The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-17

| the misSive from him and passing IL on 10 ncI
mistress, who in her turn carried 1t to her
husband, and watched his face anXiously US
he opened and read ii. A grave, perplcXcd
look came over his features as he handed II
back.
The message was from his brother at Ford
ham, Il place forty miles distant ana ran
| thus:
"Come immediately third bad iit-my
father anxiously expects you"
mo help for it, Kate" said Mr. Ferguson,
answering his wite'S appealing look 80
much may depend upon my seeing him once
more that | dare not choose but go. HOW
am | to get to the station though, IN time Tor
the 10 O'Clock mall | wonder: It's nearly
nine O'Clock now, md five miles on such a
night az this would take me more then All
hour to walk
"Walk, you canrot John" answered MS
wife, diverted easily from her first feeling OF
personal veXauon by the dilemma hcr nus,
band was placed in. 81 know, she adued
lguickly. "The man who brought this mes
sage must 90 back past Mr. Hollands; | will
write IA note, asking him TO send ArDoid
and his dog cart up f. you. Anything Is
better than walking. | snow he Will DO 1t
for YOU"
! MIR. Holland was the clcrgyman's church
warden and very good friend IN all parish
matters, and was always ready to 90 the rec
ter a service, even to the extent OF sending
ont his horse and man of 4 wet night for a
drive Of ten miles. Mrs Ferguson wrote
her note hurriedly, while her husband spoke
! to the telegraph Official, who promised to go
to Mr. Hollands At once.
! When he was gone, Jane stood looking
! blankly from master to mistress, and then she
said dolctuIly:
And please, what's to become Of US when
you're gomez
Become of you, Why, You will stop and
take care of the house, to be surc,' said her
master, rather shortly. Just take my great
coat and air it by the kitchen fire, please
and bring me back my boots; we will have
the horse up before Pm ready if you don't
look brisk" Then, closing the study door
upon himself and his wife, he added: But
don't half like leaving You at such time,
and with only one servant too, and with all
that money in the house How awkwaIdly
things happen sometimes!'
He was SO heartily concerned, 80 evidently
uneasy that as matter Of course his wife
chccrcd him up by assuming a bright cour-
age that she was far from feeling She fetch.
ed his coat and helped him on with it, and
even made him take some superb hurried
stand-up atlair--but anything, she said was
better than going hungry ona journey; then
she found big umbrella and winter gloves
and thick rug, which, if they got soaked
with rain, could come back in the dog cart ;
and all these preparations made, she lighted a
candle and held out her hand. lie under
stood ihc gesture.
God bless them" he said, and followed
her up stars to where their children slept
to give their little sleeping faces a farewell
kiss.
AS he stood by their bed he heard the horse
coming up to the dOor-thc half hour had
passed too quickly; but another thought
struck him at the last moment.
"Don't leave that money down stairs all
night, Kate; put it in my drcssingroom; or,
stay, put it in yonder;" and he pointed to II
door partly ovcrhung with II curtain "TnatS
the safest room in the house. Goodbye, my
darling; | will telegraph in the morning in
time fer the postman to bring the message
If I'm not back tomorrow, get Allen and his
wife TO sleep in the house God bless you.
Good-byw
Another moment and he was gone, and
Jane and her mistress looked two very lonely
and deserted females indeed as they stood
pccrlng into the darkness, listening to the re-
cCdng wheels.
"Comc, Jane, this will never do," said her
mistress at last, wiping some rain drops and
drops of another nature from her face "Lct
us see that all doors and windows are lastcn-
/ ed then YOU had better get your supper and
then we will make haste to bed, as ii is get
ting late"
But Jane liked Il grievance occasionally,
and being little bit OF a coward, she felt
bound to make the most of the present situa-
ton She declared il il were not for leaving
her mistress alone, she would go then and
there anG fetch Mr.. Allen, the schOolmaStcr,
to come and protect thcrn during the night;
"ior oh the awful things she had read Ill tht
paper only the week before of lone houses be
ing robbed, and the master beat, aud the
maids mouth tied up" At this her mistress
began to laugh.
II do think, Jane, viii have TO tie yoHrI
mouth, or you VIII make me nervous. Get
your supper, and come ana tel me when YOU
are ready for bed
Then She herself rccn,rrcd the study, and
sat down to collect her thoughts n moment
after the hurry and turmoil Of the last half
hour.
This illness of her fa,lrrn-law Would |
hc lclcut at the last, aud let her husband
share his property with his other children
Differences arising out of John Fcrgusson's |
marriage with II dowcrlcsS woman, iomcuted
~ petty family jealouSics, strengthened by
he independent attitude the young man had
lSsumrd--such differences had been, after all,
he heaviest grief OF Mrs.. Fcrgusson's mar.
led life And now she wondered and pom
Tered ON them till The clock on the chimney
)lcce Strucl, the hour of ten, and startled her
Iut of her Incdiatious.
This is the night" she thought for wind
ne that limcpicCc up;" aud she sought
among the ornaments for the key. In her
search She found something she had not en-
pcCtcd-thiS letter, not in an envelope, but
slipped behind The limcpiccc most likely, as
soon rs read:
"DEAR Su,--Ihr .um You name ir your letter
Of the eth. g. Ei0-viIl Doe reunited tu You in
the form YOU request, ou Monday the 10Th inst
The receipt Of Nj Holland viii hr quite suf
,ient
I'VE BEG 10 rCmuiu yours uhodirntlv
civilian AND FUrpEE!,R MNTHu;~
Managers of the Forda1m Savings Bank
"Oh, John, YOU careless man. mmmurcd /
his wife; and yet You say you never leave .
anything about: This is the 10th; so that's .
been lying there three days, | suppose. I'm
very glad Sarah has been ont most of The
limrr
If YOU please. IN. I'm going up stairs now