Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-12-06
CHAPTER VII.
MATHEWS FRIENDLY OFFER.

most unhappy of girls, the most joyous.
The immediate prospect of poverty-for
the dame declined daily-the hard work
which began at daylight and ended at
bedtime, the certain knowledge that Ma
thew was not satisfied with simple re-
fusal--these things. which had before
filed my mind with terror, now appeared
like the imaginary specters of the night,
which cease to alarm when the day has
dawned. To me it was more than the
dawn Of day; 1t was the uprising of a
glorious sun Of love and hope Ralph
loved me. Ralph was well, prosperous and
in high esteem; Ralph was already
wealthy; Ralph would come. and all
things would be well. whatever might
happen at the moment. Yet this | could
not tell to any. Mathew was not to know;
my poor old grandmother was too old now,
and too failing of mind and body, to care
Tor earthly things; my father had clean
forgotten the boy; my mother would not
greatly care to know; nor would it soothe
her anxieties to feel that we had protec-
tor separated from us by the rolling seas
and by a voyage of ten months or more.
What good would be his far off treasures
to us, she would have asked, when what
we want is beef for the pot. and bread for
the board? AS for my fathers madness.
1t increased every day, so that now our
cottage was palace indeed, every meal
was banquet, and the small beer Of my
brewing was champagne, port, Malaga. or
Imperial Tokay. But Mathew was too
much with him, and 1t made me uneasy
to observe how he complimented my
father on his wisdom, his resolution and
his wonderful success.
I'm all respects. madam" he said to my
mother, Il find your husband most sensi-
BILE and full of sound judgment. | have
taken his counsel of late in many private
matters of Importance.
"Then the Lord help you'll" said my
mother, sharply.
"What If he does exaggerate his private
fortune2" Mathew went on. ut is q fail
ing with many persons concerned in
trade"
elf you mean this in kindness, sir, "
said my mother. II thank you humbly for
your good opinion of my poor, distraught
husband. If you mean 1t in mockerr, you
are most cruel man."
Indeed, madam" he replied, bowling,
''pray believe that mean it in kindness. "
He had no kindness at all in his nature.
he designed these words to cover his in
Iquitous purpose.
So he continued to come and go, and to
walk with my father in the garden, and
whatever wild things my father said he
would accept gravely as If they were In
deed words Of wisdom. No one except
myself suspected him of sinister designs.
and my father dis CLOSED to him the whole
prodigious extent of his madness, so that
could have cried with shame and hui
initiation, Mathew knowing well. as all
the world knew by this time. that he was
little better than the poorest In the
parish.
1.-THE world. SIR" the poor gentle
man would say with lofty air. has
yet to learn how great benefactor
q simple London citizen may be- There
have been many benefactors. l acknowl-
edge their greatness. But wait, sir,
until my will is opened and read. To
you. friend Mathew. have bequeathed q
poor e10. 000-no more.
''Oh. siri" He bowed and spread his
hands. This is indeed goodness.
ut is the duty of a rich citizen to dis
cover merit and reward 1.-THE plain duty,
| am London citizen, and am perhaps
more proud of this position than becomes
a Christian. The bulk of my fortune
have left to my daughter. whom design
In marriage for some great nobleman.
But have not forgotten the poor Of my
native parish. Mathew-no. no; and you
will find. when my viii is read. that
schools, hospitals. marriage portions fol
the girls. and apprentice money for the
boys. wiz attest my remembrance OF this
place"
Sir" said Mathew, with.a grin of con
tent, "you will be q benefactor indeed"
Now. before answered Ralph's letter
which kept for more than a month ir
my bosom. reading 1t every day when
could snatch moment. Mathew came &c
me, and after little preamble, of which
/ am going to tell you. reopened the dis
tasteful subject of courtsthp. was In
the garden. gathering herbs for mint
julep. when l saw him standing at the
garden gate. He looked so jocund. he
smiled SO pleasantly. and he wore SO self
satisfied an air. that | was quite certain
some evil thing had happened.
"Drusilla. he said, 81 have heard Ger.
tain intelligence. You may depend upon
its truth. which is confirmed in every par.
ticular. think that you should be the
first to hear of 1t. sad though it be. yet
what could not but expect"
II suppose, said with a laugh. be-
cause knew that he was about to invent
some wicked faisehood, II suppose you
have got something to tell me about
Ralph. whom your cruel conduct drove
out into the world?"
May" he replied. looking darkly, yet
with a smile. 'you may say what you
please; you cannot offend me. have just
come from Alnwick, where sold four fat
beasts. At the inn fell In with stroll
ing player, and talked with him over q
glass about his wandering life. Presently
asked him whether he had seen any.
where upon his travels. especially IN
places where actors like himself, with
prohigates and thieves resort. such a lad
as Ralph 1t is wonderful to relate that
he remembered seeing the boy alta place