Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-19
Jacob wanted him to go

>
on his note for three thousand dollars
II shall be sold out by the sheriff if you
don't do it!'' he said, after hurried state
ment of his affairs and the pressing need
for money that was upon him.
Richard was silent for long time, try
ing to see what it was best for him to do.
"Let the tavern go, Jacob" he said, at
length. 'It has cursed you from the be-
ginning, and will curse. you tenfold in
your boys, if you keepit. A sherif>s sale,
if it must come to that, will, in my opin-
ion, be the most fortunate thing that can
happen to you. There are hundred other
ways to make living. Let the tavern go,
and then l will help you in every way
that can. But should do wrong and
hurt you and yours if l put a single dol
lar into that wretched, soul-killing con-
Germ"
Jacob started up, all on fire with anger.
He shook his clenched fist in his brothers
face, and cursed him for "a mean, selfish
hound"
A sherif,s sale did not take place. But
Jacob gave up his inheritance in COM
promise with his sporting creditors
gamblers-and went off to new place,
Two or three hundred miles distant, and
set up another tavern but in style far
below that in which he kept the Red
Lion"
Years passed, and no certain news from
his brother and family came to Richard
Once or twice he wrote toshim, but got no
answer A lonely man, working on stead
lily and patiently in his mill, the years
crept over him, and We'd with the dusty
atmosphere in which he dwelt in sprink-
ling his hair with gray. He was spoken
Of far nd ha L inH oil of ha
mill and the gossips for once had the
appointed love, and the mistake of Katy.
Twenty years had gone by since Jacob
Cragan sold out the "Red Lion" and
moved away. One evening, late in No
vember, Richard sat in his solitary home,
while the wind and rain sobbed and sigh
ed without, feeling more lonely and dis
quoted than was usual with him. His
thoughts had all gone out of his control,
back through more than thirty years, and
the image Of Katy, for whom tender feel
ing had never died out of his heart-the
image of Katy, in all the freshness and
sweetness of girlhood-stood smiling and
happy before him. He was stirred with
feelings that he had believed dead and
buried long ago. Then he thought of the
fatal tavern which had been given up to
his brother, and how it had blighted all
their lives
eff had kept it and closed it." he said
in kind of bitter selfaccusation, at
might have been so ditferent!'
he started and listened A voice had
family touched his ear He rose up, and
moved toward the door. The voice came
to him again, and then low answering
voice. He threw the door wide open, and
let the light stream out. Then he saw two
women. closely wrapped up, coming in
from the road through the little gate.
Richard! oh, Richard!" one of them
cried family, and tried to hurry forward,
but stumbled and fell on the wet ground
In an instant she was lifted in his strong
arms and carried into the house.
The voice-how like the old voice that
had been for all these years the sound of
music in his soul; but the face, when he
looked into it, alas! hcw changed. Old,
shrunken, faded-even haggard! What a
wreck. What transformation!
Il have come here to die, Richard.
have no right; but"
Sobs choked the voice.
Hush, Katy" Then, Where is
Jacob?"
Dead
''Dead?"
Yes" in steadier voice,
'How long since?"
Not long; month. This is Katy, my
youngest child. You never saw her be
fore.''
Richard looked into the girls face, as
the light fell upon it, and trembled. He
| was back again through thirty years, and
Katy, in the sweet May time of life, stood
before him!
Dear childn said the old man, as he
took her hand and kissed it very tenderly
The story that Richard heard that night
was sad and sorrowful to the last degree
Both of his brothers sons grew up
to be miserable drunkards, and
died in the prime of manhood His oldest
daughter married their barkeeper, who
broke her heart and then deserted her.
She was dead. Three children were left,
and were now with the husbands parents,
who were low people, and not fit to have
charge of them
"There is room here for ALL" said Rich
ard Cragan, when the sad history was told.
He asked no particulars about his
brothers life and death, and Katy did not
intrude them.
A week later, and the last day of anoth-
er mortal life was closed. Dark and
stormy had been the years that preceded
this dying day; but as the sun drew near
the western hills, the clouds broke sud-
denly, and golden rays came flooding the
earth and Frightening all the air. All
that Richard Cragan could do to soften
the pillow on which lay dying his early
and only love, was done.
'They shall be mine,' he said. "Your
Katy shall be my Katy; and the children
out West shall be my children"
And smiling in gratitude and calm con-
tent, the woman died-died with a single
sweet draught from cup that love had fill
ed for her years and years ago, but which
she pushed aside for another that held only
gall and NORWOOD
Richard Cragan kept his word to the
dying one. Katy's daughter and grand
children were taken to his home Their
presence gave new life to the old mill, and
new grace and charm to his dwelling.
that filled his soul'w sweetness once
dreamed of, but never tasted before.
1t was pleasant sight to see them all
together, in the waning summer after
moons, gathered about the mill door, after
the great wheel was still, and the air no
longer Jared by the rumble of machinery
There was peace and sweet content; and
hope for the young lives over which, when
their morning broke, dark clouds hung
and Observation-Disclosures Illustrated Home
Magazine.
The punishment of death for forgery