Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-02-25
4 Eflsrt 5 turg.
The Buried Secret.


the point of death. From his srou-
bled expression it was evident that lie
most earnestly desired to conntuni-
cate something to his children bsfors
he died. Laura. the eldest, wasss
enteen, while the other two, Maggie
and Tommy, were of the respective
ages of thirteen and nine.
For thirty years Jasper Flint had
been dealer in second hand clothing,
and although very penurious and
tricky, and driving an extensive trade
in cast off garments. he prpfes1.o
be very, very poor-always crying up
poverty to the last. He had never
employed servant or housekeeper, for
the ostensible reason that he was very
poor, SO that Laura, from the age of
twelve had been n perfect little fam
lily drudge
Everybody said that old Jas!er was
miscr. He was near fifty year. Of
age before he ever thought Of marry
ing; and with his disposition and hab-
its, it's wonderful that he ever thought
Of il at all
The wife he married was twenty
years Younger than himself; but he
starved aud broke her heart by bis
mesnness in ten years time. She was
sdelicate. sensitive, and refined woman
and could not adapt herself to his
mlserly manner of thinking and act
| ing. She died, as We have said. in ten
Years after this ill-assorted marriage,
leaving three pretty children with a
fair prospect of starving after her.
\ careful Investigation into the old
clothIers affairs showed but few
| pounds Of ready money scarcely more
than enough to defray funeral ex-
penses and what rendered matters
still worse was, his stock in trade as
destroyed by tire three DAYS after: and
/ having been too siincy IN his lifetime
to pay for an insurance policy, the
| poor childrsd lost everything except
the roof that sheltered them But
Laura vas rssoiute, self reliant;
young girl. and proved herseli. in
every respect, equal 10 the equlyocaI
situation.
She put out = small signboaTd, and
took IN washing and ironing. Mag
I gle. who was stout and healthy. as
sisted her in her iabors and Tommy.
1T her suggestion. though he was but
nine Years old, nched ont boldly a.
newssoy.
/ With all hand. thus occupied. the
r,ssar's chtlIr.,, vnrc ss,s,. i,xt~sy f,r
more comfortably than they had ever
done while their father Was alive.
| They we're able 20 suplS them
selves with more wholesome fool. and
in sufficient quantity To sppease their
hunger; clothe themselves bct,er. aud
to appear better and more well-to-do
generally. Laura was very pretty and
and neat and atfabls. aud this secured
her pleni, Of work Of the ligh,est and
desirable description. and ,h. young
clerks and gentlemen OF leisure. " no
chiefly employed her, declared ,ha,
they could see their facrs IN their
shirtbosoms after they had passed
through the artistic ordeal Of her pol
ishiIg irons.
She Was subject, of course. 10 good
deal OF annoyance from her geu,eel pa
irons in the way OF flattery and com.
pliments, but she conducted herself
always with the sirictest propriety
whenever they we're present which
soon won from than general respect
and friendship. Her practical little
head was too strong TO be turned from
the praseworthy current of her pur-
pose by any man S flattery. But there
vas one Young man who had insen.iDly
won his way into her good graces-a
clerk of twenty.
Laura, ith her practical eye, could
read his pure aud unseltish nature 81
glance, and she liked him but she
understood life better than he. and
when he urged an early marriage she
reasoned.
"iou are just in the beginning Of
the struggle" she would say. and
with talent and the good principles
ven possess to recommend you, you
are sure to rise, If you do not rush
blindly into responsibilities that are
sure TO cramp YOU in the future"
To these arguments Fred Allston
would always reply:
"Now. Laura, darling. this may ap-
pear very rational to you, and might
to NE. if | did not feel in your great
anxiety for my future success, you are
too apt to underate nv capability Of
coping with the world. Now if We
married, | should feel content, and
struggle like lion TO place you in
that more exalted social position for
which vou are so well fitted. You
can 90 right on with your washing
and ironing just the same, if you
choose to, till my salary is increased,
or get into business on my own &C
count; and | can pound out the
clothes and do all the heavy work for
you when am alone at the Office.
You see, my darling, can calculate
in my own fashion, if am not quite
as wise and practical as yourself
To all of this Laura would shake
her young head gravely, and maintain
her right to differ.
"If everything wa. sure of being
just as you paint it, she would an
swer negatively. "the venture might
be safe enough perhaps. But | am
endowed with greater degree of eau
tion than you, and can form a cooler
estimate of the after probabilities, in
the event of my permitting this un-
certain step.
"Look, as an illustration, at Nancy
Fulsome. She is only a year older
than /, been married q trifle over two
years, and has three babies-the first
two being twins, and hardly able to
todle alone. Instead of being able to
assist Charlie, as she did for the first