River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-04-02
TWENTY DOLLARS.

/ tin.
"Now, uncle. please" implored
Cathie.
"How many hats have you got al
ready?" memorable demanded Mr..
Hartford.
Nothing that is suitable for this oc-
casion," responded CathIe. Ladies
dress so elegantly for Mrs. Harte- Will
oughby's morning concerts. And Mad
am Persiana has the loveliest opera that
she will let me have Tor twenty dollars
only half price, uncle, dear; because
/ Miss Hyde, for whom it was made, has
gone into mourning and decided not to
take it"
Indeed" said Uncle Hartford.
Dear uncle, you'll give me twenty
dollars!"
"I'll give you nothing of the sort,
said Uncle Hartford, decidedly.
Cathie cried little when her uncle
had gone to his office.
"Mean old thing" said she, apostro-
phizing the portrait of her grand-uncle,
which hung stiff and simpering above
the mantle. with all your oceans OF
money to grudge me poor twenty dol
lars for dress hat And Paul Atherton
is to be there, and Rose st. Felix will
/ have him all to herself-and and
/ And a new gush of tears followed this
/ dismal foreboding.
LEND you twenty dollars, Mrs. APP
/ sell? What do you want me to lend you
twenty dollars for ?"
Paul Atherton was looking very kind
ly down upon the pale, pinched little
widow in her rusty Grape and worn bonn
bazine. and Mrs. Apsell took courage
/ to reply:
cts interest money thatI owe on the
mortgage my poor Herbert gave Mr..
| Hartford, the banker. And if it isn't
1 paid promptly, I'm afraid he'll fore
| close; and all the living 1 made for my
self and the children is by keeping
| boarders in that little house. | have
4 hoped all along to raise the money with
out troubling you, but my best boarders
left me last month, and the rooms are
vacant yet, and"
Mr.. Atherton put his hand into his
pocket at once.
"No more apologies, I beg" said he
eff can't spare little money to Her
bert Apsell's widow, ought to lie cash
tered. Here's twentv-dollar bill-Ive
rather been keeping it for good luck, on
account of the Maltese cross drawn in
red ink on it, butt can afford to transfer
the balance of luck to your account,
Think"
And Mrs. Apsell went Immediately
the tears of gratitude believing h e1
poor, little eyes-to No--Flfth av-
enue, where Cathie Hartford was yet
bewalling her affection.
"What is it Bruce, said Cathie to the
pink-ribboned parlor maid.
Uncle Hartford would not consent to
a man in plain livery, although Cathie
had declared, over and over again, it
was quite essential to their stand in So
ciety.
please, miss, it's q person as insists
on seeing you, if Mr.. Hartford isn't in.
A person to pay some money, miss.
Cathie reused up at this and went
out into the vestibule, where Mrs. APP
sell was meekly waiting.
Its twenty dollars, miss, said Mrs.
Apsell, that I owe MIR. Hartman your
"Uncle," corrected Cathie, rather
stifly.
"Uncle-begging your pardon-for
interest on mortgage on house IN
Hooper street; and if you'll kindly
give it to him"
90, certainly, certainly" said Cathie,
and Mrs. Apsell went away.
Now" cried our disconsolate young
dan1sel "I'll have that dress hat at
Madam Persiana's or I'll know the rea-
son why. Uncle won't know the money
has been paid in, ami next week, when
nv quarterly allowance comes in, I'll
make it all straight.
Miss Cathie Hartford appeared at
Mrs. Harte Willoughby's in a superb
white velvet hat, trimmed with snowy
ostrich tips and silver wheat, tipped
with crystal dewdrops, and Mr.. Ather-
ton thought he had never seen so pref
ty and fascinating a little creature in
all his life.
81 do believe" said Mr. Atherton,
"1'm falling in love with that little girl. !"
| He went home to his hotel. Mrs.
Apsell was sitting in the reception
room waiting to see Linn.
"Hello!" said Mr.. Anterior.
"He's going to foreclose, sir" sobbed
| the widow. "NIr. Hartford is going to
foreclose."
"But he can't foredose if the interest
is paid up to the tine" demonstrated
| Atherton.
II don't know how that it is, sir, !"
whimpered Mrs Apsell. I never did
understand law matters, but"
did you pay that twenty dollars ?"
Il paid it into Miss Hartford's own
hands, sir"
"Tll go and see about it myself, said
Mr.. Atherton. "Go home, Mrs. Apsell,
/ will take the conduct of this matter
into my own charge.
Half an ho1r later Mr.. Atherton pre-
scented himself at the Office of Harpagon
Hartford, in Liberty street.
Flows this about Widow Apsell's
mortgage?" said he. II hear you're
about to foreclose."
Don't pay her interest, CURLY re-
turned the banker.
Glow much is due?"
Twenty dollars"
Atherton paused a minute or two, and
wrinkled his brows in deep thought.
"Tll settle it, said he; and be settled
it accordingly, thinking within himself
"Poor soul!" I dare say she had forty
ways at once for her money, and hoped
to see her way clear!"
And then he went home, stopping en-
route at the cigar merchants to pay
quarters bill. The merchant gave him
in change a twenty-dollar bill with a
red Maltese cross sketched upon its
face.
"The deucel" cried Atherton. How
came you by that lucky bill, Mr.. Smo-
keybridge?"
Let-me-see," said Mr.. Smokey
bridge. my wife took it in from one
M. Achille Persiana"
Can you give his address ?"
ooh, certainly. His wife is the fash
ionable milliner on--street.
And to NJ Persina's our hero went
resolved to see what Mrs. Apseu had
done with the money he had given her
in good faith.
M. Persiana was obiging enough In
fowery, French way. He had received
the money from Aurelio, his wife.
Madame summoned to the conclave, re
ferred to her books and Immediately in
formed them that she had taken the