River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-05-09
KITTY THORNE'S DUTY.

ave might mortgage the place." said
Hitty signing
Sand retire to the almshouse, Ell" re-
turned her sister.
but what alternative is open to us!
Shall we allow Tom to come to grief2"
"Tom richly deserves all the grief that
will fall to his share, poor fellow! Such
schemer Expected to make fortune
for us all forsooth, that we might fiaunt
in our velvets, drive our span, and fare
sumptuously every day! One dollar for
us and two for himself, | reckon. What
should such a boy know about speculation
It's the old story over and over. Specu-
lating with other peoples money is a it
tie indiscreet, to say the least. | should
have chosen sackcloth and ashes rather
than velvets won by such means"
''Certainly. But now that Tom is in
volved, nothing but money will extricate
him. There's my watch, the heirloom
from Grandma Pentecost; there are fifty
diamond bedded in the case. if there
one"
"Rose diamonds, every spark of them
"Not to mention the pearls and en-
eralds
"Doublets and split pearls, dare say"
You are so discouraging, Liddy! We
must have the money. | don't suppose
that the watch would bring tenth of
the sum, but it would help. Dear! dear
there's Hannah de Rothschild with two
millions of income, while you and
cant raise five thousand dollars though
we should break our hearts-not even to
save an old and honorable name from
contempt, and foolish young fellow
from ruin. Alas alas!'
different" suggested Liddy, her eyes
wandering toward the old-fashioned square
mansion crewning the hill with in sight,
with its fringe Of elms and its spicy or
chards beyond, "You might have had
enough and to spare, Hitty-enough to
keep Tom out of temptation"
"And it aoas temptation to poor Tom,
no doubt" returned Kitty ignoring the
allusion, seeing SO much money lying
idle, and such a chance for doubling it
over, as he fondly believed"
''Pshaw! A Thorne had no business to
be tempted. Was our grandfather tempt
ed at the time of the embargo, when he
could lave had false papers made out,
as every body was doing. and saved his
fortune, and left us all independent If
we mortgage the place, it won't bring five
thousand dollars; and who could we call
upon to take the mortgage, and what
should we do afterward-live in a tent,
gypsy style? Oh, Hitty, if only you hadn't
been so headstrong about Searle, all this
would have been spared us2n
"Don't speak of it, Liddy; it hurts me
still. How could know what would be
best?" and Miss Hitty, pacing the long
room with head bent, paused at the case
ment, and saw the sunset reddening upon
Searle Hill, and touching the window
panes into jewelry. The twenty years of
happiness which might have fallen to her
share up yonder had proved twenty years
of silent endurance merely. She had
watched the seasons as they passed over
the hill with an interest which she had
hoped would die, but which had only
strengthened with the years-the lovely
dallying of the spring time, the summers
overflow of bloom, the splendor that
autumn wears, the white magnifcence
borrowed from winter.
If, twenty years ago, Hitty had loved
Arson Searle well enough to die for him,
if need be, she had loved little Tom we'll
enough to renounce happiness and chill
dren and love for his sake, and to live on
throug the barren, hopeless days withoG
a murmer. Tom had come to her arms
a forlorn and helpless two-year-oid ba-
by, without father or mother, when
Hitty was eighteen, and her love had
grown with her growth and strengthened
with her strength. Toms mother had
eloped with her music-master, and had
broken her fathers heart; and when the
old gentleman died, he had left re-
spectacle fortune, the interest for the
benefit of his two living daughters, the
principal falling to their childreR; and
only in case Liddy and Hitty died with
ont leaving direct heirs could anything
more than the merest trifle revert to
poor little Tom. Hitty had been engaged
to Arson Searle year when old Mr..
Thorn shuffled off the mortal coil and
this unjust will came to light, and Searle
himself was at that time only a young
lawyer wrestling with circumstances,
with no great amount of funds at his
command.
And nothing for little Tom but this
paltry hundred dollars!' groaned Hitty,
when the will had been read and the
estate administered.
"0f course / shall never marry, said
Liddy, who was plain and CID looking for
her years, and whose love had Tilted her
years ago, when the bloom of youth, at
| least. had been hers. There wasn't the
| smallest danger thar Liddv would threat
en- Toms interests lsy marrying.
No, you may never marry, Liddy,
sighed her sister; "but IL love Arson,
and OIL love little Tom too-my little
motherless Tom ] cannot rob him of
his patrimony, and I cannot live without
| Anson- How can wrong Tom to pleas
ure myselfl What will he have to go
out into this hard world with, if If
hush, you silly girl; lie will have his
head and hands, like other men; and
then You may ncssr have any children
| to stand in his way
But how unhappy itwould make me
to see them enriched ct his expense; to
see him earning his bread By The sweat
u lis brow, while they faired like the
lilies OF the field; ttl have Tom envy and
perhaps hate them, and feel bitter that HE
had been rendered 10 much easier for
them BY injussicel n
: Perhaps they Would share with Tom Z
Alb. It wouldn t be quite ssfe to trust
to that pleasant perhaps.