The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-06-07
KITTY THORNE's DUTY.

"We might mortgage the place" said
Miss Kitty, signing.
"And retire to the almshouse, eh ?"
returned her sister.
But what alternative is open to us I?
Shall we allow Tom to come to grief9"
"Tom richly deserves all the grief
that will fall to his share, poor fellow.
Such schemer Expected to make a
fortune for us all. fcrsooth, that we
might faunt in our velvets, drive our
span, and fare sumptuously every day |!
One dollar for us and So for himself, I
reckon. What should such boy know
about speculation It's the old story
over and over. Specializing with other
peoples money is little indiscreet, to
say the least. L should have chosen
sackcloth and ashes rather than velvets
wsrn by such MEANS"
Certainly. But, now that Ton is
involved, nothing but money will extri-
cate him. There's my watch, the heir
loom from Grandma Pentecost there
are fifty diamonds bedded in the case, if
there's one"
"Rose diamonds, every spark of
them"
mot to mention the pearls and emer-
aids"
"Doublets and split pearls, 1 dare
say"
"You are SO discouraging, Liddy !
We must have the money. / don't sup
pose that the watch would bring a tenth
of the sum, but it would help. Dear |
Aear there's Hannah de Rothschild with
81, OO0,0 600 OF income, while you and I
can't raise $4,000 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 -
You know, Kitty, it might have
been different" suggested Liddy, her
eyes wandering toward the old-fashioned
square mansion browning the hill within
sight, with its fringe of elms and its
spicy orchards beyond. "You might
have had enough and to spare, Kitty
enough to keep Tom out of temptation. "
"And it a0as temptation to poor
Tom, no doubt" returned Kitty, ignor-
ing the allusion, "seeing SO much
money lying idle, and such a chance for
doubling 1t over and over, as he fondly
believed"
"Pshaw 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 leftus all independent ?
III we mortgage the place, it won't bring
5000; and who could we call upon to
take the mortgage, 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 us !"
"Don't speak of it, Liddy; it hurts
me still. How could know what would
be best 2" and Miss Kitty, pacing the
ong room with head bent, paused at the
easement, and saw the sunset reddening
upon Searle hill, and touching the win
dow-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 magni6cence borrowed from win
ter. If, twenty years ago, Kitty had
loved Arson Searle well enough to die
for him, if need be, she had loved little
Tom well enough to renounce happines:
and children and love for his sake, and
to live on through the barren, hopeless
DAYS without murmur. Tom had come
to her arms forlorn and helpless -year.
old baby, without father or mother
when Hitty was Is, and her love hac