The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-11-29
So PER ANNUM.

Mr. Lindsay leaned his face on his hand
and looked steadily to the floor, the slight
twitehing Of the muscles about the mouth
being the only sign of emotion one could
discover. Mrs. Lindsay, white and still
as statue, her face little dropping, sat
a few feet to the left of her husband, while
Della retained her old position by her
mothers chair, troubled shadow in her
soft brown eyes, and over the sweet young
face. Harry, awed and perplexed, hid
his face in the folds of her dress, while in
a group at the open window were gathered
the rest of the children.
How unnaturally still it was. How in
contrast to the freshness and brightness of
the sky and air? Looking from the open
windows one saw long reaches of softly
undulating prairie bathed in the golden
light, while away to the right, blue
sparkling river sentineled with cotton
woods and sycamores, and oyerhung with
pale, translucent mists, flashed and rippled
between its velvety banks.
No wonder Dean Lindsay shrank from
the thought of his fair heritage being CON-
promised. There was no help for it, and
he had got to make up his mind to think
OF it as no longer his, but as subject to
Amos Wilson's authority He could hard
ly keep from groaning aloud as he ran
over his mind the half score or more Of
fine farms belonging to Wilson, all Of
which had been first mortgaged to him,
as his was being now, to raise the neces-
sary money to keep them from being Civ
en- up altogether. And then one after the
other, they had,becn given up, and Amos
Wilson was the possessor Would his 60
in the same way? Would there be few
years of struggle with i'll luck-blight,
and drought, and mildew-and then his
children be homeless? He started with
a nervous shudder and glanced up. Amos
Wilson was leaning little forward, look.
ing steadily at Della with a strange fire
lighting his sleepy eyes
The deed is ready for your signature,
Mr.. Lindsay" Seldom said, briskly; "yours
and Mr. Lindsay's.n
His voice broke the weird spell which
had seemed to hold them, and Paul Lei.
cester got up from his seat by the kitchen
door, and came and stood by the table
while the deed was signed, and the money,
seven hundred dollars, counted and given
to Mr.. Lindsay, who, in turn, handed
over the mortgage of the homestead to
Mr.. Wilson. Then he turned abruptly
and went out. Mr.. Seldom looked after
him with his quick, bright eyes, but no
one else appeared to notice it as being
anything unusual that hired man should
intrude his presence on such an occasion.
And now that business is over, / will
take the opportunity of saying word
about this same Paul Leicester.
First, he was a stranger in Dalton that
is, he had been there but little over two
months, having come early in April. He
had seemed so anxious for employment,
and offered to work so cheaply, withal
and upon such easy terms-not asking for
payment until Christmas-that Mr.. Lind
say had thought it best to take him. He
could not work the large farm alone, and
was especially anxious to do great deal
this season, to try and recover himself.
Mr.. Leicester was not very much used
to farm, it was quite evident, but he was
so ready to learn, and so quiet and per-
sistent about everything he undertook,
that Mr.. Lindsay was delighted with his
ba,gain. He was extremely reticent at
first, but by degrees he had grown more
free, and once or twice surprised them
with such a genial flow of wit and spirits,
that Mr.. Lindsay had declared himself
unable to see what had sent him there, a
man Of his abilities.
And now word in regard to Mr.. Lind
says embarrassments. For three consec-
utive seasons the haryests had been ex-
tremely light in this section, scarcely pay
ing for the outlaying of money and labor,
to say nothing of profit. Then the ex-
pense of living was considerable, for ten
persons require no small amount Of food,
to make no mention of garments that will
wax old. Added to this was a long and
severe illness, lasting all winter, and run
ming him behind to such an extent that
he saw no other way to go on with his
work than to borrow money That, ii was
next to impossible to do, and after some
pretty severe struggles with his pride, he
so far overcame it as to write to Julian
Richardson, second cousin, living in
Now Orleans, and reputed very wealthy.
He had never seen him, but had heard
that he was unmarried, and somewhat &C.
centric And SO in this strait he had ven
tured to appeal to him. He wrote the
first letter in February, but it was unan-
swered. After waiting in state of ner-
vous anxiety and suspense for two or three
weeks, he wrote again. This time his
letter was returned, after being opened,
but without line or word in answer He
struggled along month or more, and
then he went to sec Amos Wilson with
the final result have already described
The days slipped away like golden sands
and the summer grew in beauty aud bright
ness to Della Lindsay. The sunshine fell
into her heart so softly as it capped the
green, blossomy hills. The daily drudgery