Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-06
TIIE ONE DoLLAR BILE.

How it did rain that November
/ night None of your undecided show
ers. with hesitating intervals, as it
were, between; none of your mild,
persistent, pattering on the roof. but
regular tempest wild deluge, q rush
of arrowy drops and thunder OF
opening floods!
| Squire Part!et heard the angry rattle
against the easement and drew his
snug easy-chair little closer to the
fire-a great open mass of glimmering
anthracitc--and gazed with sort Of
sleepy, reflective satisfaction at the
crimson moreen curtains, and the gray
| cat fast asleep on the hearth, and the
canary bird rolled into drowsy ball
| of red down on it's perch.
"This is snug" quoth the SQUIRE
"I'm glad had that leaky spot fixed
in the barn roof last week. I don't
object to stormy night once in
while, when fellow is under cover,
and there's nothing particular to be
done. Mary ?"
eyes" Mrs. Partlet answered. She
was fitting about between kitchen and
sitting room with blue check apron
tied around her waist. Sim nearly
ready to como in now, Josiah. Now
I wonder IT," soto voce, ssif that really
WAS . knock at the door, or little
rush of the wind and the rain ?"
She went to the door, nevertheless,
and minute or two afterward she
went to her husband's chair.
"Joc, dear, it's Luke Ruddilove," she
said, half apprehensively. The Squire
looked up from his paper.
"Tell him he's made mistake. The
tavern is on the corner beyond"
"But he wants to know IL you will
lend him dollar"
"And couldn't you have told him no,
| without the preliminary ceremony of
coming in here to ask me? tits likely
that shall lend dollar or even q
cent to Luke Ruddilove? Why, l had
great deal better throw It in among
yonder red Goals No-of course NO |"
Mrs. Partlet hesitated.
"He looked so pinched and cold and
wretched, Josiah. He says there's no.
body in the world to let him have
cent"
"All the better for him, if he'd but
know it." sharply enunciated the
Squire. sIf Il had come to that pinch
half a dozen years ago, perhaps he
| wouldn't have been the miserable man
he is now"
"We used to go to school together" I"
said Mrs. Partlet gently. "He was the
smartest hoy in the class"
THAT'S probable enough" said the
Squire. "Bnt it don't alter the fact that
he's poor drunken wretch now. Send
him about his business, Polly, and ifhis
time is of any consequence, just let him
know that he had not better waste it
coming here after dollars"
And the Squire leaned back in his
chair after q positive fashion, as il the
whole matter were positively settled.
Mrs. Partlet went back to the kitch-
en- where Luke Ruddilove was spread
ing his poor, thin fingers over the blaze
Or fire, his tattered garments steaming
as if he were a pillar of vapor. "He
won'tl let you have it Luke" said she,
II thought he wouldn't
"Then I've got to starve, like any
other dog!" said Luke Ruddilove,
turning away moodily. "And, after
all, don't suppose it makes much diff
ference whether / shuttle out of the
| world to-day or Tomorrow
@Oh, Luke, not to your wife I"
"Shed be better off without me-
said Luke down-heartedly.
"But she ought not to be-"
Sought and is are two different
things, Mrs. Partlet. Good night. |
amt going to the tavern, though I'll
wager something the Squire thought I
was"
"And isn't it natural enough be
should think so, Luke 2"
"Yes-yes, Mary, l don't say but
what 1t is" murmured Luke Ruddi-
love, in the same detected tone he had
used throughout the interview.
"Stay!" Mrs. Partlet called to him,
as his hand lay on the door-latch, in q
low voice. "Here's o dollar, Luke,
Mr.. Partlet gave to me to buy new
piece of oil-cioth in front of the dining
room stove, but I'll try and make the
old one do little while longer. And
Luke, for the sake ofold times-for the
to do better!"
Luke Ruddilove looked vacantly a,
first at the fresh new bank bill in his
| hand, and then at the blooming young
matron who placed it there.
"Thank you, Mary" be said, and
crept out of the warm, bright kitchen
into the storm and darkness .tha,
reigned without. Mrs. Partlett stood
looking into the kitchen fire.
II dare say I've done very foolish
thing" she pondered; "but, indeed,
could not help it. OF course he'll
spend it all at the public house, and
shall do without my oil-cloth, that will
be the end oft all"
And there was conscious dush on
her cheek, as if she had done some
thing wrong, when she rejoined the
Squire in the sitting room.
/ "Well," said Squire Partlet, has that
ne'er-do.well gone at last?"
"Yes."
"To Stokes tavern, suppose Z"
IL hope not Josiah"
"I'm afraid it's past hoping for" said
the Squire, Struggling his shoulders
! "And now for pleasant evening. How
| it does rain, to be sure"
And Mrs. Partlct kept the secret OIL
the dollar bill within her own heart
H. was six months afterward the
Squire came into the room where his
/ wife was preserving some great red
apples into jelly.
swell, WELL" quoth he "wonders
never will cease. The Ruddiloves
have gone away"
s'Gone where ?"
"I dontknow-outW West somewhere
with colony. And they cay Luke
hasn't touched drop in six months"
"I'm glad OF that" said Mrs. Part.
let.
i at won't last long" said the Squire
despairingly.
"Why not?"
"Oh, i don't know. But l havn',
any faith in these sudden reforms"
| Mrs. Pauflet was silent; she though,
thankfully that after all Luke had no,
spent the dollar bill in liquor.
Six months-six years-the time
sped along in days and weeks almost
before busy Mrs. Partlet knew that il
was gone. The Ruddilovcs had gol
back to Sequosseter.
| Luke had made his fortune, as the
story went, in the far away Eldora
vaguely phrased "Out West,r by the