The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-09-28
II believe so, Ned"

she is the right sort OF aWlfe J. answered
the old gentleman.
Father have fallen in love with
Judith Black" confessed Edmund.
"Just exactly what l have feared all
along" said Mr.. Stedhurst, with a shrug
of his shoulders.
"Why do Guy use the word feared,
father ?" questioned Edmund.
Because, my lad, she is almost a
stranger to us"
Father, l would stake my life on her
truth and honesty" cried the young
man.
Because you are in love with her, my
son. Edmund, look here. Have you
spoken to her YETI"
Not yet, sir"
VIII you do me favor"
Edmund smiled little.
"That depends upon what it is, faith
err"
Will you wait a week before you ask
her to be your wife Will you wait
one week without asking any ques-
tions ?"
eff you desire it, sir"
AT the end of that time l will tell
you what | think upon the matter"
And Mr.. Stedhurst went out.
The next day he brought down an
armfuI of old coats, vests etc, from the
garnet.
"Judith," said he, these things are
getting moth-eaten. They belonged to
an old uncle of mine, who died ten years
ago-an odd, misery old fellow who
boarded everything up, and died in a
cellar at last. want them cut up into
carpet rags"
Eyes, sir" answered Judith Black, in
the soft, low voice which was habitual to
her. And when her days routine Of
duty was done she went to work dill
gently with Mrs. Stedhurst's big shears.
She was all alone in the kitchen the
next afternoon just as the clock was
striking three. And as Judith Black
worked she sang softly to herself an old
Scotch ballad, "Bonnie Dundee"
Picking up an old waistcoat of ginger
colored cloth, she Clipped off the but
tons, and mechanically turned the pock
cts inside out to cut them away. There
was a piece of folded brownish paper in
one of them. Judith took it out, with
out thinking much of it, and unfolded it.
TO her surprise she perceived that it
was twenty pound note.
In her first establishment she uttered
a little cry, all alone though she was.
And then she remembered what Mr..
Stedhurst had said about the misery old
one who had "hoarded up his little gains
and died in a cellar at last" This,
doubtless, was one of the old mans
hiding-pIaces-and he died and made no
sign.
And this precious bit of paper was it
not hers by right of discovery?
Her eyes cleaned and her fingers trem-
bled convulsively as they frightened their
grasp upon it! She needed it so much!
She was so poor-so pinched for money?
And these Stedhursts, to whom it would
naturally revert, were rich and did not
need It'll They would never know. No
body would know.
For minute the temptation battIed
fercely with her better nature. For a
minute only; and then Judith rose up
and went straight to the door of the tool
room-went with dropping eyelids and
scarlet stain on either cheek.
"Come in" said Mr.. Stedhurst, as
Judith knocked at the door, and she en-
tered.
"Mr. Stedhurst," said she, in a voice
that would falter a little, in spite of her
resolution to control it, "here is some
money, a twenty pound note. | have
found it in the pocket of one of those old
waistcoats."
"Ah" said Mr.. Stedhurst, putting
down his plano and taking the crumpled
bit of paper. "And why didn't you
keep it? Did it not occur to yeu that
would never know anything about it %
eyes," said Judith, slowly, cit did
occur to me, sir"
"Then why didn't you keep it ?"