Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-08
Hitty ThOrne's Duty.

we might mortgage the place, said
Miss Hitty, signing.
"And retire to the almshouse, eh ?" re-
turned her sister.
But what alternative is open to us ?
Shall we allow Tom to come to grief ?"
"Tom richly deserves all the grief that
will fall to his share, poor fellow Such a
schemer Expected to make fortune for
us all, forsooth, that we might naunt in our
velvets, drive our span, and fare sumptuously
every day One dollar for us and two for
himself, / reckon. What should such boy
know about speculation It's the old story
over and over. Specializing with other
peoples money is a little indiscreet, to say
the least. | should have chosen sackcloth
and ashes rather than velvets won by such
means"
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 fifty diamonds
bedded in the case, if there's one"
Z" Rose diamonds, every spark of them"
" Not to mention the pearls and emeralds." ="
"Doublets and split pearls, dare say"
"You are so discouraging, Liddy We
must have the money, don't suppose that the
watch would bring a tenth of the sum, but
it would help. Dear dear 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 fellow
from ruin. Alas alas !"
" You know, Hitty it might have been
different" suggested Liddy, her eyes wan
dering toward the old-fashioned square man
oir
spicy orchards beyond. ''You might have had
enough and to spare, Hitty-enough to keep
Tom out of temptation"
9" And it wds temptation to poor Tom,
no doubt" returned Hitty, ignoring the al
lusion, "seeing so much money lying idle,
and such a chance for doubling it 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 everybody
was doing, and saved his fortune, and left
us all independent If we mortgage the
place. it won't bring five thousand dollars
and whom could we call upon to take the
mortgage, and what should we do afterward
live in tent, gypsy style ? Oh, Hitty, if
only you hadn't been so headstrong about
"Don't speak of it, Liddy; it hurts me
still. How could | know what would be
best ?' and Miss IItty, pacing the long room
with head bent, paused at the easement, and
saw the sunset reddening upon 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 interest which she
had hoped would die, but which had only
strengthened with the years-the lovely dal
lying of the spring-time, the summers over
flow of bloom, the splendor that autumn
wears, the white magnificence borrowed
from winter. If, twenty years ago, llitty
had loved Anson Searle well enough to die
for him, if need be, she had loved little Ton
well enough to renounce happiness and chill
dren and love for his sake, and to live oil
through the barren, hopeless days without q
murmur. Tom had come to her arms a for
lorn and helpless two-year-old baby, without
father or mother, when lltty was eighteen
and her love had grown with her growth anC
strengthened with her strength. Toms
mother had eloped with her music-teacher
and had broken her fathers heart and wher
the old gentleman died, he had left re
spectacle fortune, the interest for the benef
of his two living daughters, the principa
falling to their children and only in cas-
| Liddy and Hitty died without leaving direc
| heirs could anything more than the meres
triile revert to poor little Tom. lltty ha,
been engaged to Anson Searle year whel
old Mr., Thome shufled off the mortal col
and this unjust will came to light, and Searl
himself was at that time only a young lawye
wrestling with circumstances, with no grea
amount of funds at his command.
And nothing for little Tom but this pa
try hundred dollars groaned Hitty, whe
the will had been read and the estate aC
ministered.
"Of course | shall never marry" sal
Liddy, who was plain aud old-looking fo
her years, and whose one lover had Tilted he
years ago, when the bloom of youth, at leas
had been hers. There wasn't the smalle.
danger that Liddy would threaten Toms il
terests by marrying
"No, you may never marry, Liddy," sighe
her sister; =" but IL love Anson, and oh
love little Tom, too-my little motherles
Tom cannot rob him of his patrimon,
and cannot live without Anson. How ca
wrong Tom to please myself. What wi
he have to go out in this hard world witt
if-if-"
Hush, you silly girl he will have h
head and hands, like other men; and the
you may never have any children to stan
in his way"
But how unhappy it would make me
see them enriched at his expense; to Sc
him earning his bread by the sweat of h
brow, while they Jared like the lilies of Il
field to have Tom envy and perhaps ha
them and feel bitter that life has been re
dered so much easier for them by injustice
) Perhaps they would share with Tom"
"Ah, it wouldn't be quite safe to trust
that pleasant perhaps"
You ought not to suspect your childr,
of being less generous than yourself"
; But their mother must have been unge
I erous first, you see,"
, "You have Anson to. think Of, llitty,
this affair, as well as Tom. If you dor
!: love Tom better"
81 DON'T don't but the will has MAJ
: il impossible for me TO marry Anson with
clear conscience-to marry him and
= happy. If he were sure of earning fC
u tune with which we could make amen
y TO little Tom, it would be different. But
cannot count upon such an improbable co
S tingency. As you say, Tom will have
u uedu anu hahus W push MS way pul I
IS best head and the busiest hands do not
n ways compel fortune, and il any hal
II should come to him from want of capital, if
o should be tempted to sin from lack of mont
n IL should have to answer for il it wou
# be my guilt"
r Nonsense, Hitty your conscience is
II tender. Marry Anson aud trust to fa
e that's my advice. Supposing you refui
II and he marries somebody else, and-litt
q Tom doesn't live 10 grow up 1"