The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-12-24
WHOLE NO. 1856.

q We sustain through the eccentric anl
mysterious crotchets entertained b.
my father in all money matters
e though | don't despair Of your comm,
e upon some trace yet Of the "bulk" 0
his property What / have got
: however, ] shall invest in this farm
: ing business, 10 which | am partne
!, with man whom / picked 90 on
! here, aud who, Ike myself, had no
! thing to begin with; but we shai
: both be rich men 10 time, and then
, but not till then, my dear and loving
= Alice, you will see me in England
{ again"
$50 be it! hope Tom viii not
be disappointed it ia tims bis lack
began to turn. If g iiJtls Of il came
this way | should not be sorry" was
George Woodwyn's remark when be
J bad read the letter.
what do you mean zr inquired
Alice.
why, | mean, answered heT hus.
band, that mine seems 20 be desert
ing me | did not inteod TO tell YOU
about it, but you see it's Of no use
my attempting to keep anything from
you the fact is, | bave mad au0,he-
disappointment in the bank this very
day. There have been more promo
tions, owing to the opening of The
new branch, but | am again passed
over. l suppose l shall be Iefs Gu. in
the cold now till [ am "a old man.
Im sure it's very fortunate we have
no house rent to pay, for I shall get
no rise in salary for years, tha. 1 can
see."
Now, dear, don't begin to worry
yourself, please, about money; we
shall do very well even If you doa't
get an increase, though it is hard for
you; hut We shall always have tais
roof to cover us, thanks 10 my dear
mothers foresight in making her
father leave this little freehold 10 me
at her dealh At aav rate we can
never be turned out Of house and
home; besides, there will be dividends
coming in soon from mine aud LiIys
portion OF dear fathers money"
"Yes. yes; l know al about that;
not but what | See the shares in The
'Wheal Grydd Copper MiaiDs Com.
pany' have gradually been going
down, and they are GOV @, five or
six lower than whom we bought ia,
not quite year ego J daresay | am
foolish but there seen to bs q run
Of bad luck with us ju- 71R-that's
all L meant to say; o. 40 more
about it
But loving wife mas shs oe1ed
perceptions, aod viii ,si!y aviue
the state Of her hash dc uiud,
strive be ever 80 earnestly 10 Lile IT,
aud though Alice WoodwYu gave
little heed to the tone 10 which George
had referred to the matter Of luek onI
this occasion, the Grst suspicion that
he had some anxiety which be wa=
keeping from her was raised ~ +.
This suspicion increased after some
months, W ben she observed, not only
that there was q saddened look
creeping over her husbands kindly
face. but q constant inclination
on his part TO refer 20 the i'll luck
which he conceived was bese.ting
them
In the course, however, Of little
more than three years after they were
left alone in their home, a real ankle
ty arose, which touched both husband
and Wit more nearly perhaps than
any they had ever felt.
Tue little girl Lillian became dan
gerOusly i'll, and after the fever which
struck her down had passed she re-
mained in sadly delicate health f5r
many months.
She had to be taken to the sea ior
change of air; and what with this
and the heavy expenses FOX medical
attendance (f0r the first doctors in
London were consulted), it was in
deed found that their income was
barely sufficient to meet the heavy
strain upon it. For iJ must never be
forgotten that though the mother and
daughters portion, amounting to
g, $50 of'old Matthews money, had
yielded by it's investment in the
"Wbeal Gfydd Company" fair divi-
dends up to this time, they were not
equivalent 20 the share the old grand /
father had contributed 20 the expens-
es Of the home, and which, Of course,
had entirely ceased through the un-
happy mystery in which be had cho-
sen to envelop his affairs.
By way Of adding to the Wood
wyas' aBxieties, news bad come from
Tom Rickman'5 venture win the
sheep farming was going wrong \
murrian had broken out, bv which ne
had lost large suns. while, 70 put the
finishing stroke 10 their mi-iOrtunes, Z
the dividends from the "Wbeal Grydd
Company" suddenly ceased, there
being check in the mining opera
tions
By the time, therefore, that the
fifth Christmas after Mr.. Rickman's
deeth was coming round, we find the
WoodwFns really 10 somewhat
Strengthened circumstances.
Still sickiy, Lillian has this Autumn
failed to get her usual breath Of sea
air it could no, oe afforded, and his
deprivation Jeff It's mark on the pallid
cheeks of both mother aud daughter.
As if, too, 10 bear cut the adage that
misf0rtuues never come alone, one
gloomy November afternoon, George,
returning from the city more depress-
ed than ever, has to make a clean
breast Of bis troubles, unable any
longer TO evsde the tender qaes-
tionings and appealing looks OF bis
wife.
Il don't know what We shall DO,
darling" be said "but that abomin-
able mining company, after gradually
showing signs OF decreasing pros
perity, the shares going steadily
down month by month, so that
should have lost hundreds Of your
snd dear Lily's money if | had sold /
though | ought to have had the
pluck to raise nv losses long ago
has finally come to such pass that
everyone in the city says there mus.
be call on the shares sooc. 1 have
foreseen this for months, | NAV say