The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-10-07
SEVERN'S TEMPTATION.

Arthur Severn raised his head from
The book which he had been poring over
the greater part Of tho afternoon and
gazed despondently at the dingy walls
of the room. Finally he rose, and, 60
ing to the window peered out through
the cracked and grimy panes of glass,
now streaked with the rain which was
driving violently from the east From
early morning the rain had been falling
necessarily, and as darkness began to
close around the village the wind blew
more violently than evor and the rain
fell in heavier torrents A large brown
patch appeared on the ceiling above and
the water began to drip down and form
little puddles ON the uncarpeted floor.
IL WAS a melancholy day, and Severn
felt that it accorded well with his own
evil fortune. He occupied the only
habitsble room in large, old, tumble
down house that stood off at one side Of
the village near the river and had been
falling to decay for years.
Severn was striving to make his way
through college, and when the landlords
agent suggested his taking room in the
''old Holloway house" at much lower
figure than he could obtain lodging for
elsewhere, he felt constrained on ac-
count of his poverty to accept the offer.
His parents were poor, and, moreover,
averse to his taking a college course, so
that he was unable to receive any aid
I from them. For sometime past he had
found himself inextricably involved in
financial embarrassment, 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 q mutual admiration for
each others scholarly attainments had
been the first step in the formation of
friendship that ripened into love.
Mary had gone to Wellesley to COM
plete her education and Severn was in
his sophmore year at college. Miss
Eldridge came of wealthy parents and
had always been surrounded with the
comforts of a well ordered home. Sew
ern knew that her unselfsh 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 So
cured competent income
During the last year 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
debts wholly unliquidated. Severn
himself had undergone a severe illness
during the Fall, and to satisfy his nu-
merous obligations he secured o few hun
dred dollars from Mr.. Holloway, who
was always ready to make loans at usur-
Gus interest but remorseless in exact
ing his claims. Finally he began to re-
ceive letters from home urging him to
return to the farm. UNLESS he could
give some aid they would lose the old
place." his mother wrote.
II duty called him home he would go,
but 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
rent until he could get to earning some
thing, he would send the money home
which he had been accommodating for
the payment of his debt. He went to
see Mr.. Holloway, but the response was
so chilly that he felt almost guilty of
some heinous crime.
''It is not business" said Mr.. Hollo-
way, "not business. Would like to
oblige you, but must have some
method"
A dunning letter from the agent, fol-
lowing conspicuously close upon his
visit to Mr.. Holloway, filed 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
the river in the rear was 30 swollen by
tho rain that it had overhowed its banks
and was washing the foundation stones
Of tho shaky old structure. The room
Was chilly and wet, but he built no fire,
and 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 riekety 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
his nerves, 80 he sat in the darkness un-
til long after midnight listening to the
bowling wind and the roar of the swol-
len river.
: Suddenly there came q crash; there
was heavy fall of plastering, and for a
minute Severn thought that the old
house was about TO give way. To have
its walls fall upon him he knew would
be almost certain death, but with a
thrill of melancholy pleasure he hoped
for moment that it might happen.
The old building creaksd and strained,
but there came lull in the storm, and
IL finally sattlad hocL - Il. =, o...o Il oa.1