Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-03-18
HUNTINGTON VIRGINIA. THURSDAY, MARCHle
he would have noticed and wondered

But now his mind was full of hi.
own troubles, and he had no leisure
to notice triAes.
He went straight up to his wife
and took both her hands.
Margaret" SAIL he, II am a ru
ined man. This panic"
And then he broke down and burst
into tears. He fell upon his knee:
beside her chair.
"Oh, Margaret" he so5bed, 81
thought l could give you pleasant
home! And now ne shall be beg
garsp
Margaret put her arms around
him, drawing his face down upon her
breast.
When he was calmer, she kissed
him, and asked him to sit down be
side her and tell her all.
She listened mutely.
"And if the panic ends, and these
country customers pay all that they
owe you, can you go on, Harry?" she
asked. l
"Yes; that is l need not close the
shop, nor 60 through bankruptcy
But, then, the panic may not end; /
see no signs of it at present"
"Panics always do end" said Mar
garet hopefully.
But in he meantime. Margaret,
what are we to do? All the bills for
six months past have come pouring in
upon me, and | cannot meet them
And Sadler wants the mortgage mon
ey on this house. He has dunned
me for it all the time since it fell due,
and lately he has threatened to fore
close Now he says he will do it.
We shall lose our home, and other
people will suffer because [ cannot
pay these bills. / have strained ev.
cry nerve to do it, but 1t is all in vain.
I wish I was dead, and out Of the
worry of it ALL
ooh, Harry" cried his wife, re-
proachfully. "Do YOU want to die
and leave me?"
"They would not worry you for
the money, my darling, as they do
me, and yet | cannot blame them
They want their money, and | feel
like a thief as long as | withhold it
from them. Margaret, | see my mis-
take now. Credit has been my bane
If | was beginning lite again, 1 would
buy nothing that | could not pay for
at the moment; and before would
live in mortgaged house | would
build a log hut for myself at the foot
of tree. But there. 1t is too late
to talk like that" he concluded, bu-
rying his face in his hands.
"No, dear; it is not too latel 1t
is never too late to try and do bet
ter" said Margaret, wiping the tears
from her own eyes. Harry, have
always dreaded debt, as you know,
and | am so glad to hear you say that
you have grown afraid of it, too.-
Oh! my dear, dear husband, take
this. Pay all that we owe-pay off
the mortgage on the house-and then
we will live on bread and water, if
needs be, till the better days come
round again"
"rhis" wasa purple morocco pock-
ct book, well>flled, which she thrust
into his hands, laughing and weeping
at the same moment, in her joy.
Open it-open it, Harry" she sob
bed. at is all yours. | have saved
it for you"
He opened it. 1t was full of bank
notes-tens, twenties, fifties, and two
one hundred dollar notes nesting in
a compartment by themselves. FIT
teen hundred dollars in all.
"Where in the world did al, this
money come from" he asked with
an astonished look
Margaret wiped away her tears
and kissed him.
Isn't ii delightful, DEAR"
"But is it yours, Margaret:' 9
at was. 1t is yours now, Harry" "
but where did you get it" he
persisted.
81 have not been out on the high
way tc rob people, and | have not
committed burglary" laughed Mar
galet, whose good spirits began to
come back. "Come up stairs, Harry,
aud you shall see the good fairy that
earned it
He followed her with a bewildered
look, up into a pretty back chamber,
furnished with chairs, table and a
stove. Near one of the windows stood
something covered over with a cloth.
Margaret drew the cloth aside. 1t
was a sewing machine.
Ever since / kne " about the mort
gage on the house, / have used this, "
she said, looking at him with Ter eyes
full of love. II had all the work |
could possibly do iii your absence,
and | was we'll paid for it. And
when Uncle John came TO see US this
spring, he gave me the two hundred
4
dollar bills for 4 birthday present.
| am so glad, If the money can help
you in your troubles, Harry"
Help me! 1t will save me !" said
her husband, clasping her to his heart.
"Oh, Margaret, | will repay you for
your gift a thousand told when once
the good times come back again
This will pay the mortgage and settle
the bills, and pay our way through
the year, if We are careful. Oh, Mar
garet, what a treasure you are"
And we will ask no more credit,
she whispered, with her lips close to
his ear.
Not bit. my love so help me
God. | say it reverently.
And he has kept his VOW.