The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-06-21

She had never heard such a sentiment
from Stephens lips before.
Then she laughed gaily-
" A thousand pounds, Stepbenl Why,
what on earth should we do with 80 much
money!"
"Buy and drain Dru's Moss, Maggie" :"
Maggie drew her eyebrows together,
and looked wOnderingly at Stephen, who
had risen aud was pacing the floor with
rapid, thoughtful steps.
"Why, love-" she said, anxiously,
" what can you mean? Dru's Moss
What is that worth %
A few leeches and wild. birds now,
Maggie, but acres and acres of golden
wheat and rich meadow grass, if it was
drained. I was talking with ThWaites
about it to-day. Both our uplands are
worn out. The Moss lies between US.
I would give five years of my life to own
half of it, and money sufficient to drain
and cultivate it."
" How much money would do,
Stephen|
"A thousand pounds. I could drain
part and the save then proceeds to drain
the rest. But where could I get the
moneyP
81 was thinking of uncle. Would
you let me ask him ?"
Nothing is so wonderful as the growth
of a master passion.
In few hours the desire for this par
ticular piece of land had strengthened
itself so that Stephen began to consider
whether it might not be worth while to
let his wife 60 borrowing for him.
The longer he talked the more eager
he became, so that at last Maggie felt
hurt to see what a trife be made of her
feelings, and of the risk that Joseph
would run.
However, next day she went to see the
old man, and, as they rat together over
their tea, said;
"stephen wants to join Squire
Thwaites in buying the Dru's Moss,
uncle"
"What for?"
"Why, they talk of great wheathelda
and meadows"
"It will need a sight of drainage, and
that means a sight of money. I should
not think Stephen had idle cash sufi-
cient."
"He wants to borrow it."
JOseph's face clOuded.
Wonders never cease. I thought
Stephen Gray would starVe before he
would borrow or owe money"
Don't cast up the past, uncle.
Stephen thinks if he could borrow q
thousand pounds, he would make it ten
in very few years; and uncle I came TO-
day to ask you to lend him it."
" You came a useless journey, Maggie
forbye don't like that pride that makes
others stOOp for its cOnceit."
esquire ThWaites said you had plenty
of money in the bank"
eff had money, I'd never trust it in
any bank; but I make no more than /
need now. I am getting an old man,
Maggie" ."
" Stephen will be sorely disappointed. %
"He has no call to be so. l told him
you would have no fortune, and he quite
scOrned at the thought of the money with
you; he had his choice between you and
Kate Croft, with the Croft manor at her
will"
The old man was quite gloomy after
this talk, and Maggie was almost glad to
escape from the silent hearthstOne to the
hustle of her own busy farm and the
noisy welcome of her husband.
Stephen took the refusal very proudly,
but the idea had now become paramount,
and Joseph HaWiCk's refusal had only
made him the more determined to carry
cut the project.
He had a fierce struggle with his pride
and his independence, but the next day
he made arrangements to raise the money
by a mortgage on the farm that had been
unincumbered for a hundred years.
In few weeks all arrangements had
been made, the Moss had been bought,
surveyed and divided, and the partners
in its drainage went to work.
It sOcn proved itself drainage Of two
kinds. After many hundreds of pounds
had been spent to very little purpose,
more experienced surveyors had to be
sent for, and entirely new means and
machinery used. Too much had been
thrown into the Moss to abandon the
project, and yet the constant cry for
money was fast exhsusting the patience
and pUTsesOf both ThWaites and Stephen
Gray.
The former, more able to bear his loss,
became, after two years labor, quite indif-
ferent, talked of the affair as hopeless,
and was half angry at Stephen for per
sisting.
But something like desperation ami
mated the young farmer, for he had so
far mortgaged his home and estate that
their redemption was hopeless if the
Moss failed him.
Poor Maggie, with two little babies to
care for, strOve to help him by taking
upon herself laboTs she was totally unfit
for; and she rapidly broke down between
the unusual physical strain, and the
constant, anxious worry regarding
Stephen.
For all her husbands life dwindled
down to those damp, black acres Of mud.
Maggie got tOhate the name and shUd-
der at the sight of Dru's Moss, and she
half feared it had bewitched him for he
worked there long days, until he came
home too weary to speak to her or even
notice the children, while every pound
he could get was hOpelessly sunk in its
treacherOus depths.
1t was pitiful, too, to see the bare up
lands of the farm that were once white
with sheep, and the great barns nearly
empty, that had once been full.
But things got worse and worse, and
in the middle of a dreary winter, just be-
fore the birth of her third child, Joseph
Hawick died.
Fifty pounds to defray his funeral eX-
penses was nearly all the money found,
but he left Maggie his house and furni-
ture, and with his last breath reminded
her of the old Bible.
" You'll be needing it soon, Maggie
dear, l know; don't forget me when you
come to that day"
These were his last words, and Maggie
pOndered over them that evening as she
sat silent beside her sleeping children.
It was hard to sell the dear old home,
but Stephen wouldhear of nothing else;
50 the doctors house went into the
market, the quaint furniture was scat
tered, and the money went into Dru's
Moss.
It only put of the evil day.
Thwaites abandoned his improve
ments.
"He would throw no more good money
after bad" he said.
But Stephen, with a determination
that many thought kind of madness,