The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-04-08
4 LEGAL MORTGAGE.
nrandmother Sands and the Old
Homestead.

zine f
.sin't Il. Jason;
ahs woman that asked this question.
.eagh past her girlhood. was still
.auur. and there had been q time when
ii,.on sands. in thc infntuation OF
.,o,h had thought her pretty; but her
.o,,h to-day had a shrewish look. and
NM. vas d vindictivc snapin her small
MILL eyes. Her hair was twisted 20
,;rb,ly that The wind was pcwerless 70
I'M. Il. and in her starched calico
rown and gingham apron there was a
Aim tidiness unrelievcd by collar or
Union. She had been to the garden,
a,a shc held in her hand a stalk Of
.hubarb. from which she was pulling
n a prcoccupicd way the silky red
peel -
.0h. I've got a sort Of . lien on il,
hut that amt ownin' it." said the man,
without looking up. lie was raling
the front yard.
You hor the mortgage. don't you:"
said the woman, biting of a bit Of the
rhubarb.
'>'pose do?"
"Why. the int'res' amt ben paid for
three years. You know that 'thout my
tellin' you
.Well?' said tho man. indifferently.
.Nell.' repeated his wife. sharply,
show long You yoin' 20 let II run on so"'
Jason stopped raking. and looked at
her uneasily. You don't mean. Mi
randy. that you want me To foreclose
M nv own father and mother?'
,Nhv not? business is business, rela-
,lon or no relation; an il you did that.
lie place d be ours TO do AS we please
With"
II amt so sure about that. It's
down in black an white that. whether
The int'res' is paid or not. fathers
al'ays TO have a home here. Uncle
Richard use TO hol' the mortgage; an
when he died. some five or six years
ara. father got me TO take II SOS II
wouldn' 60 out o the family; but faint
ever BEN changed"
Then twas made out fore he mar
ried agin?" said Miranda
We'll. what o. that?'
"Nuthin': only in that case hs amt
counted in. An she amt your mother,
anyway
she's the only mother ] ever knew
ANYTHING about, Mirandy. she's ben
i mother 10 me ever since ! was three
year ola right-down good one, too;
an as for her not bein' counted in.
shes jus as much right here as il she
was: cause after father got hurt in the
brick kiln, there was a good many
Years that he wasn't able to do much,
an all that time she KEEP the intres'
paid Up out Of her own pocket Uncle
Richard toll me So"
Miranda, who had stood ~ncrv0usly
nibbf ng the rhubarb stalk, made haste
70 chsnge her tactics ''Oh, Of course.
Jason. I'd al'nys expect you TO be good
foher. But you know yourself faint
very pleasant havin' two heads 10 q
house: an so long rs Mother sands
thinks she owns IL all, ] dasn't say .
word even II everything goes TO rack
an rain. Besides, she's gittin' too oil 70
have the care"
Jason listened with q sort Of help
les, patience. lie was an easy tenn
pered mar ready to yield almost any
point FOR the sake of peace. md his
wife was well aware OF his weakness.
II was to please her that he had sold
his farm: and. though at the time he
fully intended 70 buy another. before
hc could decide on one she had per-
suadcd him to take a place that had
been offered him by q city friend As
drummer in a wholesale grocery store.
II was a business that seemed 10 her
much more ''genteel' than farming
Meanwhile he had accepted his
mothers invitation 10 bring his family
home for a visit. '..Jus' till 1 can get
time % look up a house" lie said.
hit Miranda had always coveted the
PRETTY cottage. and before they had
leen in it a week She had determined
y ret possession OF il. Jason had
never old her Of the mortgage. Know
ing that the place would eventually
belong to him. he had not been
troubled by the fact that the interest
was not always promptly paid; neither
dd he want the old folks troubled, and
Nrcxedh him that Miranda had CHANGED
70 find the papers but her reasoning
N regard to the housekeeping seemed
very plausible. His mother was past
seventy. it was time she had a rest. and
she could have il as well as not IL she
would only consent TO let ''Mirandy'
take charge Of things for awhile.
wish yotf'd speak TO her bout it,
sad Miranda. shed be a good dcaI
more likely to do it II you pcrposed Il
an II did"
Jason did not covet the task, but hi
Knew the penalty Of refusing.
She's in the kitchen" Miranda re
MARKED, with another nibble at thu
rhubarb stalk.
no hurry about Il, " grumblcd Jason
iu' presently. with an air Of forced
surrender, he laid down his rake ant
went into the house. lie found hi,
mother making bread.
,lou see. mother, you're gettin
hlnder along in years" he argued. ian
.ona ought 10 let somebody else ds
nv nett q the work. Why don't 70,
4, Nirandy. long as shes here? shes
LII rate housekeepcr. an she'd ruthcl
20 ! an not.
ihe little old lady lifted her hcas
Mn 2 troubled looK. "Why,
s"ouidn't know what % do with my
,s'' Jason. il hadn't somcthinr I.