American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-11
KITTY THORNE,s DUTY.

1--WE might mortgage the place." said
Miss Kitty, signing.
"And retire to the alms-house, ehP''
returned her sister,
"But what alternative is open to us?
Shall we allow Tom to come to griefP',
"Tom richly deserves all the grief
that will fall to his share, poor fellow.
Such schemer! Expected to make a
! fortune for us all, forsooth, that we
might faunt in our velvets, drive our
span, and fare sumptuously every day /!
One dollar for us and two for himself, 1
reckon. What should such boy know
about speculation It's the old story
over and over. Specializing with other
peoples money is little iHdiscreet, to
say the least. 1 should have chosen
sackcloth and ashes rather than veIvets
wonby such means"
Z 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 fif-
ty diamonds bedded in the case. if
there's 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. 1 don't sup
pose that the watch would bring tenth
OF the sum, but it would help. Dear!
= eari there's Hannah de Rothschild.
with two millions of income, while you
and can't raise five thousand dollars
though we should break our hearts-not
even to save an old and honorable name
from contempt, and foolish young fell
low from ruin. Alasi alasin
You know, Kitty, it might have
been different" suggested Liddy, her
eyes wandering toward the old-fashion-
ed square mansion browning the hill
within sight, with its fringe of elms and
its spicy orchard beyond. "You might
have had enough and to spare, Kitty
enough to keep Tom out of temptation. -
Sand it scas a temptation to poor
Tom, no doubt, :" returned Kitty, ignor-
ing the allusion, &c seeing SO much money
lying idle, and such a chance for doub-
ling it over and over, as he fcndly be-
believed
PshawI A Thorne had no business
to be tempted. Was our grandfather
tempted at the time of the embargo,
when he could have had false papers
made out, as every body was doing, and
saved his fortune, and left us all indie
pendent? If we mortgage the place it
won't bring five thousand dollars; and
who could we call upon to take the mort
gage, and what should we do afterward
live in tent, gypsy style? Oh, Kitty,
If only you hadn't been SO headstrong
about Searle, all this would have been
spared usi''
"Don't speak of it, Liddy; it hurts
me still. How could know what would
be best P" and Miss Hitty, pacing the long
room with head bent, paused at the case
ment, and saw the sunset reddening up
on 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 in
terest 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 magnificence borrowed from
winter. II, twenty years ago, Hitty had
loved Arson Searle well enough to die
for him, if need be, she had loved little
Tom well enough to renounce happi-
ness and children and love for his sake,
and to live on through the barren, hope
less days without a murmur. Tom had
come to her arms forlorn and helpless
two-year-old baby, without father or
mother, when Kitty 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 IA
theirs heart; and when the old gentle
man died, he had left respectable for
fr,na tho intarast for tho bepoGt of bie