Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-22
LOVE Or MONEY;
OR,
A PERILOUS SECRET.
BY CHARLES READE,
Author Of "Put Yourself in His Place."
etc., etc., etc.
CHAPTER I.
THE POOR MANS CHILD.

The young man had his coat off, by
winch you might infer it was very hot;
but no, it was keen October day, and
an east wind sweeping down the river
The coat was wrapped tightly round the
little girl, SO that only her fair face with
blue eyes and golden hair peeped out;
and the young fat-er sat in his shirt
sleeves, looking down on her witha low
Ing but anxious look. Her mother, his
wife, had died of consumption, and he
was in mortal terror lest biting winds
and scanty food should wither this
sweet flower too, his one remaining joy.
William Hope was man full of tai
emit; self-educated, and wonderfully
quick at learning anything; he was a
Hnguist, mechanic, a mineralogist, a
draughtsman, an inventor. Item, a bit
of farrier, and half surgeon; could
play the fiddle and the guitar: could
draw and paint and drive a four-in-hand.
Almost the only thing he could not do
was to make money and keep it.
Versatility seldom pays. But, to tell
the truth, luck was against him; and al
though in long life every deserving
man seems to get chance, yet Fortune
does battle some meritOrious men for a
limited time. Generally, we think, good
fortune and i'll fortune succeed each
other rapidly. like red cards and black:
slices; and if they don drink ordespaiT,
by-and-by good luck comes continuous
ly, and everything turns to gold with
him who has waited and deserved.
Well, for years Fortune was hard Cd
William Hope. 1t never let him gethis
head above water. If he got good
place, the employer died or sold his bust
ness. If he patented an invention, and
exhausted his savings to pay the fees,
- Il
other inventor proved he had invented
something SO like it that there was no
basis for monopoly.
At last there fell ON him the heaviest
blow of ALL He had accumulated ESQ
as q merchants clerk, and was in negO-
tiation for small Independent bust
ness, when his wife, whom beloved ten
derby, Sickened.
For eight months he was distracted
with hopes and fears. These gave way
to dismal certainty. She died, and left
him brOken-hearted and poor, impOver-
iShed by the doctors, and pauperiZed by
the undertaken Then his crushed heart
had but one desire-to fly from the home
that had lost its sunshine, and the very
country which had been calamitOus to-
him.
He had one stanch friend, who had
lately returned rich from New Zealand,
and had offered to send him out as his
agent, and to lend him money in the
colony. Hope had declined, and his
friend had taken the huff, and had not
written to him since. But Hope knew
he was settled in Hull, and too good
hearted at bottom to go from his word
in his friends present sad condition. So
William Hope paid every debt he owed
in Liverpool, took his child to hermoth-
er's tombstone, and prayed by it, and
started to cross the island, and then
leave it for many long day.
Now and then he got days work in
the fields, and the farmers wife took
care of little Grace, and washed her
linen, and gave them both clean straw
in the barn to lie on, and blanket to
cover them. Once he fell in with a har-
vest-home, and his fiddle earned him ten
shillings, all in siXpences. But on I'M
lucky days he had to take his fiddle I'M
der his arm, and carry his girl on his
back; these unlucky days came so often
that still as he travelled his small pit
lance dwindled. Yet halfway on this
journey fortune smiled on him sudden
". 1t was in Derbyshire. He went
little out of his way to visit his native
place-he had left it at ten years old.
Here an old maid, his first cousin, re-
ceiyed Grace with rapture, and Hope
pottered about all day, reviving his boy
ish recOllections of people and places.
He had left the village ignorant; he re-
turned full of various knowledge; and
so it was that in a certain despised field,
all thiStles and docks and every known
weed, which field the tenant had con-
demned as sour clay unfit for cultiva-
ton, William Hope found certain strata
and other signs which, thanks to his
.nineralogical studies and practical
knowledge, sent sudden thrill all
through his frame. Heres luck at
last!" said he. MY child my child our
fortune is made"
The proprietor of this land, and in
deed of the whole parish, was retired
warrior, Colonel Clifford. Hope knew
that very well, and hurried to Clifford
Hall, all on fire with his discovery.
He obtained aninterview withOuta any
difficulty. Colonel Clifford, though
proud as Lucifer, was accessible and
stiffly civil to humble folk. He was
gracious enough to Hope; but, when the
poor fellow let him know he had found
signs of coal on his land. he froZe di-
rectly; told him that two gentlemen in
that neighbOrhood had wasted their
money cropping the bowels of the earth
for coal, because of delusive indications
on the surface of the soil: and that for
his part, even if he was sure of success,
he would not dirty his fingers with coal.
Il believe" he said, "the northern no
bility descended to this sort of thing;
but then they have not smelled powder,
and seen glory, and served her Majesty.
/ haze"
Hope tried to reason with him, tried
to get round him. But he was masSail-
able as Gibraltar, and soon cut the whole
thing short by saying: There, that's
enough. l am much obliged to you, sir,
for bringing me information you think
valuable. You are trayeling-on foot
short of funds perhaps. Please accept
He reiterated at marching pace, and the
hot blood burned his visitor face. An
almsi
But on second thoughts he said: "Well
Ihave offered him a fortune, and he
gives me ten shillings. One good turn
deserves another" So he pooketed the
half-sovereign, and bought his little
Grace Northumberland, blue with
white spots; and so this unlucky man
and his child fought their way from the
west to east, till they reached that place
where we introduced them to the read
er.
Starvation and disease impended over
his child. He must work, or steal, OF
something. In truth he was getting deS-
perate. He picked himself up andwent
about. offering his many accomplish.
ments to humble shop-keepers. They
all declined him, some civilly. AT last
he came to a superior place of business
There were large offices and handsome
house connected with it In the rear. a
the side of the offices were pulleys
cranes. and all the appliances for load