Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-08-19
THE OAK CLOSET.

MARGARET GREY was in some sort an
upper servant in the household of Judge
Wallace. The Judge lived in a handsome
house in the suburbs Of little country
village of Thorndale
Margaret was left an orphan at an early
age, and the Judge and his wife had taken
her into their house to save her from being
thrown upon the charity of the town.
They had done their part we'll for her.
They had two children of their own
Alice and Algernon, twins-and Margaret
had enjoyed every advantage of education
in common with the brother and sister.
As she grew older and began to realize
how much she owed the Judge and his
wife she felt desire to be able in some
way to make them a return for their kind
ness, and, as she was strong, active girl
she soon became very useful about the do
mestic affairs of the household. Mrs.
Wallace was feeble woman, and very
willingly resigned some of the cares and
burdens to Margaret, and in due course of
time the young girl came to be trusted and
depended upon, until, by the time she was
twenty, she was really the head of the es-
Enlistment, though Mrs. Wallace still did
the honors in her quiet, lady-like way, and
poured the tea and coffee at the head. of
the table
Alice had married early and gone to the
far West with her husband; Algernon
was finishing his medical studies at Ger
man university, and only the Judge and
his wife and Margaret-besides the man
and woman servant who had been with
them for years-remained at home.
Some unfortunate speculations, largely
INDUCED in when the Judge was quite a
young man, had incumbered the old estate
with mortgage, and this it was the
Judges ambition to discharge Hewanted
TO leave the place, totally free from debt
to his son Algernon.
The strictest economy had been prac-
ticed for years in the household with this
end in view, and at last the Judge held in
his hands the money with which to Iiuui-
date the claim
1t was late on Saturday night when he
brought it home, and said to his wife as
he swung the little black leather trunk
containing it before her eyes:
Well, Annie, at last we are to be free
from debt! There are $4,000 in that
trunk, and on Monday shall pay Jones
in full, and we shall burn the abominable
mortgage together, you and I, Annie. 1t
will be the happiest day in my life"
But if anything should happen, Will
iam," said Mrs. Wallace, nervously.
do put the money in some safe place.
1t has cost us dear enough to scrape it to-
gether"
The Judge bent down and patted the
anxious little woman on the head.
l am going to put it in the little oak
closet, Annie. 1t has a spring lock, and
if by chance a burglar should enter the
house he would never dream of finding
anything of value in a little, stifed-up
closet at the head of the garnet stairs"
And with a light heart the Judge went
of to deposit his treasure
Margaret was sitting in the room, darn
ing the Judges stockings, when the con-
yersation took place, and of course she
heard where the money was to be placed,
though at the time she gave little heed to
it,
The next day John and Susan, the two
servants, had holiday to visit married
daughter of theirs, who resided fifteen or
twenty miles away, and as it was in No
yember, and the days were short, they
would not return until Monday night.
And some time after they set out there
came an imperative message to the Judge
from his sister-saying that she was very
III, and desired to see him without de
lay. Her home was in Shelby-eight or
ten miles off-and of course the Judge
lost no time i'll obeying the summons.
lie took his wife with him, leaving Mar
garet alone in the house
1t is barely possible, Margaret, that
we remain all night. 1t looks very much
IKE a storm, and in that case we shall
certainty stay. And if so you had better
get oalie Turner to stay with you fo1
company"
bus, though Margaret would have liked
oaiiles company well enough, she at once
decided not to ask for it, because if she
ald 50 sne Knew Sallies brother would
be sure to come along, and the less she