The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-09-13
THE CRANBERRY SWAMP.

THE CRANBERRY SWAMP.
"Of course" said Young Doctor
Dedling. n man has his own fortune
to look to"
"Of course" said Judith Grey and
As she spoke the words, o chill seemed
to creep, like slowly congealing ice,
around her whole heart.
IF you had consulted me as to your
affairs" went on the young man,
INSTEAD of taking this very extraor-
binary step, entirely without advice or
counsel"
"Yes, l know" hurriedly inter-
posed Judith "but its over and past
now, 50 perhaps We had better not
talk about il"
The red winter sunset was blazing
with sullen FIRE abo7e the cedar copse
in the west the leaAess trees held up
their black arms. in q sort of wrestling
agony, toward the sky. as the bleak
wind tossed them to and fro and a
solitary raven uttered his omin0us
croak in the woods at the back Of the
house.
Doctor Dedling shuddered as he
looked around him, and glanced out
toward the dreary swamp that ex-
tended toward the east.
"Such q place" said he, ''for q
woman to select to live I'M"
1T isn't very cheerful, said Judith
"but I've lived here all my life, you
know"
1.-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-rising tears.
Doctor Dedling rose and took up his
hat.
"Then / am to consider that our
is quite at an end p said
The doctor.
:Yes." replied Judith, in . low
tone.
II shall always wish you well,
aid the doctor, aiably.
IL thank you" said Judith.
'Good.by!" said Doctor Dedling.
Goodbye !" responded Judith.
The next moment she Was alone
With the blazing logs, and the cricket
chipping on the hearth, and the
strange, weird shadows that came and
went on the wainscoted walls.
It Was just q 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 particu-
Iarly to gr;eve.
Nrs. Pytchley, her eldest sister.
who was married to . New York
grocer. had boldly declared that it was
high time her uncle took himself off
the stage of this world, and had NO
secret Of her disappointment when it
Was discovered that . thousand dol
lars in gold pieces represented al his
boarded wealth, with the exception Of
the cranberry swamp. upon whose
dreary verge stood the hose; and
this property, by the terms Of the will,
Was to be divided between his two
niecee. Judith Grey and Maria
Pytchley, - they themselves might
agree.
I'm take the money" said Mn.
Pytchley, hastily. "What could !
do with three or four miles Of Gran.
berry swampr
"Or what could Judith do with It,
either?" said Hobart Pytchley, who
was whiting pine stick beside the
Gre.
II dare ny she could manage very
nicely" said Maria 1--WE heard
Uncle Miles say that he sold sixty
dollars worth Of cranberries one year
out of the swamp"
"Humph !" grunted Mr.. Pytchley.
"And that's legal interest on thou
sand dollars. you know" added his
wife. "Whst do you say, Judith =
ut makes no difference to me"
said Judith. quietly.
ut does to me, then ]" said Mrs.
Pytchley, ''because, as you know