The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-08
"In this wilderness here" said Mrs.

mans wife, "you have no idea of the
perpetual demand on us for money"
81 will take you for six dollars u
Mrs. Dirk had completed the sentence
as if the other had not spoken.
And the bargain was completed.
Mrs. Lonsdale had not been in the
house more than week before she took
her husbands cousin severely to task.
"That horrid old man in the faded
olive green has the best room in the
house" said she. "The very best"
eyes," said Mrs. Dirk, che is my
mothers uncle. He was always very
good to my poor husband.'
"But I'm told he only pays half
price!"
"That's my affair."" said Mrs. Dirk.
"But is it true1" insisted Mrs. Ions
dale.
eyes it is true," confessed the widow.
"He is very old, and can't 60 up and
down stairs, so of course he must have
the first floor room"
''But he hasn't any property?'
'He owns Garage farm, across the
mountains" said Mrs. Dirk, but no.
body will rent it of him because the
land is SO rocky, and the farm house
was burned down last fall when there
was so many fires in the woods. Be-
yond that he has nothing"
Mrs. Lonsdale curled her lip.
"Such impudence, said she. emo
body has any right to live to be seventy
years old without having laid up some
little provision for the future"
81 was thinking" said Mrs. Dirk,
"that perhaps Cousin Mortimer Ions
dale would contribute a little some
thing to his support, as we are equally
related"
"You may be very sure that he will
not" said Mrs. Lonsdale with en-
phasis.
every well," said Mrs. Dirk calmly.
"He shall never want while l can help
him."
The very next week, however, old
Mr.. Darrow was found dead in his arm
chair And by will he had left every
thing he possessed to his grandniece,
Mary Dirk.
81 wish you joy of Garage Farm !"
chuckled Mrs. Lonsdale. "Of course
you'll have to pay tax on it, SO it will
absolutely be money out of pocket
"It was all he had to give" said
Mrs. Dirk. - ''
Meanwhile the family was prosper
ing. Sarah was engaged to marry a
thrifty young farmer of the neighbor-
hood. Helen was earning good liv-
ing.
Lizzie was contemplating the setting
up of small millinery shop on her
own account-and Rosie was in high
favor at Millingham Place.
Even Mrs. Lonsdale admitted that
her French cook could not excel the
syllabus, creams, delicate cake and deli
cious puddings which these young dam
sells compounded with the help of new
laid eggs and country cream.
'1'm almost sorry our rooms are en-
gagged at Saratoga" said the city lady.
81 am getting rather to like Moon
Mountain. And your table is decided
ly good, Mary
But, just as she was packing her big
trunks for the removal to the Mecca of
modern fashion, Mr.. Lonsdale himself
came down.
"Well," said the lady airly, "what
is the news Mortimer?'
"Bad news" said Mortimer, in a
hoarse accent. tWe are ruined The
business has gone to wreck-the cash
ier has fed to Canada-and we haven't
a cent to call our own!''
Whereupon, naturally enough, Mrs.
Lonsdale went into Mysteries.
When Mrs. Dirk came in, Naomi was
wildly loading her husband with re-
proaches. Mortimer Lonsdale stood
leaning against the mantel, with some
thing glittering in his hand. Mrs
Dirk went up to him and took it away
with gentle authority.
"Give me that pistol, Mortimer" said
she. "Getup, Naomi, and leave offcry-
ing and sobbing. If you ever need to
be woman, you need it now!"
"We are ruined I'VE are ruined u
shrieked Naomi, tearing her hair.
81 never can redeem myself!" said
Mortimer, huskily. "You had better
have let me shot myself, Mary"
"Pshaw!" said Mrs. Dirk, curtly,
"Suicide is the last resort of the cow
ard. Don't you know, Mortimer, that
it is always darkest just before day
light?"
sI don't know what you mean," said
he.
"Then listen to me. The old law
yer has just come over from Carragee
Farm. He says that they have struck
a rich vein of iron on the rocky hills
there. A stock company want to buy
it of me for S25, 900, and I've agreed to
sell it. Uncle Darrow was as much
your granduncle as he was mine. Well
divide the money, Mortimer, you and
l."
"But I've no right to it, Mary" fall
tered he.
"Not by law, perhaps" said the
widow, "but have by equity-at all
events, half of it shall be yours. What
do l want of $4,000? Half will be
great riches to me. The girls are all
doing well and l like to lead busylife.
Nay, Mortimer you must take it!"
He turned away his face.
"Mary," said he, "you have heaped
Goals of fire on our heads!''
SO Mr.. and Mrs. Lonsdale settled on
a pretty farm on Moon Mountain, and
strange to relate, their only son, Geof.
frey, eventually married pretty Essie
Dirk.
$50 that you'll have to adopt one o.
Mary Drix's girls, after all" jocoSely
said her husband.
"She's perfect darling!" said Mrs
Lonsdale, who had softened strangely
of late.
And in spite of the discouragine
prophecies of the world, the Widow
Dirk and her family had succeeded in
n, ,a;ntainipU their independence