The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-05-13
HOW SHE PAID HER DEBT.

ooh, Charley, Charley, how could
you do such a thing?'
Lillian Wayland's round cheek was
blanched to an unwonted whiteness, as
sic stood before her brother in the
close, cramped room which constituted
her sole home.
Charley Wayland, a handsome, dissi-
pated-looking youth of two or three
and-twenty, with bold black eyes, and
merry mouth that seemed made only
to smile, stood opposite her, looking
half. repentant, half defiant as bespoke.
Lillian, | coulda't help it. tell
You was hard up. A fellow must have
money. You women don't know any
thing about the temptations and neces-
slties of the world"
"But, Charley" she fNltered, "do
you know how this same world, Rs you
phrase it, looks at the deed you have
Just committed? Oh, Charley" and
her voice grew low and tremnlous, "it
is forgery"
"Nonsense, LilI! It's only Lorrow,
ing a part of old Glencross abused
riches to aid my needs. ! wrote and
asked him Tor cash, and he, the unmm-
nerly lout, refused. Well, what could
he expect after this, but that should
help MYSELF
Lillian wrung her slender hands.
GLOW dared you, Charley? That a
Wayland should come to this!" she
walled.
"Daredl' he echoed, recklessly. "lt
was but stroke Of the pen, after all;
and old Glencross would be paItrler
miser than | take him to be, if he
makes a fuss about Il matter Of hun
dred pounds. -.
"It is the right and the justice OF the
thing, cried Lillian, almost frantlcally.
'If we could pay him in any way; but
/ have sold everything that remains OF
our former wealth. See," aud she
looked round the miserable apartment,
"see how | live. Last night sat up
till midnight sewing, to have little
money to pay the rent. | have not a
level left, not trinket.
ooh, bother, LilI. If old Glencross
cuts up rough, it is only taking run
across the water. / know lots Of ship
captains who would stow me away IN
their holds, almost any moonlight
night"
Lillian looked despairingly at him.
Was it, then, impossible to make HIM
comprehend the moral obliquity OF the
deed he had Just committed? ?
"But | cant stay fooling here, " OBJ.
served the young man, with toss oil
his black curls. II must be off about
my business. Good bye, Lill. Give us
kiss, my girl. Except that you're
uncommon fond of lecturing fellow,
you're not bad sister in the main
After he had gone, Lillian sat down
to try and realize the new situation III
which she and her brother were placed.
All now depended upon the spirit IN
which Paul Glencross should receive
this new encrOachment upon his purse
and patience.
Lillian had never seen this distant re-
lation, yet she had formed i'm opinion
of him in her inmost mind, as We all
are apt to do of unseen persons whom
we hear great deal about; and when
ever she thought OF Mr.. Glencross, the
image of hook-nosed old man, yellow
skinned and cadaverous, engaged IN
sorting over piles of mortgages, or
counting bags OF gold, suggested itseli
to her mental eye.
"But he must be human, at least, "
thought Lillian, in the agony Of her dis,
tress. "Ii go to him myself, and tell
him just what poor Charley's necessl'
ties were, and how g0od-hearted he
really is, in spite of all his faults and
thoughtlessness-if | say frankly 10
him, that | have no money nor jewels
to reimburse him, but tbPt will stay
and work for him, as a servant girl
might work in the kitchen, until l have
discharged the horrible debt, surely,
oh, surely, he cannot have the heart to
refuse. can do great many things,
I can sew and embroider, and | conld
make good bread and cake, and poor
mamma always said was "a good mousse
keeper and if Mr., Glencross Is realiiy
SO misery as Charley thinks, he would
look Mt the economy of the thing. Al
least it is worth try ing.
So favorably did Lillian Wayland re-
gard this idea, broached in her sore ex
tremity, that in two days from the even
ing in which she had hidden goodbye
10 her handsome, reckless brother, she
stepped from the train at the Victoria
station. dressed in sober brown suIt,
that made her look like a shrinking
little mouse, with her carpet bag in her
hand.
A little inquiry sufliced to bring her
to the West Fad street where Mr.. Glen
cross resided s'rge, lined on ci'hei
side with pa aces, the like OF which
Lillian had never seen III the plainei
country town where she had been born