River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-04-30

I
place. Then, nave $4O0 in bank,
and l think in a week or two | can
manage to raise the rest. By the way,
have the bills come in, and how much
are they ?''
There was no help for it, the dreaded
4 moment had come, with fresh bitter
ness added thereto. She brought out
| the pile of envelopes, and handing
! them to him sat down in calm despera-
! ton, while he examined them-the
fact that she was only indirectly re-
| spOnsible for the size of the bills in no
wise tending to make her feel less like
| a criminal.
'Whew!" he said, as he took them.
PLENTY of them, at all events-Doc-
| tor S95, Draper & De Lane S110, Jones
$50, Brown S35, rent S25, gas $50, coal
Sl8. Well, that pretty nearly sweeps
my bank account
John, dear John, don't look so mis-
erable-I couldn't help i'll am so
sorry! You can return my cloak, 1
havn't worn itT'
'Do | hold you responsible, my
dear? Who bought the cloak, you or
l? If that were all, | could manage.
AS it is, l can pay the bills, but the
house must be given up, and it really
is such a chance as comes once in a
lifetime"
Mrs. Ruther made no answer, she
was crying quietly behind the news
paper which she had picked up and
was holding in front of her to hide her
tears.
Her husband began figuring on the
back of one of the envelopes; it was
way he had when worried.
Presently she let fall the paper, with
half smothered exclamation, and
rushed out of the room and upstairs.
He scarcely noticed the circumstance
it was common One--probably she
imagined she heard the baby cry or
Johnnie cough. In a very few min
utes she came back, laughing and cry
ing all together, and flung herself on
his shoulder, holding out a silver coin.
Take it, Johni ta6e it! it really isl
now you can pay the bills and take
the house tOo!-oh, L am so glad! SO
glad!" she sobbed incoherentlv.
Mr. Ruther was no numIsmatist, and
for one terrible moment he actually
feared that his wife had lost her mind.
1t cost him no small effort at self-con-
troll to draw her gently to him, and
ask in tones whose very quietness told
of his eifort--''What do you mean, my
darling?"
''Why, John, don't you understand
This is the silver dollar Grandpa gave
me when was baby, and it is an
1904 dollar-it really is-and perfect,
don't you see? Now what do you
think it is WORTH"
He took the coin and examined it
critically.
Il don't know" he said doubtfully,
''ten dollars, perhaps.
Ten dollars! oh, John, you dear
old goose! ten hundred would be
nearer to it. just listen" and she
ran for the evening paper, which in
her hurry she had left living where
she had dropped it, on the floor.
"Listen," and in tones that quivered
with excitement, she read:
ga VALUABLE COIN.
''Mr. Robert Smith. of Blank
county, has in his possession agenuine
silver dollar of the coinage of 1904,
which he recently purchased of an
old colored woman, to whom he paid
SO for It, Nh. Smith has been offered
$500 for the coin, which is an extremely
rare one; only four other perfect speci-
mems being known to exist, one of the
four being in the collection at the
u. S. Mint. Mr. Smith values his
specimen at 1000, which extravagant
price any numismatist who wishes to
secure the coin will probably be obliged
to pay, since it is the only one of its
kind in the world which is for SALE
Now. don't you see, supposing we
can sell this for even 5000, you can
buy the house, pay all the bills, and
still have money enough left to move
with. Dear old grandpa! He would
be so pleased to know that the pocket
piece he gave his first granddaughter
had done so much good. Mother al
ways taught me to regard it as some
thing very precious, because he gave
it to me one afternoon, and the next
morning they found him dead in his
bed, just as though he had fallen
asleep. She never even was willing
to punch a hole in it, and let me wear
it to cut my teeth on, as he intended |
should do, lest 1 should lose it. Why
don't you say something, John?
Aren't you glad? Don't you believe
it?''
Mr.. Rutber was intently studying
the precious coin, which, though dark
from long lying by, was as perfect as
when first issued. He looked up now,
with a face of infinite satisfaction and
relief.
Il was waiting for you to get
through your story" he said. land
really | don't see what there is left
for me to say. If this newspaper par
agraph is true, and dare say it is,
your grandfather dollar will take us
safely out of the woods. I'll take it
to Burdin's tomorrow and see how
much it is worth, but don't set your
figures too high.
So the next day the coin was taken
to the principal dealer in curiosities
in the city, who gladly bought it on
speculation; and though he did not
pay 81 900 for it, he did pay enough
to more than make it possible to ac-
cept Mr.. Whittemore's offer.-MrS.
II. T. Handu.