The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-07-14
THE oAK CLosET.

EtL oAk NAt5EA-
Margaret Gray was il some sori
an upper servant u the household o
Judge Wallace. The Judge lived
IN 8 handsome house in the sqburb:
Of lie lit1le country village Of Thor 2
dale
Margaret was left aa orphan Al en-
earlv age, and The Judge and hi:
wife had taken her int their house
10 save bsr from beiag thrown on the
charity Ct the town.
They had done their part well
for her They had two children Of
their oW1-tWias, Alice and Al
sernC1-aBd MGrrzres had e1i5ved
every advantage OF education il
common with The brother and sister
As she grew older, and began tc
realize how much she owed The
Judge and vie, she felt desire 10
be able n some way 10 make them z
.rsc3mpeuss for kindness, AID IS she
vas o strong, active Eir she soou be.
came useful about The domestic of.
fairs CT the household. Mrs Wal
lace was q feeble woman, and very
wiling = resigned some Of the cares
and burdens 10 Margaret. and IN due
course Of time the young girl came Il
be trusted and depended on, Until, by
the time sbe was TWO and tweniv
she was really the head Of the estab
hsbmeEt though Mrs Wallace stul
did the honors n her quiet. lady Ike
way. and poured the tea AID coFes
at the head Of the table.
Alice had married early and gone
10 the far West with her husband
Algeraon was finishing his medica
studies. At a German university. anC
only the Judge ana his wife and
Aargaret-besi6ts the man and wo
man servant, who had been witt
them for years-remained at home
Some unfortunate speculations
largely iadulged in, wbea the Judge
was quite young man, had eDcum
bered TIE ola estate with Z mortgage
and this il was the Judges ambition
70 discharge He wunted 10 leave
The place totally free from the debt
. 10 ais soE AlgerDoD.
The strlctest economy had beer
practiced for years in the household
with this end in view, and at last
the Judge held in lis hands tbt
money with which 10 Iiquidate tbt
claim.
Il was late on Saturday night
when be brought it home, and said
to bis wife as be swung the little
black leather trunk containing Il be
fore her ewes:
Wei Annie, al last We are 70 be
free IRON debt There are eight
thousand dollars II that trunk, and
on Monday sbaD pay Jones in full,
and we shall burn that abominable
mortgage Together, Won and ], Annie.
It vii be The hBppiess day II ny
Hfe,7
But If anything should happen,
VILLAIN said Mrs. Wallace ner7-
ously DO put the money in some
safe place, II has cost Us dear enough
70 scrape II together
The Judge benz down and patted
the anxious little woman on the
head.
Il an going 10 put Il IN the little
oak closet, Annie. Ii has q spring
lock, and if by chance any burglar
should get into the house he would
never dream Of finding anything Of
value IN little stifed closet IL The
head oi The garret stairs
And with light heart Tie Judge
went on 10 deposit his treasure.
Margaret was sitting in The room,
dsruing the Judges stockings when
this conversation took place, and Of
course she heard where the money
was 10 be placed, though at the time
s5e gave little heed 10 il.
The next day, John and Sarah,
the Two servants, had z holiday TO
visit married daughter Of theirs,
who resided fifteen or twenty miles
away, and as it was in November.
and the days were short, they would
nor return anil Monday night.
And some tine after they set out
tbere came an imperative message TO
the Judge from his only sister-say-
ing that she was very Ill, and de-
sired 10 see him without delay
Her home was in Shelby-eight or
ten miles of, and ofcoHrse the Judge
lost no time in obeying the summons.
He took his wife with him leaving
Margaret alone IN the house.
After they were seated IN the car
risge, the Judge stopped to say:
1T Is barely possible, Margaret,
that we remain al night II looks
very much Ike E storm, and IN that
case we shall certainly stay And if
%, ven had better get Sallie Turner
TO come over and stay with you for
company.
But though Margaret would have
liked SaIlie's company well enough,
she af once decided not TO ask for Il,
because If she did so, she knew that
sallie's brother, Willis, would be
sure 10 come along, and the Jess she
saw Of Willis, the better she was
pleased Willis was an honest, in
d0strioas sort OF fellow, and he was
Asrgaret's most devoted aamirer,
bat with the usual Inconsistency Of
her sex, she utterly refused to see
rvHo@ wee bn-+ 60, ko-