The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-16

"Who would you suppose, mothcrp" |
"Rcally, can not think ofany one in .
che neighb0rhood either 80 poor or SO .
mean MS to steal. Who Is itP" !
Captain Gerald, the Englshman !
who"--
Eyes, my doar. reckon know who
Captain Gerald is. And do you say
they propose to entrap himp'
A full recital of the plan was then
given. 1t did not meet the approval OF
John. mother. and she said, frankly:
al don't like that ut all. think
john might take more manly
course. don't like traps"
Then. after pause during which she
had looked mcdtatingly into the glow
ing hickory fire. she said: Emily. II
you have any thing to do. don't wait
any longer with me. When I am ready
to lay aside my wrappngs can do SO
in my own room"
VERY well, mother; I'vc had fire
made there for you. so I'll go and finish
my pies before ten. +"
Once alone, the elder Mrs. Bathurst
thought awhile, then nodded with great
determination and said to hcrself
"Yes, will do it."
She arose and left the room, but, in
stead of going to her own. she passed
out of the house, and turned in the di-
rection of Captain Gcrad's. She
walked briskly and independently
across the snow fields,-an old lady
who felt her resolution to be right, and
who was going to put her foot down
firmly upon traps of all kinds. AL
though her heart was filed with kind
ness and generosity, her manner was
severe when the English Captain
opened the door in response to her
knock.
"Good-evcning, Captain Gerald"
"Good-evening, responded tho Cap
tain, as he stood peering out into the
darkness, quite ignorant as to who his
visitor was, and mystificd as to what
she could possibly want ut such unsea-
sonable hour. "Will you come in,
madamp"
"No l think III not go in. can say
all have to say right here, and need
not trouble your wife with my errand.
l only came to tell you that if you are
in need of wood, and are too poor to buy
it, I'll give you all you choose to cut Off
that wood-lot over yondcr. And want
to tell you that you had better not come
|
and lot of the ncighbors are watching
for you, and you'll certainly bo caught.
don't approve of traps, so l came to
warn YOU"
"What do you meanP' cried the
Captain, angrily. "What do you mean
by coming here and insulting mep"
81 mean only to do a friendly act.
Don't come out tonight.
''How dare you say stole your sons
wood! and what do those-those cads
mean by talking about setting trap for
me?"
Captain Gerald had only drawn the
door partially to when he stepped out
upon the porch to speak to Mrs.
Bathurst, and his angry voice was heard
by his wife. us she moved quietly about
preparing the moagre supper. She came
to the door, and asked, uneasily, "What
is the matter. Henryp"
| Nothing nothing. my dear; go in
Mt once; you will get cold"
But Mrs. Gerald was not so easily dis
posed of. ''You must not stand here,
Henry with your bare head. If this
person has any thing to say to you, let
her come into the house. Gomez and
she held the door wide open.
"Have you any thing more to say,
madam" Captain Gerald asked. ''Ii
you have, you may rs well enter" And
he stood aside for his visitor to pass.
Although from the army, he was a
man who submitted at once to any cal.
amity rather than fight against it. That
had always been his unsoldicrly weak
ness; but this one time, in his weak.
ness lay his strength. The three went
in.
"What is it, Henryp'
"This --wom-lady-I believe she is
Mrs. Bathust-has come to offer me Q
chance to cut wood upon some of hel
land--as she seems to think we are in
need of fuel. She is very kind"
, His wife's face frightened up.
"You are indeed very kind, Mrs
Bathurst. My husband has been terribly
worried to know how we should keeT
warm this winter. We had no idea the
cold would be so intense, or we woulC
have been better provided for before tho
winter set in. 1t is our first year in tho
, country. My husband and I often fee
sadly alone and frendless, but youl
kind thoughtfulness makes me feel tina
: after all that we are not entirely with
ont friends"
"Will you sit DOWN." drawing chail
b'fore the fire. which tried to throw ou
the much-needed warmth, but it's scant,
J supply of material, failed most sadly.
Henry" she continued, show coul(
yoI have been angry at an offer 81
) kindly madeP'
, Il hope Mrs. Bathurst will pardon mi
, if have been rude" the Captain has
7 tened to say, with q beseeching glance n
t his caller. which she understood and an
} swered with nod; then retiring int
: the background, he left the conversation
, to his wife and their new acquaintance
| Between the two there seemed at one,
established bond of friendship. L,
| the younger woman it had beef
, day of unusual loneliness and dis
| couragement, and the elder had come jus
at the moment when q simple act O
, kindness was very much to her. She re
, cognized, too, through the unconvon
I tional covering, such II sterling charac
| ter that all reserve on her part sool
vanished, and she gave way to an i'm
: pulse to rest upon tho self-reliant ma
0 ture which seemed strong enough t,
support the troubles of others us well a
1 her own. And before she realized it
, she was unburdening her heart of man.
: of the perplexit'es which had weighed
it down. and baskng in the warm sym
pathy which flowed over her,
Q "Tell me whatever you wish to; an
! an old woman. and can, perhaps, nd
wise and help you; anyhow can sym