Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-07-12

brought to light the horrible practices
that had been carried on for year,
How delicate girls were hor.ew hipped
and tied uPby the thumbs. and subjected
to every conceivable torture si the CO.
Pr'ee OF the officials. Poor Emma, 50
gentle and accomplishing, came in tor
share OF the punishment, and her re-
citais before the committee made strong
men weep in very indigestion. A
wealthy lady. hearing the story Of the
poor girls wrongs, adopted her and gave
her home tuil Of every comfort, and
her young life became joyous once more.
But hos Jared Il eth her unnaiural
brother and sister, For . while they led
the fashionable portion Of society, and
lived magni6ccently. They outrivalled
all in the magnifcenee OF their enter
tainments and the splendor OF their
equiPages.
Arthur prided himself on his fnan-
cial sagacity, and invested his and his
sisters fortune in paying stocks that
brought handsome dividends.
But the financial crash Of 1873
brought them ruin. The collapse Of
the National Trust Company, Brady 4
Co.'S banking house. and other banks
where Arthur bad invested, beggarded
them, and swept almost million dollars
out Of their selfish grasp.
They were in as great straits for the
necessaries Of life as poor Emma had
been, and lived solely on the charity OF
few oftheir wealthy friends, little less
heartless than the most who had once
fawned upon them but knew them no
more.
Abraham Levi valued Emma's work.
box at ten dollars, but found no purcha.
ser. After vainly trying to sell it one
day. he shook it Indignantly at the Gus
toner as he was leaving the shop, and
was surprised to hear something move
inside Of it. He took the KEY to unlock
it, but it was empty. Holding it open.
he again heard something moving. Ex-
amining the interior still mere closely.
he observed minute spring, against
which he pushed, and a false bottom
was thrown open.
And such sight as met the aston
ished eyes Of the Jew! Spread out on
the bottom Of the box was new Uni
ted States seven-thirty bond, with ten
years coupons unclipped. He picked
it up, and another precisely like !. met
his gaze. Grasping the second, the
third appeared, and so on till they num-
bered thirty-fve. Here wa, a greater
fortune than Abraham Levi had ever
dreamed OF. He seized pencil, and
--i-"l"tAd .h~ :-sa-eSt The honds and
coupons were worth more than six hun.
dred thousand dollars in the money.
market. They were h,s. He was
wealthy at last. He replaced them in
the box, put down the false bottom and
locked il up in the safe.
But Abraham Lewis peace of mind
was gone. He no longer took any in.
tercst in his business and began to lose
his customers. Several times he had
taken the box and started to New York
to get the bonds exchanged, but bis
heart always failed him. He knew that
he ran no risk, and yet he had not the
courage to realize his fortune.
One day, after musing for an hour,
strange smile crossed his face and he said:
"Dost shust vat will do!"
He opened the safe, took out the box
and placed it under his arm. Just as
he reached the street carriage stopped
in front of his store and Miss Emma
alighted.
40! Mr.. Levi" She exclaimed, II
am just in time. see you are going to sell
my box. have come to redeem it,.
NO, Miss" replied Levi: Il not GO
out to sch Kim; so to take him to you.
But COON in, young lady. wish to ex-
plain"
Emma entered the dingy place, and
Mr.. Levi told her the whole story IN a
straightforward way. and then showed
her the fortune he guarded so carefully
and ignorantiy for SO many years. and
which he had tried to sell for the sum
Oslo.
And how can I ever reward you,
Mr.. Levi;" asked Emma, grasping his
hands.
Veil, said he. II dink ash you might
gif me a hundred dollars"
"No, no!" said Emma. seizing one
Of the bonds, "you shall take one Of
OF these at least"
But Levi hesitated for a long time
insisting that 500 was a .suffic,ent re-
ward. Finally Emma induced him TO
accept ten thousand dollar bond, and
to-day Abraham Levi is one of the
happie.t of men, although he still keeps
up his endles. variety Of odds and ends
and goes from house to house in search
OF "old clos"
Emma Harrison was too sensible a
girl 70 act like the girl in the story and
divide her fortune with her ungrateful
brother and sister. She did nothing Of
the kind. She secured the position of
shipping clerk in a rolling mill for Ar.
thur, and the position of music teaching
tor Samantha. She treat, them in the
most sisterly manner, but insists that
they shall earn a living for themselves,
and to this all who know the trio say
amen.