wilson's authority. He coul,
scarcely keep from groaning alou
as he ran over in his mind the hal
score or more of fine farms whic
belonged to Wilson, all of which ha
first been mortgaged to him, as hi
was being now, to raise the necess;
ry money to keep them from beiD
driven up altogether. And the
one after another they had bee
given up, and Amos Wilson was th
possessor. Would his go in th
same way? Would there be fe
years of struggle with ill-luck-
blight and drought, and mildew-
and then his vile and children
iLa-.oI.-,S IL 1GoyfoI x-ifb a no