The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-10-18
The Cranberry Swamp.

"of course said young Doctor Dedling,
IA man has his own fortune to look to-
"0f course" said Judith Grey; and as she
spoke the words a cold chill seemed to creep
like slowly congealing ice, around her whole
heart.
"If YOU had consulted me as TO your af-
fairs" went on the young man, "instead of
taking this very extraordinary step, entire
| ly without advice or counsel"
"Yes, know" hurriedy interposed Jud
it'll; "but it's over and past now, so perhaps
we had better not talk about it."
The red winter sunset was blazing with
sullen fire above the cedar copse in the
west; the leahess woods held up their black
arms, in a sort of wrestling agony, toward
the sky, as the bleak wind tossed them to
and fro; and solitary raven uttered his
the house.
Doctor Dedling shuddered as he looked
around him. and glanced out toward the
dreary swamp that extended toward the
east.
"Such place." said he, "for a woman to
elect to live in p
at isn't very cheerful" said Judith !;
"but I've lived here all my life, you know"
"The more reason for wanting to get out
of it now," said the doctor, impatiently.
Judith was silent. She looked at the
blazing logs on the old-fashioned hearth,
and tried to keep back the fast-rsing tears.
Doctor Dedling rose and took up his hat.
"Then am to consider that our engage
ment is quite at an end ?" said the doctor
eyes" said Judith, in low tone.
al shall always wish you WE'LL" said the
doctor aflably.
81 thank you," said Judith.
"Good-by !" said Doctor Dedling.
"Good-by !" responded Judith.
The next moment, she was alone with
the blazing logs, and the cricket chirpiDg on
the hearth, and the strange, weird shadows
that came and went on the wainscoted
walls.
1t was just a month tonight since they
buried old Miles Grey out of sight. Little
Judith, who had worn herself out in taking
care Of him, had dropped few sincere tears
on the cheap coffin that incased his remains
but no one else had seemed particularly to
grieve.
Mrs. Pytchlcy, her elder sister, who was
married TO a New York grocer, had boldly
declared that it was high time the old man
took himself off the stage of this world, and
had no secret of her disappointment when
, it was discovered that a thousand dollars in
gold-peces represented all his boarded
wealth, with the exception of the cranberry
swamp, upon whose dreary verge stood the
house, and this dreary property, by the
terms Of the will, was TO be divided between
his two nieces, Judith Grey and Maria
Pytehley, as they themselves might agree.
I'm take the ready money" said Mrs.
Pytchley, hastily. "What could do with
r three or four miles of cranberry swamp"
cor what could Judith do with 1t, either?'
said Hobart Pytchley, who was whiting a
pine stick beside the fro.
81 dare say she could manage very nice
ly," said Maria. "I've heard uncle Miles
say that he sold sixty dollars worth of cram
berries, one year out Of the swamp"
"Hnmph !" grunted Mr.. Pytehley.
"And that's legal interest on a thousa nd
dollars, you know" added his wife. "What
do you say, Judith"
at makes no difference TO me-" said Jud-
ith, quietly.
at does to me, then |" said Mrs. Pyteh-
ley. Because, as you know very well, Ho-
bart's business is in the city, and we could do
nothing at all with a lot of swampy land
down here in the baekwoods."
So Mrs. Pytehley had taken the lions
share of the old mans bequest, and gone
bac!, to her city home over Hobart's grocery
storej and young Dedling, who had conf
IDENTIFY calculated on at least five hundred
dollars, to buy surgical instruments and 6t
up an Office 10 the village adjoining-fve-
hundred dollars as the dowry of his bride
olect-broke his engagement in fit tofpiquJ
that Judith should have so deliberately flung
her fortune away.
"A set of harpies 1" cried he, with disgust
"Stop, Doctor Dedling" said Judith, col
, oring up. "You forget that you are speak
ing Of my sister and her husband"
; "But they had no business to impose on
YOU thus !" exclaimed the doctor.