Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-03-21
nome to-night ?, asked the husband


more day to see sailor brother who
was coming home. think, if you don't
mind, John, l shall not keep Sarah
longer than Christmas. l don't like
some of her ways
sThen, roy dear. it's your duty to try
and improve them. You took the girl
out of charity; don't be in hurry to
give her up
'T'm not in a hurry. indeed. 1t is not
quite two weeks since | found her
reading letter of mine, which [ left
open on the table; and that's not a
pleasant habit for servant to have
talked to her kindly, but believe she
does the same sort of thing still when
she has the chance
'Then don't give her the chance,
Kate. You never fiud me leaving my
letters about (Oh johnny; sor il. L do
:hey are such Us are not of the least con-
sequence
4 did not know so we'll when en-
gagged Sarah what bad character her
family bore; one of her family has
been in prison twice.
tAll the more reason for keeping this
girl safe from evil influence. You
shouldn't be too hasty, Kate; you are a
dear little soul, but, like all women, you
judge too impulsiyely. and-Who's that
1 wonder?'
A heavy step passed the window, fol-
lowed by a ring at the hall bell. Mrs.
Ferguson opened tie study door as
Jane, their steady elder servant, passed
down the stairs, candle in hand.
Il wonder if that's Sarah come home
tonight instead of tomorrow? p said her
| mistress.
tLawk, no, ma'am, not likely" ans
| wered Jane; shut we'll soon see who it
| is : and pulling away the chain from the
| door, she opened it. disclosing the figure
| of a man without. He was dripping
| wet, and had to hold his hat on with one
hand, or the wind would have carried
| it far away; the other hand he extended
| with large damp yellow envelope there
in. "A telegraft!' cried Jane, taking the
missive from him and passing it on to
her mistress, who in her turn carried it
to her husband, and watched his face
anxiouslv as he opened and read it. A
| grave, perplexed look came over his
| features as he handed it back.
| The message was from his brother at
Fordham, a place forty miles distant
| and ran thus:
| Come Immediately third bad fit
my father anxiously expects yOu.'
| NO help for it, Kate,' said Mr.. Fer
gusson, answering his wife's appealing
look. SO much may depend upon my
seeing him once more that dare not
choose but to go. How am L to get to
the station, though, in time for the ten
O'Clock mail, wonder? It's nearly
nine now, and five miles on such a
night as this would take me more than
an hour to walk!'
walk you cannot, John,' answered
his wife. Il know she added quickly
1.-THE man who brought this message
must go back past Mr.. Hollands; will
write note asking him to send Arnold
and their dog-cart up for you. Any
thing is better than walking. l know
he will do it for you.'
Mrs. Ferguson wrote her note hur-
riedly, while her husband spoke to the
telegraph official, who promised to &c
to Mr.. Hollands at once.
When he was gone Jane stood look
ing blankly from master to mistress land
then she said dolefully; And please. sill
what's to become of us?'
Become of you! Why, you will stop
. and take care of the house, to be sure,
said her master rather shortly. Then.
closing the study door upon himself and
his wife, he added, But I don't hal
like leaving you at such a time, anG
with only one servant too, and all thai
money in the house. How awkwardly
things happen sometimes
He was so heartily concerned, so evi
J IDENTIFY uneasy, that, as a matter ol
course, his wife cheered him up by as
sumlng bright courage that she wa!
far from feeling. She lighted a candle
: and held out her hand. He understood
the gesture. -
i God bless them! = ne said, and follow
ed her upstairs to where their children
slept, to give their little sleeping faces
| faromo7l kiss
AS he stood by their bed he heard thu
horse coming up to the door-the hal
hour had passed too soon; but another
r thought struck him at the last moment
Don't leave that money down stair
all night, Kate; put it in my dressing
room; or. stay, put it yonder'-and h
pointed to door partly overhung will
curtain-'that's the safest room in tn,
, house. Goodbye my darling; | viii
telegraph in the morning in time for tn
r postman to bring the message. If I'm
not back tomorrow, get Allen and hi
wife to sleep in the house. God b1es
you, good bye
r Another moment and he was gone
and Jane and her mistress looked tw,
very lonely and deserted females in
deed. as they stood peering out into th'
darkness listening to the wheels.
Come, Jane, this will never do salt
her mistress at last, wiping some rain
drops and drops of another nature from
her face. Let us see that all the door
;, and windows are fast! Get your sup
per and come and tell me when you ar,
9 ready to go to bed.'
Tnen she herself re. entered the stud,
and sat down to collect her thought
! somewhat after the hurry and Turmoil
: : of the last half-hour.
The illness of her father-ill-law
! would he relent at last, and let hel hus
band share his property with his othe
. children? Differences arising out o
> John Fergusson's marriage with dow
9 erless woman, fomented by petty famil,
1 jealousies, strengthened by the indie
pendent attitude the young man had as
sumed-such differences had been, afte
/, all, the heaviest grief of Mrs. Fergus
= sons married life. And now she won
dercd and pondered on them, till tn
clock on the chimney-piece struck tn
!. hour of ten and startled her out of he
!. meditatiOns.
This is the night she thought, $50
: winding that time piece up,' and sh
sought among the ornaments for til
key. In her search she found some
q thing she had not eXpected-this letter
, not in an envelope, slipped behind tn
:, time piece, most likely. as soon as read
Dear Sir: The sum you name in you
letter of the 9th, that is seventy pounds
will be remitted to you in the form yo
. request ON Monday, the 10th inst. Th
> receipt of Mr.. Holland will be quie
!. sufficient. We beg to remain yours,
Is Obediently.
MATTHERs Bros,
II II Managers of the Fordham Savings Banl
: 'Oh, John, you careless mani mul
:, INJURED his wife: 'and yet you say yo
- never leave anything about! This is til
= 10th, so that's been there three Gays,
~ ~ suppose. Pm very glad Sara has bee
u u out most of the time!'
- 'If you please, I'm, Pm going up-stai
~ now as soon as Pve cleared these thins
- away said Jane, entering with r
i spectfully aggrieved air, 'and glad
g. shall be to get to bed; for what wit
y II the night being so rough, and mast,
.. goin' off so suddint, 1 feel all queer-lik
T., and as if had the cold shivers ruI
y y MIN down the spine of my back
% When the servant left the room Mr.
- Ferguson remembered her husband
", w injunction, took the bags of money fro
e the desk, and carried them to the roo
~ !, he had desired, there locking them d,
y securely in a small closet or safe.
| rlxs, el ct.>Ta !,