Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-08-23
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.


Solomon Speed was builder by oc-
cupation, a hard working, calculating,
saving man, who had come TO Bel
mont when the town was new, attrac-
ted thither by promise of mucn oc-
cupation in the line Of his calling.
He was a good mechanic, a fair archi-
tect, competent 10 superlntend the err
ection of any ordinary building, and
able to do much Of the better class of
work with his own hands. He was
also. shrewd man. When he had
thoroughly inspected the town and It's
surroundings, he saw that its POSSIBLE
ties 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 $50
per acre sold for 81 per square foot.
He built for himself large and com
Portable dwelling in the new town,
feeling well assured that he was set
tied down for the remainder Of his
life
Solomon Speed had three children
three sons Nathan, Thomas, and
Peter aged respectively Is, 10, and 4.
This i-year-old son was the child of a
second wife, married after Mr.. Speed
had built his new house in Belmont;
and we may say here that the two
elder sons were never quite reconciled
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 an increase in the number of his
heirs The stop-mother they never i'll
treated that they dared not debut
they never liked her, nor were they
heartily kind to her. After little Peter
had become 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 pleasant
ly to him, and would pick him up
when he FELL but they never kissed
him, and never gave him brotherly
love.
But the child was not without a
playmate of his own sex In the fam
ily, adopted by Solomon Speed, was
"a boy named Robert Ashworth, IA sol
and Gully child of his Speed only
sister His father had died when Rob
ert was an infant, and his mother haC
survived her husband but a few years
On her deathbed she had called he
brother to her side, and begged of hin
that he would take care of her boy
and he had promised thathe would do
so. Robert was at that time year
old, Just the age of Thomas, and from
that time he been one of the family
enjoying all the advantages of lif
and education that his two cousins en-
ioyed. But with the dawuing of bette
times as the prospect of wealth open
ed upon the family the aspect @
Roberts situation changed somewhat
AS solomon Speed began to gain NOR
money than hecould spend, he becam
more and more inclined to save, am
ne came. in time, TO look upon IN
sisters child as a burden which (,
ought not to bear And the same fee
ings found life in the bosomS of Natha
and Thomas. As their prospects grey
brighter and brighter they began I
cherish the fear that they might b
called upon, in some way, to shan
with Robert, their 'pauper cousin,
as they had called him more tina
once.
Robert Ashworh loved the brigh
eyed. faxen- haired child, and nevc
tired of carrying him III his arms am
playing with linn i'm all sorts of wayi
I'm fact. the time came IL ha
come at the time at which we ope
the story when little Peter and hi
mother were the poor cousins onl
friend-the only ones who loved hin
and contributed to happiness.
At the age of rs obert conclude
that he had been burden upon In
uncle long enough, and he suggeste
that il might be we'll for him to g
out into the world and seek his CIV
fortune. Uncle solomon thought ia
The same; and Nathan and Thoma
both co-incided; and the uncle, stipl
lating that the boy should nevC
trouble him more should never ~
peal to him for money offered 70 civ
inm NluH III moucN. INC iau iAs'
thought his uncle would give hil
something, but tins condition arouse
kis indignation, and lac would nt
take penny. He had $40, saved j
TWO years, and he would make thu
answer. Mrs. Speed, who was becon
ING thin and pale and weak, wept wit
bitter grief as She held his hand +,
the last time, and from htue Peter 81
was forced to tear herself away
Time passed ON. Mrs. Speed p
ceived two letters from Robert -ol
written al St. Louis and the 9TH