Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-10
HITTY THORNE'S DUTY.

We might mortgage the place. said
Miss Hitty, signing.
And retire to the almshouse, eli 2"
returned her sister.
But what alternative is open to us
Shall we allow Tom to come to grief?'
"Tom richly deserves all the grief
that viii fall to his share, poor fellow.
Sueh sehcmcr Expected to make a
fortune for us all. forsooth, that We
might haunt in our vclvets, drive our
span, and fare sumptuously every day !
One dollar for us and two for himself
reckon. What should such Il hoy
know about speculation? It's the old
story over and over. Specializing with
other peoples money is little indis-
Greet, to say the least ! should have
chosen sackcloth and ashes rather than
velvcts won by such means
Certainly. But now that Tom is IN
volvcd, nothing but money will extricate
him. There's my watch, the heirloom
from Grandma Pentecost; there are
fifty diamonds hedded iii the case. if
there's Ole
Rose diamonds, every spark Of
them.
Not TO mention the pearls and em-
cralds.
Douhlcts and split pearls, | dare
say
You are SO discouraging, Liddy /!
Wemust have the money. | don't sup
pose that the watch would bring tenth
Of the sum, but it would help. Dear I.
,l0ori InNrnfS II la pntbEnl;I1
with two millions Of income, while you
and | can't raise five thousand dollars
though we should break our hearts
not even 10 save an old and honorable
name from contempt, and Il foolish
young fellow from ruin. Alas alas y
" You know, Hitty,it might have been
different" suggested Liddy, her eyes
wandering toward the old-fashioned
square mansion crowning the hill with
i'll sight. with Its frings of ems and its
spicy orchards beyond. You might
have had enough and to spare. Htty
enough to keep Tom out Of tempta-
ton"
And il was Il temptation to poor
Tom, no doubt returned Htty, ignor-
ing the allusion; "seeing SO much
money lying idle, and such u chance
for doubling it over and over, us he fond
lv believed 7
Pshaw A Thome 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, rs everybody was doing, and
saved his fortune, and left us all indie
pendent? If we mortgage the place, il
would bring five thousand dollars; and
who could We call upon to take the
mortgage, and what should we do after.
ward-livc in tent, gypsy style? Oh,
Hitty, if only you hadn't been so head
strong about Searlc, I'LL this would have
been spared us -
Don't speak of it, Liddy; it hurts
me STILL How could | know what would
be best2' and Miss Hitty, pacing the
long room with head bent, paused at
the easement, and saw the sun redden-
ing upon Searlc 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 mere
IL. She had watched the seasons as
they passed over the Hill with an in
terest which she had hoped would die,
hut 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 nagniiicence borrowed from
winter. II, twenty years ago, Hitty had
loved Anson 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 llveo 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 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 respect
able fortune, the interest for the benefit
of his two living daughters. the principal
falling to their children; and only iii
case Iiddyand Hitty died without leav-
ing direct heirs could any thing more
than the merest trife revert to poor lit
tie T0m. Hitty had been engaged To
Arson Searle a year when old Mr..
Thorne shatiied otfthe mortal coil and
this Unjust Nill came q light, and Searlc