The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-02-04

Il a
4 Icu know. K8te-or perhaps you don't know
that the old man is i'll he has the govt, and
cans leave his room. His illness throws
great deal upon me, and there are errands oui
OF doors, and this and that to be cooked, land
In fact there's more than can well de all by
| myself; and 80 he's asked me to look ont fol
4 some woman that might be up at the Abbey
| farm In the daytime, and help me. She'll gel
something decent . day and her good meais.'
Since Thys had opened upon this branch OF
| his Grand the widow had begun to scan him
| with close attention and heightened curiosity
she seemed to seek some occult meaning In
every word that came ont of his mouth, sup
pressing, however, as much as possible, any
signs OF emotion.
And so I came down to you. Kate" he con-
tinued, " to see whether you'd be willing to
undertake the job. You'll go home every eve
ming and come up to our place in the morning.
1t won't be hard work, and You shall have as
much as you would get for yonr days work in
the fields and your keep besides. That's not a
bad offer, think is it
" Far from it; it's the best of the whole mat
ter. As for the rest, why, you know yourself.
Thye, it's ill reckoning your chickens before
cross, and you may never come into the old
mans money yourself; bot the days wages for
the days work, that's sure money"
So then you accept"
To be sure, to be sure, Thys; do yon think
m fool enough to refuse ~
but then your children, Kate3 I never
thought of them"
"Oh, my childreni Two of them are with
from
and Mieken looks after the COWS for Farmer
Claee; she'll be we'll taken care of there in the
daytime, and at night 1 shall be at home my
self, you know"
pleased and so our bargains struck. Come,
Kate, your hand upon it, in witness that we
mean larry by one another. There, now it's
settled. When shall expect you, them The
sooner the better as far as Pm concerned this
afternoon can you comet"
.Oh, l can come directly" answered the
widow. I've only to step down to speak to
Farmer Claes and his good dame about Mieken
and the work"
Thys now rose from his seat and made as
though In the very act of leaving, but stood
still for moment, and with as good an air of
Indifference as he could put on
by the-way, Kate" he remarked, "you Just
said might perhaps never come into the old
mans an, money after all /; of course you know if
get nothing can give nothing"
That's OF COURSE" answered the widow;
but never fear, it won't slip through your
fingers now"
80 much the better for both of rs, Kate, if
it doesn't; but one can never be too eau tious
It's true Ceoilia's quite willing should have
her share. Only this morning WAS wishing
to encourage her to hope for the best, and che
obstinately persisted that she desired neither
part nor lot IN her uncles property. But there
are others who have no right at oil, and who,
to have pretenoe for forcing their way in to
the house, give out that the old man Is at the
point of death. So you must tell everybody
the real truth and that is, that Uncle an has
the govt, neither more nor less. You will,
I'm say and do just whatever you tell me-"
answered the widow.
Look you, Kate; if we can once set the
good people at rest about thst-as in truth
they may well be-then we shan't have SO
many of them meddling in matters"
Leave me alone for that, Thys; you know
well enough, l think, that my tongue isn't
Only one thing more, Kate. / must tell
you beforehand, else it might seem strange TO
you. The old man will have nobody to come
near him but me; you'll see nothing of him
till he comes down again"
There's nothing strange to me in that; he
was always that way before he was ill.,"
And mind, You must never let any one in
while Pm out; you'll mind that won't your
And you'll keep the door fast locke ed and boted,
they may knock as they likew
IN do all you tell me. More can't say."
$50 do, then For, just see: if you don't
pull with me like true friend and a reason
able woman, why then L shall be obliged to
look out for some one else, and all is at an end
between u.s."
81 You may go home quite at your ease, Tbys
and be OF good cheer" said the widow, now
rising also; you shall be satisfied with me, if
ever yen are to be with any one"
"Good-day, then, till the afternoon, or earlier
II ySu can. And here's hansel for yon yon
see I'm not misery with you"
be put two-franc piece into her band. left
the cottage, and soon disappeared behind the
thicket. For some moments the widow fol-
lowed him with her eyes, then, with q scorn.
Smile:
"Hs, ba! the fslse devil! He thinks that
Eve sold my soul to him! sold it for mere idle
wordsI But should like to know what he's
about up there to want an accomplioe for So
that's 1t, is it'll Fun to help him to cheat and
plunder that angel-good Cecilia of her Inherit
ance! What does the hypocritical Judas take
me fort Bat now have him safe, the knave
1t must have bee the justice of God that put
that thought into his head. was Just the
right one for him to happen uponI"
short pause of reflection eusued, during
which the bitter smile passed away from her
countenance and gave place to a gentle ex-
preston. With joy beamiDg from her eyes she
recommended:
To recover for Cecilia her uncle's love and
her rightfnl Inheritance; to repay her and
Bart, my kind benefactors, for all their good
ness; to punish the hypocrite, to oppose and
overcome the evil doer-ah, that will be glo.
rioqs! And therefore-and therefore 1 pray
God to grant the poor widow understanding,
that she may defeat the schemes of this bad
man!'
She left her cottage and struck into path
across the fields. And now, for the first time,
she remem bered the piece of money that Thys
had inEn ali