River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-05-09

sYou have Arson 10 think of, Hitty, in
this affair, rs well as Tom. II you don't
love Tom better"
II don't-I don't: but the will has made
it impossible for me to marry Arson with
a clear conscience--to marry him and be
happy. If he were sure of earning for
tune. with which we could make amends
to little Tom, it would be different. But
/ cannot count upon such an improbable
contingency. AS you say, Tom will have
his head and hands to push his way, but
the best head and the busiest hands do
not always compel fortune; and, if any
harm should come to him from want of
capital, if he should be tempted to sin
from lack of cyl should have 10
answer for it; it would be my guilt
Nonsense, Kitty; your conscience is
too tender. Marry Arson and trust to
Fate, that's my advice. Surprising you
refuse, and he marries somybody else, and
little Tom doesn't live to grow upw
81 shall not have wronged him."
" But you will have wronged Anson."
Not if he if he marries- another"
Many would, perhaps, approve Hitty
Thorne's conduct at this crisis. more
would condemn; but she walked accord
ing to her light in those cruel days. 1t
was no easy task she had set herself She
was to receive no need for her sacrifice,
except self-approval-nothing but re-
proaches. Could she have seen all that
would happen, she might have spared
herself this cruelty. And how much can
happen in this time how much to make
our wisest forethoughts assume the aspect
of improvidences Property changes
hands, values shrink, children grow up
with wills of their own, people die and
make room for remote heirs, or they out
live the sharp edge of sorrow and anger,
and learn to bear the burden of their
mistakes. Miss Hitty had tadet in the
mean time, while Arson Searle wore his
years like garlands. The fortune of
which her I" not impossible" children
might have robbed little Tom had dwind-
led to the merest pittance through the
knavery of the man to whose wisdom it
had been intrusted, while Arson Searle
had Unexpectedly stepped into the pos
session of the Searle estate, with its old
stone mansion, its orchards and outlyind
meadow lands, and the income that had
been rolling up since the Searles first set
foot on Plymouth Rock. Twenty years
before there had been no shadow of such
possibility, no dream Of it in Anson's
mind or another's. Two healthy lives
had barred the way against him, but
Death had effected breach.
"What a mistake Hltty Thorne had
madel" people had commented these haf
dozen years. "She might have been
mistress at Searle Hill if she'd had a
mind to risk marrying a poor man.
Folks get their come-up once in this
world sometimes. with the usual charity
commentators bestow upon the motives
Of others. No body had known the true
cause Of Kitty's refusal to marry Searle.
1t had been thetown talk to be sure-at
riddle which noone b ad solved. She hal
not even confided her reasons to her lover.
He would over-rule them, she feared,
would call them absurd, and only make
her task more difficult, and perhaps grow
to hate little Tom-and some time Tom
might need his good will who could tell?
Arson Searle had not borne his dismissal
with the fortitude of an early martyr,
but he had sworn he would never ask
her twice to marry him, and he had kept
his word. But perhaps after his anger
cooled, and he watched her saddening
year by year, some surmise that her be-
havior had not been dictated by caprice
or any petty motive grew upon him, and
obliged him to render her the tardy JUS
tice of appreciation.
And pretty return Tom had mao
her-speculating with his employees
money, and threatening the family pride
with disgrace. Unless five thousand dol
lars were forthcoming, there was only
fortnight between him and ruin. And
Tom was only twenty-five, They must
save him. Miss Hitty was one to stand
by her guns; where there was will there
was way, and she followed the Only
way she knew. Mr.. Searle, fumbling
about for the reasons of Hitty's conduct
toward himself, had at Zenith stumbled
upon the clew--having an intimate
knowledge of her fathers will already
and if he had not been quite heroic
enough to forgive her for preferring
Toms welfare to his own, he must have
found grim satisfaction, in the turn
that fate had ordered, in seeing the
Thorne property shrinking day by day,
till there was hardly enough to butter
their bread-till it was plain that Hitty's
sacrifice had been for naught. But when
did ever sacrifice prove futile2 Though
it fail OF its direct purpose, does 1t not
enrich the soul not only of the one who
sacrifices, but of all beholdersl
1t was near twilight of an autumn day
that Miss Hitty put on her worn bonnet
and went slowly, with certain reluctance
up the hill toward The Searle mansion;
she pulled the brazen knocker timidly,
and stepped into the house that might
have been he- own like any beggar. The
dead Searles looked down from the walls
of the oaken hall with cold questionings
in their pursuing eyes; in the great draw
ing-room the wood fire snapped with
good will, and glinted gayly upon bronze
and ormolu, upon the quaint mirrors set
in garnets, upon the yellow ivory keys OF
the old piano. Arson Searle rose to re-
ceive his guest with flush of surprise.
as it-you-Hitty?" he cried. "You2"
"Yes. You did not expect me."
"Expect you! No. No. Have | had
reason to expect yous"
I'VE sometimes expect without reas-
on. l have contemplating you to grant
me favor
"a favor?"
"Yes. 1t strikes you oddly that |
should be brought to beg faver of you
does it not? But there is no other friend
upon whom can make even so shadowy
a claim as upon you. Do you think |
would ask any thing of one whom have
served $3.50 i'll if were not in extrem
ity3'
~ hope you will ask anything of me,
Miss Hitty, anything you wart."
Il have become mercenary, Mr.. Searle.
| want money. Liddy and have made
up our minds to mortgage the place; we
must have FIVE thossand dollars without
delay; the place is not worth so much, |
know, but l, l thought perhaps you
would take it for security, as far as II
would 90. and then I1ddv and / are not