Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-01
Old StrOude's Christmas.

Old Str0u0e'S christmas.
It was Christmas night, and Richard
Stroude, in dressing gown and slippers,
nat in his easy chair, peering listlessly
into the fire, which burned brightly in
the CRATE.
Richard Stroude was quite independ-
ent of the worlds opinion. His brother
Andrew had been left princely for
tune by relative whose namesake he
was. Richard was then poor but
when Andrew and his young wife de-
eided on pleasure trip abroad, they
thought it only kind to make Richard
their companion.
In country village in the South of
France, Andrew was taken with fever,
which proved fatal in week. He lived
just long enough to give the first and
last kiss to All infant son, born few
hours before his death.
The shock proved too much for the
bereaved wife. She would have gladly
lived for her child's sake, but that, too,
was snatched from her. It died sud-
denly at the house of the nurse to
whose charge it had been committed
and when they brought it in its coffin,
that the poor mothers eyes might rest
Tor once on the little face yet strange to
them, they closed YEARLY, and never
more opened.
The result was that Richard Stroude,
rs the heir of his brothers child, re-
turned to his own country the possessor
Of an amount of wealth far exceeding
the widest dream he had ever cher
ished.
Richard was the most close. listed and
lliberal of men, and, withal, the most
distrustful. He Stunned the risks of
business, investing his money in safe
securities, and turned deaf ear alike
to the allurements of speculation and
the calls of charity.
The one exception to all this narrow
ness lay in his treatment of himself.
He was too prudently selfish to indulge
m riotous excuses but, short of that,
he denied himself no luxury or pleas
ure which money could command, and
his bachelor home was supplied with
every imaginable comfort.
No; it was not pictures down in the
FIRE that occupied Richard Stroudes
thoughts that Christmas night. He
had lent Ave thousand dollars to old
Mr.. Douglass, some time before, with
cut security. People stared when they
heard of it.
1.-THE world must be coming TO an
end" they said. "when old Stroude
lends money on any terms"
But those who said SO didn't know
everything. They didn't know, for
instance, how pretty Mabel Douglass
rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes made
the fibres of Richard Stroude's gristly
heart culver. It was new sensation
10 him, and it was under lis influence
that he accommodated Mabel's IA
Their with five thousand dollars for
ninety days.
When payday came, and Mr.. Doug
lass hadn't the money ready, Richard
Stroude, with business-like directness,
offered to accept Mabel's hand and
"call it square"
Either that, or the money, or 90 to
Jail" added Richard, noting an indig-
nant flush that overspread the old man's
face.
The flush was succeeded by an instant
pallor, for it was in the time when un-
fortunate debtors were treated as Grim
inals. Allen Douglass knew it was in
the mans power to consign him to the
walls of prison.
Mr.. Douglass strove to reason with
his creditor. Old Stroude was rising
Fifty; Mabel was barely twenty. In
vain was this disparity pointed out.
Richard Stroude was obdurate. He
had named his terms.
1t was sore trial to poor Mabel to
decide between her fathers sacrifice
and her own; but she did decide-to
nave her father.
There was another sacrifice involved.
which was secret between herself and
one other. 1t was her love for Andre
Armand, most engaging youth, who
had lately come with his mother to re-
side in the neighborhood. The mother
was confirmed invalid, who never left
the house, and the two lived quite alone.
Andre and Mabel got acquainted by
accident; then they became friends,
and next lovers, and were basking in
the sunshine of happiness when Old
Stroude's baleful shadow overcame
their path, and made everything dark.
1t was his approaching wedding-day
that Old Stroude sat thinking about in
his easy chair, and his own coming
happiness that he pledged from time to
hme, in draughts of rarest wine.
He had just fallen into a train of
soothing reflection on the power of