The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-04-07
A LEGAL MORTGAGE.
Grandmother Sands and the Old
Homestead.

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ O>>~
Homestead.
The place is yours by good rights,
amt it, JASON
The woman that asked this question.
though past her girlhood was still
young, and there had been a time when
Jason Sands. in the infatuation of
youth, had thought her pretty: but her
mouth to-day had Shrewish look, and
there was vindictive snapin her small
black eyes Her hair was twisted so
tightly that the wind was powerless to
ruff1e it, and in her starched calico
gown and Bingham apron there was a
grim tidiness unrelieved by collar or
ribbon. She had been to the garden,
and she held in her hand a stalk Of
rhubarb, from which she was pulling
in a preoccupied way the silky rcd
peel.
''Oh, I've got a sort of lien on it,
but that amt ownin' it," said the man,
without looking up. He was raking
the front yard
You hOl the mortgage, don't you?'
said the woman, biting off bit of the
rhubarb.
"S'pose l do?"
why, the int'res amt ben paid for
three years. You know that 'thout my
tellin' you
"Well?" said the man, indifferently.
"Well"' repeated his wife, sharply,
''how long you goin' to let it run SOP"
Jason stopped raking, and looked at
her uneasily. You don't mean, Mi
randy. that you want me to foreclose
on my own father and MOTHER
"Whv not? business is business, rela-
ton or no relation; an if you did that,
the place d be ours to do as we please
with"
Il amt SO sure about that. It's
down in black an white that, whether
the int'res' Is paid or not, fathers
arays to have a home here. Uncle
Richard use to hoP the mortgage; an
when he died, some five or six years
ago, father got me to take it SOS it
wouldn' go out O the family; but faint
ever ben changed
Then twas made out fore he mar
ried agin?" said Miranda
well, what O. that?"
"Nuthin'; only in that case she amt
counted in An she amt your mother,
anyway"
She's the only mother ever knew
anything about, Mirandy. She's ben
a mother to me ever since l was three
year ola right-down good one, too;
an as for her not bcin' counted in,
she's JUS as much right here as if she
60 ,rf ho
brick kiln, there was a good many
years that he wasn't able to do much,
an all that time she KEEP the int'res
paid up out of her own pocket. Uncle
Richard toll me So
Miranda, who had stood nervously
nibbling the rhubarb stalk, made haste
to change her tactics. "Oh, of course,
Jason, I'd al'ays expect you to be good
to her. But you know yourself faint
very pleasant havin' two heads to a
house; an so long as Mother Sands
thinks she owns it all, | dasn't say a
word even if everything goes to rack
an ruin. Besides, she's gittin' too OIL to
have tle care
Jason listened with a sort of help
less patience. He was an easy tenn
pered man ready to yield almost any
point for the sake of peace, and his
wife was we'll aware of his weakness.
1t was to please her that he had sold
his farm; and, though at the time he
fully intended to buy another, before
he could decide on one she had per-
suaded him to take a place that had
been offered him by city friend as
drummer in wholesale grocery store.
1t was business that seemed to her
much more ''genteer' than farming.
Meanw lille he had accepted his
mothers invitation to bring his family
home for visit. Jus till 1 can get
time to look up house." he said.
But Miranda had always coveted the
pretty cottage, and before they had
been in it a week she had determined
to get possession of it. Jason had
never told 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
did he want the old folks troubled, and
it veXed him that Miranda had CHANGED
to find the papers. But her reasoning
in regard to the housekeeping seemed
very plausible. His mother was past
seventy, it was time she had rest. and
she could have it as well as not if she
would only consent to let "Mirandy''
take charge of things for awhile.
Il wish you'd speak to her bout it, -
said Miranda. Shed be good deal
more likely to do it if you perposed it
AN if did"
Jason did not covet the task, but he
knew the penalty of refusing.
''She's in the Kitchen" Miranda re-
marked, with another nibble at the
rhubarb stalk.
NO hurry about it." grumbled Jason.
But presently. with an air of forced
surrender, he laid down his rake and
went into the house. He found his
mother making bread.
You see, mother, you're gettin'
kinder along in years." he argued, AN
you'd ought to let somebody else do
the heft of the work. Why don't you
let Mirandy, long as she's here? She
firs'rate housekeeper, an she'd ruther
do it AN not"
The little old lady lifted her head
with a troubled look. "Why, l
shouldn't know what to do with my
self, Jason, if I hadn't something to
keep me busy. I've arays ben USE to
it, you know. But" she added. draw
ing in her lip, and slowly patting the
loaf she was kneading, IF Mirandy
wants to take turn at it for awhile,
she can. won't hinder her.
The daughter-in-law accepted this
concession with secret triumph, and
she SO soon managed to get entire con.
troll of the kitchen that the deposed