Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-10-01
.oEVERN'S TEMPTAl;4:I.


ing to the window, peered out through
the cracked and grimy panes of glass,
now strealled with the rain which was
| driving violently from the east, From
early morning the rain had been ialllng
inces~antlv, and as darkness began to
clio e around the village the wind blew
more violently than ever and the ram
fell in heavier torrents. A large brown
patch appeared on the ceiling above and
tisc water began to drip down and form
lit;i" pUd,iles on the uncarpeted floor.
1t WAS melancholy day, and Severn
felt that it accorded well with his own
evil fortune. He occupied the only
Ii, liable room in large, old, tumble
G.,au house that stood off at one side of
H., llage near the river and had been
fl ing to decay for years
Sa%rrn was striving to make his way
through college, and when the landlord s
{; ut suggested his taking a room III the
cod Holloway house at much lower
figure than he could obtain lodging for
elsewhere. he felt constrained on ac-
cu'Int of his poverty to accept the oiler.
Lis parents were poor, and, moreover,
ayv.ac to his taking college course. so
ti;tt he was unable to receive any aid
from Them For sometime past he had
found himself ineXtricably involved IN
financial barrassment, and he had OF
ten been on the point of giving up the
whole thing, but the letters which came
from Mary Eldridge, full of encourage
ment and loving sympathy, always IN
duced him to take brighter view OF the
circumstances.
He had met Mary at the academy at
Melville and mutual admiration for
each others scholarly attalnments had
been the first step in the formation OF
q friendship that ripened into love.
Mary had gone TO Wellesley to COM
pIete her education and Severn was IN
ms sophmore year at college. MISS
EIllidge came of wealthy parents and
had always been surrounded with the
comforts OF a VIII ordered home. Sew
ern knew that her unseltish disposition
would exact no conditions to their en-
gagement, but he was fully determined
never to let her share his lot until he
had completed his education and Sc
GtItu IL com l)tIeub luCOlue
During The last year a series of mis-
fortunes had overtaken him. A friend,
to whom he had loaned the money with
which he expected to meet the bulk of
his expenses, suddenly died, leaving his
lehts wholly unliquidated. Severn
himself had undergone severe illness
Gu.ing the Fall, and to satisfy his nu-
III, ho fa11
,lrcI dollars from Mr.. Holloway, who
Wa, always ready to make loans at usur
Gus interest but remorseless in exact
Jug his claims. Finally he began to re-
rcjye letters from home urging him to
T.. arm to the farm. "Cnless he could
give some aid they would lose the old
}la"e,' his mother wrote.
if duty called him home he would go,
LAT he felt that if he did his prospects
were gone An idea struck him. If he
could induce Mr. Holloway to give him
time on his loan and trust him for his
rrnt until he could get to earning some
lining. he would send the money home
which he had been accommodating fol
he payment of his debt. He went tc
see Mr. Holloway, but the response was
so chilly that he felt almost guilty of
some hcinous crime
1t is not business, said Mr. Hollo-
gray, mot business. Would like to
ohlige you, but must have some
method"
A dunning letter from the agent, fol-
owing conspicuously close upon his
visit to Mr. Holloway, filled his soul
with bitterness. The way out of his
difficulties seemed as dark as the day
on which we find him brooding over his
evil fortune in the cold Holloway
house" The water fell in torrents and
.he river in the rear was so swollen by
the rain that it had overhowed its banks
and was washing the foundation stones
of the shakv old structure The room
was chilly and wet, but he built no fire,
aud though darkness came on early he
hardly observed the change, but sat
pondering over the hopeless outlook
without even the ghostly light from the
seams in the rickety stove to reveal the
outlines of the room The wind con-
timed to rise and the rain to fall faster,
until the old shell quivered and quaked,
but Severn paid no attention. His soul
was shaken by storm also. There was
as much darkness within as without.
He knew his own disposition too well to
attempt to study until he could quiet
lis nerves, so he sat in the darkness un-
til long after midnight listening to the
howling wind and the roar of the swol-
len river.
Suddenly there came a crash; there
WAS heavy fall of plastering, and for a
lninute Severn thought that the old
house was about to give way. To have
| lis walls fall upon him he knew would
/ lo almost certain death, but with a
thrill of melancholy pleasure he hoped
for moment that it might happen.
! The old building creaked and strained,
but there came lull in the storm, and
il finally settled back to its normal con.
ditiOn.
Severn lighted the lamp to see if his
books had been damaged and to investi-
c,,te the injury to the room. A large
pa, h of plastering had fallen from the
vi and lay scattered over the floor.
E'5.r the investigation he felt calmer
aad went to bed for the night
The next morning, contrary to his
usual neatness, he left the broom in its
corner and the room continued to pre-
sent very dilapidated appearance. In
the afternoon after returning from class
l,e seated himself in his chair and gazed