The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-08-13
A Victory.

to make himself as tall as he could,
and trying to smile bravely. I'm
going to help You every way |
can"
Poor little man. That effort to
smile resulted in a sad failure.
Two big, bright tears that had all
the while been glistening in Thad's
blue eyes forced themselves out In
spite OF all his trying to keep them
mack and rolled down his cheeks.
How could he smile, when only
week before his father had teen
laid TO rest in the little church
yard, leaving them-Thad and
mother-to fight the battle of life
alone? How dreary and dreadful
everything seemed. Thad couldn't
help wondering if it would eyer
seem any other way. He didn't be
IIeve il would. How could it, with
father gone forever?
There was something else. 1t
wouldn't have been so hard to get
along if they had owned the little
place where they lived-the tiny,
brown cottage where lhad was
oorn, and which had always been
home to him. That was what
Hhad's mother said.
''If it wasn't for the mortgage
that, Squire Bent holds, deary, l
think we could manage. There's
sewing and washing | would have
TO do. But, as it is"
She shook her head, with little,
sorrowful sigh; and it was right
here that Thad said:
But here's me, mother, and I'm
going to help you every way 1
can"
Dear child" his mother said,
her own eyes dim. "What can
do without himY
Thad knew what that meant. He
flung his arm around mothers neck
with little, bitter sob.
''Oh motherr don't try to do
without me-" he cried. Don't let
Mr.. Billings have met Let me
stay with you, and well both work,
mother. Oh, mother, don't let me
go away from you! l couldn't
stand it, mother"
Poor Thad! how hard he cried,
keeping his arms tight around his
mothers neck.
Wen see" she said; "we'll see.
Well try it for while, deary."
And so they did. 1t was a pref
ty hari struggle, Thad found, but
he never lost heart for a long time.
He was so willing TO work, so oblig
ing, So anxious to earn every penny
he could, that good many Of the
village people got him to do err
rands they might have done just as
well themselves. Because" as Old
Deacon CarleLroth said, its a
pleasure to help anyone who tries
to help himself
And Thad was surely trying as
well as he knew how to help him
seli--and his mother If only they
could pay the mortgage!
"If we only could" said Thad
one day. But Squire Bent never
gets me to run any errands for him,
mother"
Mother smiled, and kissed him.
''It would take n good many err
rands to come to fifty dollars, I'm
afraid" she said. "But we'll hope
for the best, deary. You're,going to
stay with mother, anyway"
And if you could have seen the
bright happy look on our Thad' S
face as he trudged away with his will
low basket full of clean lace for
Mrs. Darrell, the doctors wife, you
would have thought some little
bird had been set to singing in his
| heart.
His way TO bIrs. DarrelTs led by
Squire Bent's big house, and
Squire Bent himself was just going
up the broad graveled driveway.
Thad walked little slower. He
couldn't help feeling, somehow, the
least bit afraid OF the squire.
But when. Squire Bent had opened
his door and it shut behind him,
| Thad walked all the faster to make
up for short time-sO fast indeed,
that when his foot struck against
| something in the road, he sent it
spinning airly ahead.
| Then he saw what it was, and his
mouth puckered itself into a wills
tie. He picked itup-a little roll
of brown shiny leather-a pocket
book; Squire Bent's pocketbook,
Thad knew.
Almost before he realized what
he was doing he opened it. 1t was
lined with bank notes; tens, TWEEN
ties, fiftles and at least one hundred
dollars.
Poor, sorely tempted little Thad
He did not dare TO look farther He
shut the book and strapped it tight,
and standing still it the dusty road
he fought battle with himself--a
battle all the fiercer, perhaps, be
cause in was so brief-a battle, the
issue of which would pledge his fu-
ture to right or wrOng-poOr little
Thad.
Why shouldn't he keep the
money? No one would ever know
and they needed it so much more
than Squire Bent could possibly
need it. He might keep fifty dol
lars anyway, enough to pay off that
dreadful mortgage. How pleased
his mother would be;wouldn't she
would she be pleased? What weuld'
she say, Thad wondered, if she
knew? His checks burned like fire.
He was ashamed of the temptation.
He turned and sped back over the
road, up the graveled way,to Squire
Bent's door, and in a moment more
he was standing in the sitting room
before the squire and his wife.
'Is--is this yoursY' he painted.
Squire Bent put his hand in his
pocket. He took the pocket book.
He looked at the red checked,
breathless boy.
81 believe it is" he said, with a
twinkle in his eye. "There'sa good