Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-03-25


psny her on 4 walk. At such times h
strobe along beside her, silent and sad
and returning to his home buried himsel
in the columns Of the Bankers Day Bool
till ii wss time to go to bed.
And all this time the true wife belc
her peace. She noticed everything
she guessed more but, till the ice wa,
br' ken by him, it was not her place to
speak.
So it went on till that dreadful au-
tumn season Of crash after crash, ruin
after ruin, old aud long established houses
topping into the gulf, and carrying a
thousand minor ones with them in their
fall Men looked at each other with
pale faces, asking, "Who will 90 nextp"
and all through the country, wave after
wave, the wide spreading stream Of des.
clation rolled.
During that one last hideous week of
suspense, Harry Graham came and went
between his store aud bis home, saying
nothing, suffering everything. On the
Saturday evening he went out, alone,
ior a stroll after tea. Blu. in half an
hour he was back again, having made
Up bis mind in that brief time to tell
Margaret all.
lie found her in the parlor. She sat
beside the window, bending over a snall
package in her lap At bis sudden
entrance she started and hid the package
IN her pocket, bushing so violently that
at any other time he would have noticed
and wondered at it.
But now his miud was full of his own
troubles, and be had no leisure to notice
triHes.
he went straight up to bis wife and
took both her hands.
Margaret said he. IL am q ruined
man. This panic"
And then he broke down and burst in.
20 tears. lie fell upon his knee. beside
her chair.
"Oh, Margaret be sobbed, II thought
could give you pleasant home land
now we shall be beggars!'
Margaret put her arms around him.
drawing his face down upon her breast
When he was calmer, she kissed him.
aud asked him TO bit down beside her and
tell her al.
She listened mutely.
And if the panic ends, and these
country customers pay all that they owe
YOU can you 60 on, Harry" she asked. |
"fes; that Is, | need not close the
shop not 60 though bankruptcy. But !
then' the panic may not end; see no
signs of it at present.
"P mics always do end" said Marga, |
ret, hopefully.
but IN the meantime, Margaret, what
are We to do! All the bills for six
moths past have come pouring in upon me
and can not meet them. And Sadler
wants the mortgage money on this house
lie has dunned me Cor it all the time
since it fell due, aud lately he has threat.
ened TO foreclose. Now be says he will |
do it, We shall lose our home, and
other people will suffer because | canno,
pay these bills. | have strai ed every
nerve to do it, but it is all in vain.
| wish | was dead and out Of the worry
of it ALL
"Oh, Harry" cried his wife, rcproach.
fully. DO you want to die aud leave
meY
They would not worry you for the
money, my darling, as they do me. Aud
yet cannot blame them" said he sigh.
ing. "Tney want their money, and feel
like thi as long as | withhold it from
them. Margaret. | see my mistake now p
he added. energetically. Credit has
been my bane. III was beginning life
again, | would buy nothing that could
not pay for at the moment; and before
would live in a nor'gaged house would
build log hut for myself at the foot of a
tree! But there 1t is too late to talk
like that !" be concluded, burying his
face in his hands.
mo, dear! 1t is not too late Il !,
never too la,e to try and do better -
said Margaret Wiping the tears from her
own eyes. Harry, have always dread.
ed debt, as you know, and | am 80 glad
to bear you say that you have grown
afraid Of it too. Oh, my dear, dear hus.
band, take this. Pay all that we owe
pay of the mortgage on the house-snd
then we will live on bread and wat.r-if
need be, till tue better days come around