The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-02-05
THE ATTIC STUDY.
By Altered cnAYox

ianee. Ii in fancy she pictured Che
warrior OF the fifteenth century, who
nnce wore the armor and welded the
.ahce' VINO Shall doubt that the image
sook on the rCddy face and stalwart
form OF one of the present dav, to her.
II none else, a modern hero? Shelves
s;aea from floor to ceiling on all
nN1soi the room, where crowded with
oooSs-ancient vellum-bound tones.
Ponderous cyclopadias, miscellaneous
Volumes n green, blue and red. The
9octor's table presented that litter which
literary men delight in, and which no
1lscreet, housewife, however fond of or
aerly array, would dare to set to rights.
ner W table looked more tidy, though
encre were afew blotches of ink on the
pretty crimson cover. The bright Oc-
.opef sunshine was streaming in through
the sky-light, dihusing a pleasant
warmth, for the morning had been
frosty. just then the doctors slow
step was heard on the stairs, and soon
ne entered his attic study.
Miss L,yster was still staring al the
armor in deep thought.
doctor. ~
Nor a skeleton, either" enioined
Inc young woman, with a laugh.
II not a man in mail. there was
a letter in the mall" said the doctor,
who loved to tighten the gravity of age
with his little joke.
Very good, DOCTOR" said Miss Lv-
ster, with dutiful appreciation; '.but it
would be better yet if the letter were
for me-"
ut is for yours truly as you will no
doubt lind at the end of it; but no, the
writing is masculine, a man in the mail
after all. and probably something rather
more atlectionate than the stiff yours
truly winds it up, ch?" and he handed
her the letter, which she fastened to
unseal.
Meanwhile the doctor stepped into an
adjoining room and busted himself with
the contents of an old chest, from which
ne presently removed a large bundle of
papers and returned to the study. The
young woman had finished her letter.
There was a cloud upon her face and q
suspicion of tears in her dark ewes.
"Well, well! not bad news, I hope"
said the doctor.
Y es, am sorry to say. very bad
news. ] ought to 90 home at once;
they are in great trouble there. Oh! |
don't know what TO do. can not leave
my school, of course, until Christmas
week, so there it is"
us it something you can tell me
about, my dear?' asked the doctor,
kindly. Perhaps I al advise you, but
OF course | don't wish to interfere in
yonr private affairs"
"Iou are very kind, Dr.. Warlock-
you are always kind. Yes. / will tell
you about it, though you have enough
to think OF without being bothered with
the troubles of poor me. You know
my home is in ROCKFORD. Mother and l
have a little farm there, and we have
managed to get along quite comfortably
since fathers death, but the place is not
ours really. that is, it is mortgaged for
$500. Father died very suddenly, and
his affairs were so involved that all we
had left was the farm. That seemed to
be secure but all at once this mortgage
was produced, and that has been a cloud
managed TO pay the interest and taxes
by teaching. and everything would go
on as it has done, | suppose, if the man
who holds the mortgage would be con-
tent. But now he insists on having his
money. We might as well think of
raising S. DOC, 600 as $500. Oh! ldon't
know what to do. Mother is an Invalid,
you know, and it would kill her to lose
her home, but it must come to that, |
fear"
''You say the interest and taxes are
kept up; what rate of interest do you
payp"
''Six per cent, and it has never run
behind. We have been very careful
about that"
Dear me, l can't see why in these
times, when money is Sc easy. Il mar
should want a better investment
''You don't know the man, doctor.
He is a sort of country SPECTATOR, and
though he is rich l suppose he has many
schemes on hand and likes to keep his
capital moving. But l believe if he
chose he could let this investment re-
main. He doesn't choose, however.
Besides, his father, not he, advanced
the money, and it is n part Of his patri-
mony.'
Young and married?' queried the
Doctor.
Not so very young, and-unmar-
ried,n replied the schoolmistress. with
a downward glance.
Unmarried, but not because he
hasn't asked, ehp Is it the old story
over again, the ~hard-hcarted miser,
who, because lie can't get IL loving
.rl,,na frr,, n ,,o,,. nf hrirnA n,-nN
threatens Vengeance upon the pretty Or
phan and her sick mother, and SO forth,
ct ceterap That the diagnosis, eh?"
said the doctor, with a mischicvous
smile, "Conlc, come!in these days that
sort of wooing isn't the thing. There's
no romance in that as Tom Hood
says. But your letter was addressed in
a masculine hand. Haven't you a big
brother now, who can set things right?
mo, DOCTOR" this time with q fiery
blush. "lt-you see-well mother
can not write without difficulty, and she
had a friend of ours write for her
"Ah, yes, l see. Nothing more prop
er. And now l am awfully inquisitive
but l always insist upon learning all the
symptoms. In this case allow me my
prerogative as 4 doctor. In short, who
is your young friendT'
II did not say he was young. doctor.
Really you are too bad. He-well. his
name is John Redwood, and he owns a
small farm near ours. He is not
wealthy, but"
..But will be if he keeps on in the in
dustrieus way he has started, of course;
that is what you were going to say,
broke in the listener. ''Of course he
could not raise the money, and equally
of course you could not ask him to dc
So"
"Ccrtainly. we could not think Of
such a thing" replied the school mis-.
tresS.
Ra4h cot s;lent for q few minutes