Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-01-08
THE ONE DOLLAR BILL.


regular tempest, wild deluge, rush
of arrow drops, and thunder of open
ing floods.
Squire Partlet heard the angry rat
tie against the easement, and drew
his snug easy chair little nearer the
tire-a great opening mass of glimmer-
ing anthracite-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 ball of yellow
down on its perch.
"This is snug," quoth the Squire. -
"Im glad had the leaky spot fixed
in the barn roof last week. l don't
!. object to stormy night once in a
while, when fellows under cover,
and there's nothing particular to be
done, Mary!"
eyes," Mrs. Partlet answered.
She was fitting about between kitch-
en- and sitting room with blue check
apron tied around her waist, "Im
nearly ready to come in now, Josiah.
Now WONDER" soto voice, "if that
was really a knock at the door, or just
little wind or rain?"
She went to the door, nevertheless,
and minute or two afterwards she
went to her husbands chair
"Joe, dear, it's Luke Ruddilove,"
she said, apprehensively. The Squire
never looked up from his paper.
''Tell him he has made a mistake,
the hotel is on the other corner"
"But he wants to know if you will
lend him a dollar!" Said Mrs. Partlet.
"And couldn't you have told him
NO, without the preliminary cere-
mony of coming here to ask me? Is
it likely that | shall lend dollar, or
even cent to Luke Ruddilove? Why,
! had great deal rather throw it in
among yonder red Goals. No--of
course not"
Mrs. Partlet hesitated
Gle looks so cold and pinched and
wretched, Josiah He says there is
nobody in the world to let him have
cent"
All the better for him, if he did but
know it," sharply enunciated the
Squire. eff it had come to that pitch
some half dozen years ago, perhaps
he wouldn't have been the miserable
man he is now"
owe used to so to school together"
said Mrs. Partlett, gently: "Eie was
the smartest boy in the class
"Thats probably true enough, said
the Squire. but it don't alter the
fact that he is a poor drunken wretch
now. Send him about his business,
Mary. and if his time is of any conse>
quence, just let him know that he had
not better waste it by coming here af-
ter dollars"
And the Squire leaned back in his
chair after positive fashion, as it the
whole matter was definitely settled.
Mrs Partlet went back to the kitch'
anywhere Luke Ruddilove was spread
ing his poor thin fingers over the
blaze of fire, his tattered garments
steaming as if he were pillar of va
por.
Gle won't let you have it, Luke"
said she. 81 thought he wouldn't
"Then I've got to starve, like any
other dog" said Luke Ruddllove,
turning away moodily. "And, after
all, don't suppose it makes much
difference whether | shuttle out of the
world o,day or tomorrow
'Oh, Luke, not to your wife?'
''She'd be better off without me-"
said Luke, n-hearte dly.
"But she ought not to be-
"Ought and is are two different
things, Mrs. Partlet. Good night; l
amt going to the tavern, though I'll
wager something the Squire thought |
was"
"And isn't it natural enough he
should think so, Luke?"
eyes, yes, Mary | don't say but
what it isl murmured Luke Ruddi-
love, in the same detected tone he had
used through the interview.
"Stay" Mrs. Partlet called to him,
as his hand lay on the door latch, in a
low voice.
"Here is a doller, Luke; Mr. Part
let gave it to me for new piece of oil
cloth to put in front of the dining room
stove, but I'll try and make the old
one do a little while longer. And.
Luke, for the sake Of old times-tor
the sake of your wife, will you do bet
ter?"
Luke Ruedilove looked vacantly at
the one dollar bill in his hand, and
then at the blooming young matron
who placed it there.
"Thank you, Mary" he said, and
crept out of the warm bright kitchen
into the storm and darkness that reign
ed without. Mrs. Partlet stood look.
ing into the fire.
81 dare say I've done a very foolish
thing" she pondered "But, indeed
l could not help it. OF course he Will
spend it all at the public house, and l
shall do without my oil CLOTH that
will be the end oft all. {"
And there was conscious flush on
her cheek, as if she had done some
thing wrong, when she rejoined the
Squire in the sitting room.
aWel, has that ne'er do-well gone
at last?' said Squire Partlet.
eyes"
ITO Stokes tavern, SUPPOSED"
81 hope not, Josiah"
. "I'm afraid it is past hoping for,
said the Squire, Struggling his shout.
ders. "And now for pleasant eve
ming How it does rain, to be sure"
0 And Mrs Partlet kept the secret o
the one dollar bill within her own
$ heart.
: 1t was about six months afterward:
that the Squire came into the room
where his wife was preserving some
: great red apples into jelly.
"W ell, WE'LL" quoth be, "wonder:
: will never cease. The Ruddiloyei
E have gone away"