Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-16
HOW THE MORTGAGE WAS RE-
DEEMED. slH +.

III
DEEMED. ar
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
pen which he held in his hand He was
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 Sci
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 forid complexion
with small, sleepy-looking pale-blue eyes,
a beardless face, and long, lank, sandy
hair, pushed behind his ears, said ears be-
ing modelled on a generous plan, as re-
sion, placed in the most favorable possible
light to show advantageously. And as he
carried his head a little down, they gave
him the appearance of listening covertly
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.
I mean, of course, rich for his locality.
He might not have been for New York,
but for Dalton, a small Western township,
he was perfect Crosus.
Besides those, there was small colony
of young Lindsays, in assorted sizes, the
largest of whom, pretty Della Lindsay
stood behind her mothers chair, her arm
thrown over her shoulder in 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 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 the summer, 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 servant. And this Ques-
ton 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 a 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 a stranger" he said lesita-
tingly, with an involuntary glance at Del
la, which no one but Paul Leicester saw.
Il meant any one not a 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 I 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
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
twitching of the muscles about the ID outh
being the only sign of emotion one could
discover Mrs Lindsay, white and still
as statue, her face a little dropping, sat
a few feet at the left of her husband, while
Della retained her old position by her
mothers chair, a troubled shadow in her
soft, brown eyes, and over thesweet 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
window, one saw long reaches of softly
undulating prairie bathed in golden light,
while away to the right, a blue, sparkling
river, sentineled with cottonwoods and
sycamores, and overhung with pale, trans
lucent mists, flashed and rippled between
its velvety banks
No wonder Dean Lindsay shrank from
the thought of his fair heritage being
compromised; but there was no help for
it, and he had gotto make up his mind to
think of it as no longer really his, but sub
Ject to Amos Wilson's authority He
could hardly keep from grooming aloud as
he ran over in his mind the half score or
MORE OF fine farms which belonged to
Wilson, all OF which had first been mort
gagged 10 MN, as his was being now, to
raise the necessary money to keep them
from being given up altogether. And
then, one after another, they had been
given up, and Amos Wilson was the nos.
SCISSOR. Would his go in the same way9
Would there be a few years of STRUGGLE
with ill-luck-blight, and drouth, and nil
dew-and then his wife and children be
homeless? He started with nervous
shudder and glanced up. Amos Wilson
was leaning a little forward, looking
steadily at Della, with a strange fire light
ing his sleepy eye;
''The deed is ready for your signature,
Mr.. Lindsay" Seldom said briskly,
<'yours and Mrs. Lindsay's''
His voice broke the weird spell which