The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-11-06
HER GODFATHER.
How Hester Wright Was Kept
from Starving.


ter said, bitterly. 1t lay upon the Ia
BILE before her in pile of pennies and
small pieces of silver, and over it bent
two faces Hester Wright's and her
mothers; faces that had been fair and
beautiful, but were pallid with sorrow
and the privations of two years of grind
ing poverty.
Not all at once had they fallen down
the slope from wealth to want, although
the first crushing blow rad thrown them
far along the road. From a luxurious
home to small one; from that to a
boarding house; from one to another,
each poorer than the last, to room in
a tenement house, until they were at
last in bare, cold attic, so scantily
furnished that the very emptiness was
chilling. They had, at last, reached
the point where actual begging or star
walton stared them in the face.
''lf we invest the forty cents in char
coal, Hester said, in the same low, bit
ter tone in whleh she had first spoken,
two dollars won't pay our funeral ex-
penses"
Hester! Don't, dear!' her mother
said, in voice of sorrow, but without
one echo of the ring that was in her
daughters. Don't! God will not de-
scrt us!'
"People do starve!' was the quick re-
ply. And then, with a wall indescriba-
BILE in her voice, she cried: II could
bear it alone! | could work, starve,
die. But to see you suffer is more than
can endure. My heart is breaking!'
She threw herself into her mothers
arms as she spoke, sobbing violently.
A creature of impulse, of quick, sudden
change of mood, she wept for few mo-
ments, and then stood erect, dashing
back the tears
Il will try once more she said.
Give me two cents, mother, to buy
newspaper. l will answer every ad-
vertisement."
She took from a closet shabby. black
shawl and heavily vailed Grape bonnet,
and began to put them OH.
"My birthday, too!'' she said, present
ly, buttoning her well-worn boots II
am twenty-one to-day"
And as she spoke there was knock
upon the door, and basket was handed
in; a shallow. open, round basket, piled
with fOwerS-rOSes of every tint, fra
grant blossoms Of various kinds, buried
in soft moss and tender green leaves.
Upon the top lay card.
''lIarry!' Hester said, hot tears fall
ing upon the blooming gift that light
up even that dull room. "Oh! he should
not do so! Think what that has cost
and he works so hard!'
In -
Wright said, gently; land he loves you
so we'll, Hetty."
Our one FRIEND" the girl replied.
Say rather, your true lover!" said her
mother.
Though he has good cause to hate
mev'
And kissing her mother tenderly,
Hester went out, down the narrow, bare
staircase, into the street, where a sharp
October wind brought dreary promise
of winters coming A tall, handsome
girl, whose mean attire could not rem
der vulgar, she bore herself, even in
her heart-sick misery, like queen,
carrying her shapely head with uncon-
scious hauteur that lessened materially
her chance of obtaining work. She had
not learned yet to humble herself in
manner, even though her heart burned
with bitter humiliation-the humilia-
ton of shame.
Shame, because two years be fore, her
father, who had reigned as a million
aire, had been detected in fraudulent
dealings that led on and on through the
mire of dishonesty, forgery, misrepre-
senta ton and breach of trust, till, in a
prison-cell, he committed suicide.
In his ruin was involved that Of
Others and the greatest sufferer had
been his ward, Henry Ashworth, son of
an old friend who had left large estate
in the hands Of Marcus Wright, in trust
for bis only child. For years, Harry
Ashworth had been one of Mr.. Wright's
family, leaving his home only for school
or college, and returning to it, natural
ly, after graduating in the law-school,
to assume a mans duties.
Utterly unsuspecting, trusting his
fathers friend implicitly, Harry never
thought of Investigating his own af-
fairs, even after he came of age, and
Mr. Wright made show of settling
them.
He had loved Hester from the time
she was child, and their engagement
caused no surprise in their social circle,
though two people more unlike could
not we'll be found.
Hester, tall, dark, stately, yet impul-
sive, was quick-tem pered, liable to look
on the gloomy side of life. quick to re-
sent injustice; loving, yet jealous and
eXacting.
Harry, blonde of the English type,
was frank, joyous in disposition, seek
ing the brightness of all things, con-
tiding and tender--a lover, once won,
who could not be inconstant
When the crash came. and he knew
his entire fortune was swept away by
the dishonesty Of his guardian, it was
Harry Ashworth who stood between