The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-12-18
fought we'd help ask folkeA Please

.Who are those children, uncle7
queried Mr.. Roman, gazing after them.
.Dey's po' Massa Blake chilluns, sab.
Yo' members tole you how Massa Tom
done dis las week we'll dcy's his twins.
Dey do say it's scan.lous how Miss
Hlake's bein' treated. Massa Tom done
sign q note fur genneman, an he can't
pay, an dey is ter be a auction dere to-
morrow, an Massa Tom not dead week
yet scasely. Po' Miss Blake!"
That night Mr.. Romain sat up late in
his library, reading over letters and
papers he had not seen in ten years
not since the day he bad had that quar-
rel with Tom blake. for it was that
same morning he had received cable
gram calling him to Europe to take
possession of large estate left him,
and yesterday he had reached home for
the first time since his hurried depart
ure.
4 was just beginning my battle with
the world them" he muscd; .'now l
feel like warrior, battlc-scarred and
lonely. How enthusiastic Tom and
were then! how close our friendship
was!"
And taking up an old letter. low
laugh burst from his lips as he read its
witty illusions TO an almost forgotten
college scrape.
A very different look came into his
face as he glanced down the pages oi
the next letter which met his eye. and
read:
n HSuv all GS,A Z ~
lend you that money. have sesn old Brown
and he is willing TO give IL II l mortgage the
Meadow Farm. don't like mortgages, but WI
must save your home. Brown ima4ines there
IL COO under that land. think not. I'll tell
you secret. though. / know there Is under
the field adjoining
In ten years hope to have money to opcr
my mining lad: meantime Ill use my Meadow
Farm 10 save your home. and you can repay me
before the mortgage falls due. ] had intended
I, settle both farms on Nellie as soon as We
were malried; SO II any thing happens to me.
my dear boy. you may consider Nellie and hcI
interests your legacy from
Yours as ever, Ton"
ITO think l threw away . friendship
like THAR almost groaned Mr.. Romain,
as be laid down the paper. Then q sud
den thought struck him, and he hastily
rang the bell.
Uncle Peter" he said. ''who ownt
what used to be Mr.. Tom Blake'l
Meadow Farm
.Old Mr.. Brown. sab; he got power
ful rich on dat farm. Yo' see. sab. hits
got coal-mine in it. Oh, yes, sab, he.
rich"
And Ten mortgaged that land K
| save my old home,' thought Mr.. RO
/ E...in, sorrowfully. Il wonder ii i
could be that the check sent from En-
gland did not get to him in time? II
any case he's dead, and Nellie and the
children penniless, and" glancing a,
| the letter again-''a legacy to mel"
An auction almost at Christmas eve
Why. it seems fairly barbarous,
thought Mr.. Roman, Indignantly, a.
he entered what had been the pleasan
home of his friend Tom, and was 81
soon to be left desola,e under the hand!
Of the aEctionecr.
1t was early in the day, but already
the house was filled with neighbo
who had come from miles around to at
tend the sale: and as Mr.. Roman moved
smong them his ears were constantly
greeted with remarks on the foolishness
OF .'signin' for people"
Sick at heart he entered the little
kitchen back Of the house, which wal
as yet unoccupied. save by Mrs. Blake's
! faithful old colored cook, Aunt Nancy
She was sitting on split-bottomet
chair, rocking herself to and fro, ant
occasionally wiping her eyes with he
blue-checked apron.
Where is your mistress, auntie?'
Mr.. Roman asked.
There was kindly ring in his voic,
that unlocked the old woman's bur
dened heart. and she sobbed aloud u
she swered:
ION. mas,a. she dono tOOx de chill
uns, an gon' to hor cousins Mis-!
Rachel. 1t jest broke my pO' ole hear
to see 'em go! But Miss Blake say she
couldn't stand it here, an dey have te
GO soon sure. 20 things! only de good
Lord know what's to come Of dem. sht
say
oh, massa, hits awful hard OF
missis, dis is. She went all over d,
house dis mornin' iryin' to say good
bye to il. De little ones a-clingin' I,
her KEEP pickin' up things. Mamma
dcy won't take my wockin-horse, vii
dey? Mamma, will de nauction maj
det my little char?' dey ask. Missi
tried to hol' back dc tears an spcal
chirk to dem chilluns, but when sh
CONE to her own room shc say: .Yo
stay out here. darlings; mamma want
to 60 in here alone took dc chilluns
but presently peek in de room. ar
dcEe was my po' missis, . kneelin' for
massas big armchair. wild her head
lyin' on de big family Bible dat She,
put on dc chair; she had her arm
around dat, an she was cryin' softly.
Oh. my husband" she whispere
over and over, an den she say:
A ialer to do faderless, . husban
to de widow. Dear Lord, let dis Gu
pass from me-
Il shet de do den. By'm by she com
out. all white an tremblin', but sh
tried to smile on do chilluns as she lie
dem down the walk.
Dose po' little things! Rosy wa
huggin' her rag doll an tryin' to hide
under her apun. an Romain was totil
Pickle. de chicken, clost in he arm
DO nauction man can't take mamma
chilluns, an SO he cant take ours, dey
keep sayin."
''Eomain?" repeated her visitor.
YES. sab. Romain; dat's for friel
of Massa Toms. Massa not see hi
for years. but he talk heap o Nj
Romain."
Thank God! Tom forgave me-" viii
perod Mr.. Roman. AS he left the kitche
in response to the business-like tones
the au:tionecr that now rang out clcs
and cold as he began Offering the parl,
furniture.
Great was the Indignation OF one spir
. ster when the first bid Of . tall. hant
some stranger carried the price far b.
} yond the sum she had mentally decide
on, and he secured it without opposition
Her feelings were soon shared h
most of those present, for simils
scene took place over almost ever
article offered for sale. from Mrs. Blake
l :s. II