River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-07-21
MARGARET'S MONEY.

week With his own hands.
Still he did look at me, and / answer
ed with a word or two; forget what
now.
EYES," he said, talking with a mean
ing, too, looking at me evidently to see
how took the news; Eyes, and what
do you suppose she does with it? Has
it locked up in my tire-proof safe in my
fire-proof vault: doesn't use it in any
way; doesn't get interest on it; locks
it up as she does her rings and pins,
and lets it lie never touched"
81 wonder you don't give her better
advice" said.
Give woman advicep he said
Try it. However, approve of this.
Better keep her dowry locked up safe
than risk and loose it. I'm her guar
dian. Her father and quarreled, you
know. But when he died he left her
and her money in my care A nice
thing for an old bachelor to have
young niece quartered on him for lifel
I'll marry her off as soon as l can. |
say, Fisher, come up and take tea with
me tonight
He did mean It'll He offered his niece
and $4,000 to me! He had never liked
me either.
"Shall l go?" | asked myself. was
not man to be bought by money, if
she were coarse and vulgar creature
like her uncle; but otherwise why not
see what she was made of? 1t could
do no harm to take tea with old Sim
con Giddings. | went home with him
that evening. | noticed some little
changes in e parlor, as though lady's
hand had been busy there, and in mo-
ment more l saw, sitting in the shadow
of the curtains, a girl dressed in deep
mourning.
Margaret, Mr.. Fisher; my neice,
Miss Giddings, Tom" said the old man
and as | bowed | saw little velvet
headed crutch leaning against the girls
chair. She was lame then. Old Gid
dings thought this an obstacle to her
making a good match, so he offered her
to Tom Fisher.
at won't do, old man." / thought.
Il shouldn't mind plain face, SO
much, but a lame wife will never do
for me-" Then something whispered in
my ear. family; "f5,000r' For the
rest Miss Giddings was fair and pleas
ant in her manner. She was a lady,
too, which seemed odd for old Simon's
neice, for he was as vulgar as he was
rich; and she sang to us after supper
very sweetly. liked a girl with dash
and color, and still her blue eyes and
sweet smile haunted me little after |
went home. "Shell never quarrel with
one" / thought; and woman worth
$4,000 would be catch certainly; but
that crutch! I'll stay away from old
Simon's house for the future"
But he would not let me stay away;
he kept on urging me to go home with
him. There was Marian Moore. Per-
haps she liked me little, / admired
her intensely; but she had no money,
and should take her away from her
snug home to some poor place if |
married her. / should find it hard
work to feed and clothe her decently.
This fair, sweet Margaret was rich,
and as time passed on 1 began to see
her liking for me- And / sat in the
office one day, three months from the
time of my first visit, wondering wheth-
er l could be quite sure that | should
be good enough to the little thing /
meant to marry for her money, to keep
her from knowing that there was no
actual love for her in my heart. And
as | pondered, the voice of old Simon
reached my ears: "Tom Fisher, up in
the moon again, eh? Well, well, when
fellow is in love we excuse laziness in
him. There's my niece Margaret pour
ing the tea in the slop-basin and over
setting the milk at breakfast. Maggie
says |, you're a-thinking of some one,
an ye' She blushed to her ears. You've
managed to get into some good graces
in that quarter, Tom
"Do you think SOP / said
II know so" said the old man. +,
ought not to say so, you know, but Pm
frank "
/ listened to him then, two voices
whispering to me.
''You don't love her" said one "You
don't hate her." said he other. 1t
would make man of you. 'fYou do
want $4,000" said the other. at
would make man of you. You'd
cease to be slave in that drug office"
Five thousand pounds said | to my
self Then l started to my feet.
Mr. Gliding" said. would you
be willing to give your niece to me as
my wife?"
tom Fisher, I'd give her to any
decent young man. A girl bothers
me; | am tired of the charge. Every
one dosen't want a lame wife If you
like her, take her, and on your we'd
ding day I'll hand the $4,000 to you,
and be rid of the charge"
desk; but went to old Simon's house
that night and saw Margaret She
looked as fair and happy as
child / sat down by her and took her
hand.
care you going to say No, Mag
gie?' | said, and she lifted her inno-
cent lips to mine and kissed me. "Pll
be very, very good to you"
But there was no lovers warmth in
my heart; only kind of gentle pity
for the girl who was to bring me S5.-
600. We were engaged. Old Simon
joked us coarsely, and seemed to exult
over the affair / might even have
doubted the existence of the $4,000,
but that Maggie told me of it her
self.
''Uncle was keeping 1t for me to live
on when was an old maid" she said;
"but you shall do what you choose
with the money when belong to you.
Well buy pretty house, shan't we,
dear, first Of all, and live there all our
lives-somewhere where we can have
a garden"
So, after that, / never doubted, but
chung to the idea as | could not if |
had loved tie girl. We were married
in fortnight. Uncle Simon and his
old housekeeper alone were present.
1t had touched me \ good deal when
Margaret had whispered that she had
rather not have a wedding party.
Fancy the bride limping up the aisle
upon crutch!' she said. "Let me be
married with none to stare at me. You
love me, 50 ] don't care about being
lame any more, but I'd rather not be
stared at.
took her in my arms and kissed
her then.
"I'n be good to her." | said as the