Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-01-29


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 well be found.
Hester, tall, dark, stately, yet impul-
sive, was quick-tempered. liable to look
on the gloomy side Of life. quick to re-
sent injustice; loving, yet jealous and
exacting
Harry, a blonde Of the English type,
was frank. joyous in disposition. seek
ing the brightness of all things, con-
fding 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
Hester and her mother and the world;
who guarded them, as far as possible,
| from the Indignation of friends turned
| to enemies, of those who, wronged by
! the dead man, came to pour out the
Walls Of wrath upon the innocent
widow and child. 1t was Harry who
saved a trifie from the wreck by claim
| ing Mrs Wright's jewels, presents from
1 her relatives on her marriage. 1t was
| Harry who, yielding in all else, would
not give up his right to protect Hester,
but claimed her promise to be his
wife, steadily and unmoved by her pas
| sionate, scornful denunciation of her
| self as her fathers child
| More fortunate than his betrothed,
he had obtained employment as clerk
in lawyers office, and had salary at
his command about equal in amount to
| his tailor's bills of previous years
Friends, who turned from Hester's APP
peals for employment pitied the vic
tim of her fathers frauds. and extend
ed a helping hand to Harry. Yet, with
all his love, all his generosity, he could
not arrest that downward, struggling
fall that had carried his betrothed and
her mother to the very verge of desper-
alton.
| Heste had not been gone more than
ten minutes and Mrs. Wright was still
burying her misery, for the time, in the
delight the flowers brought her, when
she heard rapid steps coming up the
narrow staircase, and the door was
opened quickly to admit the girl again,
/ flushed and excited.
Mammal she cried, did you ever
know anybody named Godfrey Hol-
borne2 / seem to have some recollec-
tion of the name"
"He was your godfather. But he went
to Colorado years ago!'
Read THAR Hester said, opening the
newspaper in her hand to point out
paragraph. and Mrs. Wright read:
"If Hester Wright VIII communicate with
Godfrey Holborne, PAT L. street. she will
learn something to her advantage"
Suddenly there flashed over Mrs
Wright's face look of hope, long
stranger there.
II can not recall il clearly" she said,
''but your father told me something,
years ago, about some money Godfrey
Holborne held for you. 1t is all very
vaguel He YVES man OF whom they
said he turned every thing he touched
to gold. Every speculation he made
was a success, and when he went West
his good luck followed him"
II will go now-to-dayw Hester cried,
and then her face fell, as she added:
but. mother, il he has money OF
father's-it can not honestly be mine
you had better go, dear. l wish
could remember betterr'
Two hundred and forty seven L.
street proved to be private residence;
a house of magnificent proportions,
furnished with taste and wealth. and
Hester was ushered into a room filed
with treasures OF art and beauty, while
her card was carried to the master Of
the house. He came TO her at once, a
fne-looking, portly man nearly seventy
years old, with kindly blue eyes and
1 pleasant smile.
And this is my little godchild," he
said, as he took both nester's hands in
1 his own. "Dearl dearl You we're in
/ long clothes when 1 saw you last And
/ you have had heavy sorrow did not
know until yesterday, or l should have
found your mother before. l have just
come from Europe. You saw my adver-
tisement?"
ut was that that made me venture to
CALL" Hester said, all her pride of bear
/ ing broken by this genial reception.
tou-J on say you KNOW our tROuDleS
Yes! yesl But this little affair Of
ours. IL has nothing to do with your
fathers business. He told you, certain
/ ly he must have told you, of your in
vestment with me.
NO! l know nothing about it"
80! WE'LL welll Why, my dear, l
have held some money of yours over
twenty years Did you never hear OF
your gold miner
"Neverl"
How strangel Perhaps your father
forgot I'll 1t was just after tho war was
over! You were baby, and on the day
you were christened your father gave a
dinner party to some OF his most init
mate friends all gentlemen was
your godfather, and l mentioned to all
the guests tho occasion for the dinner.
Gold was very scarce in those days, very
scarce, and held at high premium. So
We, the gentlemen who were invited to
the dinner, made our choice of gift for
you in gold. Dearl dear! how we'll |
remember it all! Your mother presided