Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-10-02
CHAPTER XIV.

ANOTHER LOAN NEEDED.
John was, of course, compelled to
give up the idea of going east in quest
of employment. He could not think of
leaving his wife. He waited day after
day and week after week, hoping
against hope for a happy turn of affairs.
| The doctor had written his letter to
Blatchford, but no reply came, and
after a month of waiting all hope of
any was abandoned.
Mary continued in q precarious condi-
| ton, and all through the long days her
| life hung in n balance. The good old
| doctor was faithful in his niinistrations,
| but the dread malaria had gained so
firm a hold on it's victim that it was
| difficult to make an impression on it.
John and Louise shared the duties Of
nurse, and often through the sad, sol
cmn nights John sat out the hours by
the side of his sick wife, and in the
| solitude and loneliness his thoughts
ran back over the events and scenes
| of his life. Often in her delirious hours
| the mind of poor Mary wandered, and
| in Il weak, frail voice she talked of
| her youth, of her old homo in the cast
and of her father. Again and again
| she imagined herself a child and Thought
her mother came and bent over her
| and soothcd her with loving words
| and caresScS, just as she had so often
| done III the long ago. Again she would
| remember her father as she knew him
when child, and in her wild fancy he
would come and kiss her and fondlc
her as he used to do in the old, happy
| days. Sometimes she would dream
that she was in the old house, playing
about the large, airy, coy rooms, and
| again at other times she rompcd over
| the smooth, soft lawn.
Then her fancy would take turn,
| and through her mind would come
trooping remembrances of less pleasant
| scenes She would live over again all
the suffcrings of later years and in the
| agony of her soul cry out to her father
| for mercy.
ooh, papa, papa" she would cry,
''havc mercy on me and spare me. Do
not be SO cold and cruel to your child,
but let me once more feel the touch of
| your hand, the pressure of your lips.
| Let me once more hear you speak words
| of tender love as you did when 1 was a
| child"
| Thus the weeks dragged by and the
| autumn came. Johns store of prOvis-
ions dwindled down until the lardcr
was almost empty. For days he and
| Louise had gone on short allowances in
order that so much as possible might
| be spared to the sick woman. But now
| the time had como when the larlcr
must be rcplcnishcd in some way. John
| pOndcrcd the matter over long, and at
| last he hit upon Il plan. He had his
| wagon and team and few farm implc-
| mcnts left. He would make an effort
to dispose of them. He was 10th to take
this step, for with the sale of the things
he parted with all chance of raising
Il crop the coming year.
Yet, it must be DONE" he mused
'"rhey must go, if there is anyone to
buy Them
So he made an effort to raise some
means that way, but day after day he
sought for q purchaser in vain. There
was nobody to buy them, for few of the
settlers were much better off than he,
and many another would gladly have
exchanged his possessions for provisions
or the means of securing them. Find
| ing it impossible to get u purchaser for
his things at any price, John 12gan
to seek out another plan, and at laB5 hit
upon one
Scraggs still lived, and as a lasS re-
sort he decided to go once more to him
| circumstances
Scraggs would be SO good as to increase
the loan on the farm, Or at least accom-
modate him with q loan on the wagon
and team. There was no great hope of
his doing either, but as a drowning
man catches at straw, so will starry
ing one catch at anything that offers
bare prospect of relief. Nobody save
Scraggs seemed to have money to loan,
SO to Scraggs John went.
When he entered Scraggs' office John
found Harry Pearson there. Pearson
gave him q warm salutation, asked
after the health of the family, and was
greatly shocked and much saddened
when John told him of Mrs. Green's
sickness.
sit is too bad" he said, land regret
it exceedingly. You have my heartfelt
sympathy, Mr.. Green, indeed you have.
have felt q great interest in you, and
while / was away l often thought of
you. l should have been out to see you,
but only returned from the east three
days ago, and I have been very much
crowded with business since"
John thanked Pearson for his kindly
intercst-thanl1ed him from the bottom
| of his heart, for he was in that condi-
| ton when the kindness of q dog, even,
would have been grateful. Moreover,
John looked upon Mr.. Pearson as an
exceedingly generous young man and
was glad to have his friendship and
| company. So he expressed q wish that
Harry would visit his family as often as
he found it convenient.
Scraggs looked on this little scene
with anything but pleased ex-
preston. His face showed mingling
# anger and pity, and if John hsd