Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-10-24

W.. 1 .
4 worn ont. and even Rho la ;was losing
Z spirit, with her youth anaa I'LL ON.
Inc evening the g,irl was going home
4 from her day work . y6ung man step
ped to her side.
Rhoda Townsend he exclaimed.
on don't know me q q
But she did know him, she waa
greatly surprised and agitated to- see
him for it was years since they had
met.
Mr.. Ring Y she said, trembling
/. II ssz
OF Mr.. Kingdom, !" he replied but
Mark cal me Mark, If you please.
How long it is since Il have seen you !" ~
ct IS hardly my fault, !" Rhoda cold
III replied; Tor she thought he had pnr-
posely avoided her family since thsY
became poor. 81
Perhaps il IS mine, 4 he said.
Though, indeed, Rhoda, 4 have thought
OF you great deal, and inquired for
4 you, lately. Are ron walking home
now? May + go along with you?"
Il you wish to see bow poorly we are
obliged to live, she answered, in the
same cold tone Of voice
They walked on together, but with
lew words They came to Mrs. Town.
send door Rhoaa stopped, as if to
bid him good by. e. al. ss
1 9 May I go III and seeyour mother 2" he
4 asked, as if he had been humbly begging
i q favor.
oh yes. i suppose so. said Rhodai
4 and, after hesitating q moment, she
4 showed him in gs - (. III Fl.
Perhaps, on reflection, she was quite
| willing that he should see the poverty to
which they had been reduced.
! Mrs. Townsend received him kindly,
and he sat down in a little sitting groom
where the long struggle between neat
ness and want had left 1tsssad trace. Il
T II should not have known you" she
remarked. Indeed, I never saw you
many times. You came to Rhoda's birth
day party once, I remember" ,,,.~,. ,.....<
*%S& Tears. rushed into The. mothers eyes,
las she thought Of the changes in her
family since that happy time. "a s*/3
I i. Marks heart was full. 1t was some
time before he could command himself
to speak. ,~ = e.,sg.~s~ H. n @~'a
"Rhoda thinks Z haven't wished to
keep up the acquaintance, !" he said at
length.
There WAS, no reason why You shonlas
wish to- Rhoda said demurely. ~
wasn't blaming You"
Then suddenly Marks words came in
| burst eff emotion.
There has never, been q day since l
last saw you, Rhoda, he, said, when ]
haven't had you and your folks
in my mind. I promised once,
you remember, to do something for
you. But I wasn't able to. That is the
true reason why haven't tried to see
you SINCE"
It evidently gave him so much pain
ITO say what he did, that sRhoda inter-
rupted him. ~ T..
"You needn't explain I always had
faith in you Please don't allude to
what's past, any more!"
"But ! must" Mark exclaimed.
"There was business transaction be-
tween your father and mine, which I
could never feel right about. Mr.
Townsend was looser by his bargain.
Ny father was in the end % gamer.
though he didn't think so at first i lie,
didn't mean to be- unjust. He is dead
now; and I want you to think better O!
him than you did st one time"
| "Dead!" said Mrs. Townsend. II
hadn't heard of it."
Mark, in low tender voice. "He left
everything to my mother and NEE
large property"
| He hesitated, then turned his eyes
earnestly on Mrs. Townsend. She was
studying him with strange, sad, fearful
looks.
| My mother thinks as do of that con-.
tract" he went on.sx%# "There is some
twenty-three thousand dollars, including
interest, now. due--justly due--from
our estate to yours, and we have made
all arrangements to have it paid"
"To have it id---twenty-three thou.
! sand? I don't understand you'll" said
| Mrs, Townsend, in great agitation,
| II underestimate p said Rhoda, wild with
JOY. "It is Mark the same Mark used
to know, and have such faith in!"
j.. The poor widow still looked bewild.
cred. T".s ..*s>.,' :
"Do you really mean she began.
II mean every word / said, replied
Mark, radiant with happiness. "Oui
lawyer will pay over to you tomorrow
twenty three thousand and some odd
dollars-the sum which we owe you"
'''And Maria can leave that horrid
store! And Thomas can still go to col
lege!" exclaimed Rhoda, throwing her
self On her mothers neck, and kissing;
her wildly, while Mark shed tears OF
joy and sympathy. "And you, dear,
mother! you shanA work SO, as you do,
any morew .~ ~. ~ q
You don't think Of yourself, Rhoda"
said her mother. T.