The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-08-31
Weighed in the Balance.
A True Story.

solomon Speed was builder by occu-
patton, hard working, calculating, saw
ing man, who had come to Belmont
when the town was new, attracted thith-
ef by promise of much occupation in the
line of his calling. He was good me-
chanic, very fair architect, competent
to superintendent the erection of any
ordinary building, and able to do much
Of the better class of work with his own
hands. He was also a shrewd man.
When he had thoroughly inspected the
town and Its surroundings. he saw that
Its possibilities were great, and all the
money he could raise and all the credit
he cared to ask were invested in land.
And he did not mistake. He lived to
see land that he had bought at the rate
OF fifty dollars per acre, sold for one dol
lar per square foot. He built for him
self a large ana comfortable dwelling, in
the new town, feeling well assured that
he was settled down for the remainder
of his life.
Solomon Speed had three children
three sons-Nathan, Thomas, and Peter,
aged respectively, eighteen, ten and
tour. This four years old son was the
child of a second wife. married after Mr..
Speed had built his new house in Bel
mont; and We may say here that the
Two elder sons were never quite recon-
Giled to their fathers second marriage.
They had inherited all his shrewdness.
and, having seen that wealth was likely
to flow in upon their father, they did
not take kindly to the idea of en- in
crease in the number Of his heirs The
step-mother they never ill-treated-
that they dared not debut they never
liked her, nor were they ever heartily
kind to her. After little Peter had be-
come large enough and strong enough
to creep around upon his hands and
knees, and anon to stand upon his feet,
the two brothers, large and strong,
sometimes spoke pleasantly to him, and
would pick him UP when he fell; but
they never kissed him; they never gave
him brothe,ly love.
But the child was not without play
mate of his own sex. In the family,
adopted by Solomon Speed, WAS boy
named Robert Ashworth, son and only
child of his-Speed's only sister. His
father had died when Robert was an in
FAINT, and his mother he'd survived her
husband but few years. On her
deathbed she had called her
brother to her side, and begged
of him that he would take care of her
boy; and he had promised that he
would do SO. Robert was at that time
five years old, just the age of Thomas,
and from that time he had been one of
the family, enjoying all the advantages
of life and education that his two cous-
ins enjoyed. But with dawning Of bet
ter times--as the prospect Of wealth
opened upon the family the aspect of
Roberts situation changed somewhat.
As Solomon Speed began to gain more
money than he could spend, he became
more and more inclined to save; and he
came, in time, to look upon his sisters
child as a burden which he ought not to
bear. And the same feelings found Ii
in the bosoms of Nathan and Thomas
AS their prospects grew brighter and
brighter, they began to cherish the fear
that they might be called upon, in some
way, to share will Robert, their "pau-
per cousin" as they had called him
more than once.
Robert Ashworth loved the bright
HSeu, lidAell-iialIeN Cllllu, dllu never
tired O. CARRYING him in his arms, and
playing with him in ell sorts of ways.
In fact, the time came-it had come at
the time at which we open the story
when little Peter and his mother were
the poor cousins Only friends-the only
ones who loved him, and contributed
to his happiness.
At the age ofsixteen Robert concluded
that he had been a burden upon his
uncle long enough, and he suggested
that it might he well for him to 90 out
into the world andseek his own fortune
Uncle solomon thought the same; and
Nathan and Thomas both conceded
and the uncle, STIMULATING that the boy
should never trouble him more--shculd
never appeal to him for money-ofered
TO give HIM one hundred dollars in
money. The lad had thought his uncle
dition aroused his indignation and he
would not take penny. He had ten
dollars, saved in two years, and he
who was becoming thin, and pale, and
weak, wept with bitter grief as she held
his hand for the last time; and from lit.
tie Peter he was forced to tear himself
away.
lime passed on. Mrs. Speed received
two letters from Robert-one written at
~. Louis, and the other away out toward
the Rocky mountains. She answered
them both. IN the last she confessed
that she was very weak, with little hope
oil life remaining. At the end ola year
and a hall he wrote his third letter, from
the Pacific coast, bidding her that she
ehould direct her answer to San Francis
co. He was going away to the noun
tains, beyond Sonora, but friend in
Another year passed, Mt the end Of
which time his last letter to Mrs. Speed
was returned to him. She was dead!
and the wanderer wrote no more letters
to his old home.
Ten years more had passed, when
Robert Ashworth-now strong, rugged
brown-faced, full bearded man, Of eight
twenty-met man who had come
from Belmont within year From this
man he learned t';at Solomon Speed was