Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-01-11


than I can. George has bought stock and
all sorts Of things at the salo today, and here
is bis account; tlrCC hundred and seventy
two pounds he makes it, but | make it four
hundred and twenty, and hang me if | can
find out which IS right 1t is important that
these accounts should be Kept straight. Most
important, and cannot get this stupid fellow
to do it.n
Ida took the sheet of paper and added it
IN, with the result that she discovered both
totals to be wrong Harold, watching her
could not help wondering ut the nerve Of tho
woman who, after going through such a
scene as that which had just occurred, could
deliberately add up long rows Of badly
written figures
And this money which her father was ey-
pending so cheerfuly was part of the price
for which She had bound herself.
With q sigh he rose and said good night,
and went homo with feelings almost too
mixed to admit Of accurate description. He
had taken great step in his life and TO q
certain extent that step had succeeded. He
had not altogether built his hopes upon sand,
for from what Ida had said, and still moro
from what she had tactly admitted, it was
necessarily clear to him that she did more or
less regard him as n man would wish to be
regarded by n woman whom he dearlT loved.
THIS was great deal, more, indeed, than he
had dared to believe, but then, as is usually
the case in this imperfect world, where things
but too often seem To be carefully arranged
at skies md sevens, came tho other side OF
the shield OF what Use to BIN was it to
have won this sweet vomau's love; Of what
use TO lave put this pure water Of lawful hap.
pincss to his lips in tho desert land OF LIS
lonely life, in order to sec tho cup that held
1t shattered at blow! 70 him the story Of
the money lOau--in consideration of which,
as it were, Ida Lad put herself in pawn ~
the Egyptians used to put tho mummics Of
their fathers i'll pawn--was almost iucrcQi-
bic. To person of his simple and honor
able nature it seemed propostorouS and UNI
heard of thing that any man calling himself
gentleman should find it possible to sink 50
low as TO take such advantage of a woman's
dire necessity and honorable desire to save
her father from misery and her race from
rain and to extract from her promise of
marriage in consideration Of value received.
Putin. aside his overwhelming personal in
tcre,t in tho matter, it made his blood boil to
thin; that such 1. thing could be- And yet it
was, and, what was I2ore, he believed he
knew Ida well enough TO be convinced that
she would not shirk ths bargain. If Edward
COsscy came for gard 10 claim his bond it
you'd be paid dosn to the last farthing 1t
was a question of 10000; the happiness OF
his life aud of Ida's depended upon sum of
lAoney. If tho money were forthcoming
Cossey could not claim his flesh and blood.
But where was it to como from; lie himself
was worth PERHAPS 90, 900, or with the com
mutation value of his pension, possibly
twelve, and he had not the means Of raising
farthing more. He thought the position
over till he was tired Of thinking, and then
with a heavy heart and yet with a strange
glow OF happiness shining through his grief
like sunlight through Il gray sky, at last he
went to sleep and dreamed that Ida had gone
from him, and that lie was once moro utterly
alone in the world.