The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-05-09
KITTY THOKNE'S DUTY.

KITTY THOKNE'S DUTY.
I'VE might mortgage the place." said
Hitty signing.
"And retire to the almshoase, eh' re-
turned her sister.
but what alternative is open to Us?
Shall We allow Tom to come to gricf1'
tom richly deserves all the grief that
will fall to Lis share, poor fellow Such
a schemer! Expected to make fortune
Tor us all forsooth, that we might tlaunt
IN our vclycts, drive our span, and tarc
sumptuously every day! One dollar for
US and two for himself, I reckon. What
should such a boy know about speculation:
It's the old story over and over. Specu.
lating with other peoples money is lit
tie indiscrcct, to say the least. L should
have chosen sackcloth and ashes rather
than velvets won by such means"
"Ccrtainly. But now that Tom is in
volved, nothing but money will extricate
him. There's my watch, the heirloom
from Grandma Pentccost; there arc fifty
diamonds bcddcu in the case, if there's
one"
''Rose diamonds, every spark of them. :"
mot to mention the pearls and en-
eralds.
''DouLlcts and split pearls, dare say"
You are so tliscouraeing, Liddy! We
must have the money. | don't suppos:,
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 aud /
cant raise five thousand dollars though
we should break our hearts not even to
save en old and honorable name from
contempt, and foolish young fellow
from rum. Alas: alas!'
"lou know, Kitty, 1t might have been
diifrrcnt,' suggested Liddy, her eyes
wandering toward the old-fashioncd square
mansion browning 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-cnoagh to
keep Tom out Of temptation
And 1t ecns temptation to poor Tom,
no doubt" returned ilitty ignoring the
allusion, seeing SO much money lying
idle, and such a chance for doubling it
over, as he londly believed"
\"Pshaw: y Thornc 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.
rs everybody was doing. and saved hi,
fortune, and left us all independent? If
we mortgage the place, it " ont bring five
thousand dollars; and who could we call
upon to take the mortgage, and what
should we do aftcrward-livc in a tent,
gypsy style? Oh, Kitty, if only you hadn't
been so headstrong about Searlc, all this
would have been spared u.s."
Don't speak Of it. Lildy; it hurts me
still. How could l know what would be
bcst?' and Miss Kitty, pacing the long
room with head bent, paused at the case
ment, ant saw the sunset reddcning upon
Searle IL i'll, and touching the window
panes into jcwelry. Tie twenty years of
happiness which might have fallen to lie,
share up yondcr had proved twenty years
OF. silent endurance merely. She had
watched the seasons as thew passed owe,
the hill with an interest which she had
hoped would die, but which had cnly
strengthened with the years-thc lovely
dellying of the spring time, the summer
overflow Of bloom. the splcndor that
autumn wears, the white magnifcence
borrowed from winter.
IT, twenty ears ago. Kitty had loved
Arson Scarle well enough to die for him
ii need DC, she had loved little Tom vel
enough to renounce happiness and chill
dren and love for his sake, and to live OF
throug the barren, hopeless days witho,.
murmer. Tom had come to her arm.
: forlorn and helpless -year-oid la
by, without father or mother, wher
llltty was eighteen, and her love haG
grown with her growth and strengthened
with her strength. Toms mother hat
.eloped with her music master, and hac
broken her fathers heart; and when thu
old gentleman died, he had left re-
spectacle fortune, the interest for the
6cnefit OF his two living daughters, tho
principal falling to their children; an6
only in case Liddy and Kitty died With
sont leaving direct heirs could ANYTHING
Smore than the mcrest triile revert te
epoof1ittlc Tom. Hitty had been engaged
TO Arson Searle- year when old MIR
Thorn shufiled of the mortal coil ani
this unjust will came to light, and Scarlt
himself was at that time only a Young
lawyer wrestling with circumstances
with no. great amount Of funds at hi.
command.
And nothing for little Tom but thi!
paltry hundred dollars!" groaned Hitty
81 when the will had been read and tn,
estate admin stored.
"Of course shall never marry. said
Llddy, who was plain and cld-lookiog 70
her years, and whose love had Tilted lie
years ago, when the bloom of youth, a
{ least, had been hers. There wasn't tn,
smallest danger that Liddy would threat
en- Toms interests 10y marrying
NO, you may never marry, Liddy,
!. blgheds her sister; "but IL love Arson
ID. and OH, love little Tom too-my it'll
motherless Tom! cannot rob him O
q MS patrimony, and cannot live withcu
e. Anson' How can wrong Tom to pleas
ure myself? What will he have to q,
out into this hard world with, if If"
aush, you silly girl; he will have hi
y nead'and hands, like other men; an,
s,'e then--you may never have any childre,
50 ITO stand in his way"
s S.s !" But how unhappy it would make M,
's@@to see them enriched at his expense: f
i,s. see him earning his bread by the swea
Of his brow, while they faired like tn
lilies Of the field; to have Tom envy an,
perhaps hate them, and feel bitter that hit
,Je9hsen rendered so much easier 70
them by 1njustice!" "
"Perhaps they would share with Tom
"Ah, it wouldn't be quite safe to tr,,s
to that pleasant perhaps"