The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-12-05
MISSING.

"There's no other way, Mary. 1 shall
have to goP
Horace said the words as if pronOunc-
NO his own doom, and so she received
them. There was silence between the
two who so loved each other; if the thing
were inevitable there was nothing to be
said. HencefOrth only endurance was
possible.
Mary was the first to speak.
"Are YOU quite sure?" she said, not eX-
pecting, only hoping, that some way OF
escape might open.
patriotism-not that she was less ready
fban other women to make sacrifices;
for she had seen him march away with
tbe Federal army to the war, smiling
farewell to hide an aching heart, in those
FIRST davs of the country's danger, when
all the bravest and the best rushed to It's
defence.
But it was different now. He had done
his duty faithfully-fulhlled his two
years service-knOwn danger, wounds,
and hardships-and had returned, as
they both hoped, to the old, quiet home
life, to the fulfllment of deferred hopes,
to the enjoyment of the imperilled hap
piness. And yet he had just told her
he should have to 60 again. 1t was nara
to beIitVe-hard to bear!
And yet there seemed no other way.
The two years of his absence had been
two wears Of disaster to his parents. For
a quarter of a century they had lived
peacefully, with a moderate prosperity
that fully contented their moderate de-
sires, upon the pretty homestead farm; 4;
and now, close upon the sacrifice they
had made of their most precious treas
ure. their only child, followed blight and
insect. and storm and fire. The har-
vested crops. the fine cattle, and the
strong draught horses, persisted in the
CONFEDERATION of their barns. MlldeW,
for two successive years, made their
| great wheat-feld a desOlatiOn. The long
rains of early summer spoiled the Tlch,
| lov-lving meadows; and the fire spread
over the hillside, covered with rare tim,
bers, and swept away their fences. The
| third wear. when the season of harvest
| approached, for many weeks the sky was
| brass. and the earth dust beneath the
| scorched and ruined crops. Steady
quiet, home-loving, pious people were
! they; and yet it seemed as If the WratI
of heaven had descended upon them.
And then money was needed to re
/ build and Te-stOck, to purchase the nee
essaries of life, to provide for the coming
seed-time. and the farm was mortgageC
for the purpose Of raising these needtu
funds. And in this condition Horace
/ Harding found home matters at the eI
| piratiOn of his term Of service.
Old Simon Suggs advanced the money
and held the securities. He was hard
grasping old man, a money-lender by
profession, grown rich upon unholy
gains: and he would lend to Mr.. Hard
! ing only on the security of his small bu
fine farm. Only thus, and the money
must be had, and his terms were &C
Cepted. 81,
zone years harvest, at war prices, VII
set us right" Mr.. Harding said; and so
blindly, It is true, but reluctantly, he gay'
the miser a hold upon those acres, treDl!
worth the sum advanced, and Dullt an'
sowed in hOpe-Which hope that thlrI
summer-that summer Of burning hea
and drOught-blasted, and left him bank
rupt in hope as in purse.
And now the time was come for pay
ment, and old Simon demanded the tul
fllment of his bond.
We have called him old Simon, for tina
was the name by which he was know
I far and near, and he had the pinche'
and aged appearance which a miserl
1 life so often produces; but, in reality, h
! was not old enough to escape the IN
pending draft.
Simon was a great coward, and II
valued his precious person far too highl
: to be willing to make it a mark fC
! bullets. AS the time approached, n
: fears so increased that he reluctant
4 decided to procure a substitute. An
1 this was how Horace Harding got De
1 sonally complicated in the affair.
Old Simon threatened to foreclose tn
: mortgage. He had bought up ever
Z claim he could discover against NJ
J Harding. If he made use of the poWe
2 in MS hands, certain ruin must follow t
i the distressed family. 1t was not man
J hundred dollars, but it represente
z home, comfort, peace to the striCke
: man. To lose these was more than b
! could bear. He bent beneath the blOy
: and could not rise. From a hale, middl,
6 aged man, he suddenly grew old; an
: his mind, yielding with his physiC;
Q ! strength, threatened a decay of h
powers, and perhaps a permanent in
beCility. And old Simon, looking upO
n the ruin he could work, saw in it hi
e opportunity. He had double motive
Is one now hidden in the background 6
E securely that its existence was neve
suspected. But he felt that he coul
abide his time,
1910 o. pUB '9lnlTsqus s!V 9Wo07q o. d
d -IOH o. ssOdoId o. sBM sAOU lsIg s!H
81 as a consideration the relinquishmen
Of all the claims he held against th