The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-29
THE ATTIC STUDY.
RYA1FRRn cpAxox

Miss Annie Lyster gave sigh of re.
lief as she placed the last sheet upon a
huge pile of papers, and pushed her
chair back from the study table. Her
eyes rested upon grim suit of mail
that stood in one corner with upright
lance. If in fancy she pictured the
warrior of the fifteenth century, who
once wore the armor and welded the
lance. who shall doubt that the image
took on the ruddy face and stalwart
form of one of the present day, to her,
If none else, Il modern hero? Shelves
reaching from floor to ceiling on all
| sides OF the room, where crowded with
books-ancient vellum- bound tones,
ponderous cyclopedias, miscellaneous
volumes in green, blue and red. The
doctors table presented that litter which
literary men delight in, and which no
discreet, housewife, however fond of or
derly array, would dare TO set to rights.
Her own table looked more tidy, though,
there were a few blotches of ink Oh the
pretty crimson cover. The bright Oc-
tober sunshine was streaming in through,
the sky-light, diffusing pleasant
warmth, for the morning had been
frosty. just then the doctors slow
step was heard on the stairs, and soon
he entered his attic study.
Miss Lyster was still staring at the
armor in deep thought.
''There isn't man in it." said the
doctor.
''Nor a skeleton, either" cnioinefl
the young woman, with a laugh.
"But if not q 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.
Every good, DOCTOR" said Miss Ly-
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 find at the end OF it; but no, the
writing is masculine, a man in the mail
after all, and probably something rather
more a0cctionate 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
he presently removed a large bundle of
papers and returned to the study. The
young woman had finished her letter.
There was cloud upon her face and a
suspicion of tears in her dark ewes.
''Well, we'll! not bad news, / hone. ~
said the doctor.
eyes, | am sorry to say, very bad
news. ought to go home at once;
they arc in great trouble there. Oh!
don't know what TO do. l can not leave
my school, of course, until Christmas
week, SO there it is.''
'ls it something you can tell me
about, my dcar?' asked the doctor,
kindly. perhaps l can advise you. but
of course l don't wish to interfere in
your private affairs
''You 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 |
have little farm there, and we have
managed to get along quite comfortably
/ since fat ,cr's death, but the place is moi
ours really. that is, it is mortgaged for
$500. Father died very suddenly, and
his affairs were so involved that all we
had left twas the farm. That seemed to
be secure but all ut once this mortgagc
was produced, and that has been cloud
hanging over us ever since. | have
managed to pay the interest and taxes
by teaching, and everything would 90
on as it has done, suppose, if the man
who holds the mortgage would be con-
tent. But now he insists OH having his
money. We might as well think Of
raising S5,ooo.000 as $500. Oh! Idon't
know what to DO. Mother is an invalid.
you know, and it would kill her to LOST
her home, but it must come to that. !
fear.'
''You say the interest and taxes arc
kept up; what rate of interest do YOU
paysm ys;. n.,. ..n. ,,,,, ;. , m .
behind. We have been very careful
about that"
"Dear me, can't see why in these
times. when money is SO easy, a man
should want better investment.
"You don't know the man, doctor.
He is sort of country speculator, and
though he is rich / 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 part of his patri-
mony."
, Young and marricd?' qucricd the
Doctor.
'.Not SO very young, and-unmar-
ried," replied the schoolmistress, with
downward glance.
"Unmarried, but not because he
hasn't asked, ch? Is it the old story
over again, the hard-hcarted miser,
who, because he can't get loving
glance from a pair of bright eyes,
threatens Vengeance upon the pretty Or
phan and her sick mother, and so forth,
ct cetera? That the diagnosis, ch?'
said the doctor, with a mischievous
smile, 'Come, 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 big
brother now, who can set things right?
''No, DOCTOR" this time with fiery
blush. "It-you sce-wcll mother
can not write without difficulty, and She
had friend of ours write for herr
"Ah, yes, see. Nothing more prop
er. And now l am awfully inquisitive,
but always insist upon learning all the
symptoms. In this case allow me my
prcrogativc as u doctor. In short, who
is your young friend?"
II did not say he was young, doctor.
Really you are too bad. He-wcll, 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
dustrious way he has started, of course;
that is what you were going to say.
broke in the listener. s'Of course he
could not raise the money. and equally
! of course you could not ask him to do
So"
Certainly, we could not think Of
such thing" replied the school mis-
tress.
Both sat silent for few minutes.
The doctor finally spoke in his CHEEKY
way.