Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-02-18
MAGGIE AND THE Isl fGLAES.
"You are not afraid, Mag9ie?'

- Oh are lIUl iIraltt, laSnle:
'.Mc afraid salu Maggie. I'D no !
fear born in me. AS for the house, it's .
the strongest fastened ever / was in. !
You say yourself there's no lock burg !
lar could force, and am not the one to
let tramps OF the like i'll of my free will.
God knows the place will be safe enough
when you come back-as safe as though
there was "a regiment Of soldiers, i'll it,
and I'll have all bright for. your new
wife, Mr. Archibald"
SLo called her master Mr. Archibald
still, the oh woman; but she was the
only one who still used his Christian
name He was an elderly man himself.
and had few intimate friends, hospltali
tv not being one of his virtues.
He was rich, and there was much that
was valuable IN the house; more ready
money, too, tnan most men KEEP: about
them; but then it was as secure as u
bank vaut-patent locks and burglar
alarms that first sent bullet into any
one whc sought to enter by stealth, and
then rang II bell to wake the household
were attached to every door, and a furi-
ols watch dog that lived on raw meat,
was IT, the bnck garden. The Van Mott
mansion could have withstood siege at
II n.Omclt's notice
Mr. Van Mott was a money dealer. He
hat. ways and mcaus OF accumul ating
property WHICH were mysterious to his
neighhors and they were suspicious that
the little back parlor, sacred to business
had even seen such lesser dealings as
the loan of money on the gold watches,
cashmere shawls and diamonds of gen
tccl distress
Two or three nortrages that he had
closed, and hc was a hard landlord and
IL bad person to owe money To utogeth
or Ga the whole, lie was disliked in
the place, aud. rich i, he was, would
have found it IL ri to get II wife to his
liking among his nriehbors Of Oukham.
However, having resolved to marry
= again-there having been n Mrs. Van
Mott, who died years heforc.-he had
sought out wealthy widow OF IL saving
disposition, who lived on small farm
some miles from town, and a1iaying al
ready lisinhcrlttd her auShter for es-
pousing an cstimahle man Of small
means, and turned her only son out Of
doors lnr equally prudent reasons. was
Mt likely to bring any troublesome
generosity into his household and he
had offered himself to her and had been
accepted
And, now. though both their ccono-
uicnl souls rrvolted against it, custom
,l,creei II wedding Of some sort and a
honeymoon trip somewhere, aud they
had decided tn DO it as cheap|y as posi-
hle. For this brief time. Mr.. Van
Mott must leave his business and house,
and II WAS upon the eve of departure
that he held the above conversation with
hl> old servant, standing with his port
inautrau III his hands and regarding he,
trayely
Yes, yes" he said, II presume it i.
ail safe enough. Aud TIL speak to the
iSht wa;"humn, AND give him dollar
y talk ap.Ttitular .look ut. this house
Vel goodbye, Maggie. make things
v neat AS possible; if they look dirt.
NY wife may think the furniture old
Iid want some new for the parlor." An.
N.Y. Van Mott DEP larted.
Yes, said old Maggie, mo doub
SIG Il have fine, eNtravagant ways. Poo
Al''stcr What a pity ne should marry
alter asl-but OLD fools are the wors
i""is. Young man Of eight and for
" 700, WHEN he has = sensible servant
sAts last january, AMI knows what be
longs TO go d housekeeping. If h
wanted TO marry why didn't he ask me
Ia not have not gone yalivantlnv mn
spending. All, well, he'll suffer not T
Aud Maggie trottei away to beg,n h.
sweeping and dusting.
She said truly that there was no f.a
born within her, but rs the night DIRE,
Oh She began to feel somewhat lionel,
Us her masters presence was straugel