The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-20
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
'sOnly five hundred dollars! To think
that only five hundred dollars would
ave the house, and for want of it it
must be sold, and what we shall do after
that lido not know!" And the hand
some young matron who spoke burst
into 3 flood of tears.
She was sitting in the upper front
room of her cottage home, with a
dressmaker, an elderly person with
neat gray curls, who was doing her best
to make new walking-dress out of
three old ones; and it was to her Mrs.
lockwood had spoken.
s'It is a shame to worry you with my
troubles" she added, in a moment
more; ..but really 1 am in such a state
that / can't keep it to myself, Miss Nor
gan. MI. lockwood takes such things
so terribly to heart; and you know
when I married there was every reason
to believe that papa would back us up
and help us along, and things have
turned out so differently"
Indeed they have, Mrs. Redwood"
said Miss Morgan. 'tAnd if your pa
hAoWo WAdGl 10 SOluS Ou uCIO L WOuOOI
he can rest in heaven"
81 forgive him, I'm sure" said Mrs.
lockwood. ttMy step-mother poisoned
his mind against Mr.. Rockwood; and 1
don't believe he was quite in his right
mind when he altered his will and left
everything to her. If he were living
he'd give me this money, if he only
knew / needed it, without asking. He
never denied me anything" said Mrs.
lockwood, beginning to weep again.
"And she has the homestead and all
the property, and an income of at least
ten thousand a year., and I am going to
be turned out of house and home for
five hundred dollars"
"Gracious mel" said Miss Morgan,
al don't see how 1 can go over there
and fit her black velvet dress to-mor-
row. 1 don't, indeed. I've a good
mind to say I won't-there now!-and
have the satisfaction of giving her a
piece of my mind to pay for it.
mo, no, Miss Morgan. She's a good
customer" said Mrs. Rockwood.S .It
would do me no good. Do you think
you a get the waist out, Miss Nor
ganP"
81 can, by piecing; and I can make
q bit of shell trimming to hide the
place." said the dressmaker. s.And
I'll run in and drape it for you Thurs
day. Don't take big seams I've cut
it loose, because, to tell the truth, the
stuff won't bear much pulling"
Then Mrs. lockwood went to work
On the sewing-machine. Thankful to
have contriyed a decent gown without
much expenditure of money-linings,
buttons and braid, and Miss Morgan's
dollar and a half being all that she
could save W. by having liver and
bacon and Goldfish dinners twice a week
and the worthy dressmaker stitched
away with great diligence, making up
her mind that she would say a word for
poor Mrs. lockwood to her-step mother,
even if she were srubbed for it.
st brings mean folks to the point
sometimes" she said to herself, ..if
they know their meanness is known to
strangers"
Early next morning Miss Morgan rang
the bell at Mrs. C~anline's handsome
front door, and found the lady ready
for her. She always got as much as
she could out of people who worked for
her, and paid as little for it as possible.
There was plenty of the black velvet,
however, and of rich lace TO trim it
with, and the buttons were five dollars
a dozen.
No skipping and piecing of this ele-
giant costume; and as Miss Morgan
stitched she thought of the step-daugh-
ter's made-over dress, and inwardly
fumed and fretted. How could she get
a chance to say anythingp And how
could she say it so as to do good, and
not harmp
'tMiss Morgan, 1 saw you at Mrs.
Rockwood's yesterday, didn't Ip" said
Mrs. Canine, after awhile; and the
dressmaker started as though her
thoughts could have been read.
Eyes, ma'am," she said, hurriedly,
81 went there for a day to make some
old things over, and veryhard it was to
get n decent dress out of three, L can
tell you. Such a handsome wardrobe
as your daughter used to have, too"
'My daughterP Why, Miss Morgan,
you ought not to call Mr.. Canline's
daughter grown young woman when
l married him-mine," said Mrs. Can
line, testify. "Dear mel! she was en-
gagged to that stupid young lockwood
when I first met her poor pa. My
daughterr
II should have said your ~step-daugh-
ter, Mrs. Canine" said Miss Morgan.
"But, really, you'd feel sorry to see
how hard it is for her to make both
ends meet"
'tWell, of course, I'm sorry," said
Mrs. Canine. "But, as you make
your bed, so you must lie. She offended
her pa and he left her nothing, and me
all. I couldn't help that. And I've
my dear boy at college just that age
that he needs so much money. 1 told
him 1 should send him a present that
was worth while this Christmas. He
can't come home-it's too far, you
know. And 1 shall give him five hun.
dred dollars. Of course his expenses
are all attended to, but he must have 8
little swing. There it is allin one note.
I shall register it this afternoon"
Give hundred dollars!' said Miss
Morgan; 'exactly the amount of the
mortgage the Rockwood's house Is tc
be sold for"
"Are they really going to lose theil
house?" said the step-mother. ssWha
thriftlessness. .'Well, / shall send the
children a little Christmas present al
the same. l shall send them five dol
lars, for l have a silly way of being
generous to the undeserving."
Miss Morgan bent over her work.
.'You hat have all her fathers for
tune" she thought-''you who came be.
tween parent and child SO that he dis