The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-12-26


and was soon sole nosSeSsor.
He even hecame the owner of the
farm and stock. the only active bidder
against him being the representative
OF Mr. Brown for the field adjoining
his roal-mine.
Mr.. Brown had not expected to meet
with any opposition. anl so had set the
limit his representative was 10 pay ut
very moderate figure. This Mr.. Ro-
main instantly outbid. aud soon Sc
cured the whole.
As soon as the auctionerr announced
the close of the sale. Mr.. Rnmain asked
the astonished and disappointed crowd
TO please vacale the premises rs soon
as possible. rs he had bought every
thing for lady who would take pos
session of her property that might
The people filed SLOWLY out and Mr..
Romain was ut last left alone with a
lawyer he had brought ihe auctioneer
and the holder of Mr.. Blake's unfor-
tunate obligation. ALI the claims
against the property were very soon
met, and then, after seeing the gentle
men depart, MIR. Romain hastened To
the little kitchen.
Go for your mistress. auntie." he
said, ''and ask her to please bring the
/ ann COltie ttitCh III OuEt-
| is a paper she must real"
When Aunt Nancy delivered this
message, few minutes later. to Mrs
Blake. she was greatly surprised; but.
with the patience born of great suffer-
| ing, she III once called the children TO
4 accompany her. and went home. won
/ dering, as she walked along. how she
was TO endure the agony of seeing her
home despoiIed of its treasures.
She had dreaded the sight of wagons
and people moving her goods, and, as
she entered the gale, was astonished
to see no one. Only Rollo, the old
dog. lay basking in the last rays of the
setting sun. and bounded up to meet
them. The children ran jovfully up
the walk, and at the sight of the rooms,
when they entered, cried gleefully.
Why. mamma. maybe dere wasn't no
| nauctioni'
Mrs. Blake gave herself no time to
think, but fastened FROM one room to
another, seeking the LAWYERS. until she
came to her own room.
How pretty and homelike it still
looked! There was her husbands big
arm chair, still drawn up to the table.
just as she had left it; the family Bible
still lay on its seat. but on it lay some
thing she had not left there. and as she
picked it up she read her own name on
the big envelope. With fingers trem.
bling so she could hardly use them, she
tore it open and read:
my Dear Mrs. Blake-when YOU read the
| er closed letter, written twelve years ago. by
my friend and your husband. think You will
not deny it is my right to give you the en-
closed deeds. etc. securing to you your home
He gave me mine.
II find Mr.. Brown hurried the sale to secur
a the land adjacent to his coal-mine. 1t is yer,
valuable, and in a few years will make yol
rich.
And now, my dear friend, tomorrow can
not be to you a Merry Christmas. but witt
brave cheerfulness hope you will make IL T.
your children not an unhappy one. am
Very sincerely your fIiend as was you
husbands friend,
JOHN ROMAN"
"A father to the fatherless, hus
band to the widow" Once again th
words fell from the lips of the weep
ing woman, who for the second tim
that day knelt by the old armchair.
Then, clasping her children in he
arms, she cried:
Thank God with me, my darlings
we have home one morer'
And is de nauction clear gone away
mammal" Romain asked, anxiously.
''All gone, my treasure; every bi
gone. thank Godw
Then" said little Roman, careful
~ pulling out Susanna Louise from uu
der his apron, ''set down. Pickle, an
tum on, folkses, an less have Chris
muSi'-A7a7sd PieTpORt SiCiter.