Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-09-14
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And now. Silas Grounding, what is

For more than q minute, which
seemed an hour, he stood before me
and answered not word.
He was pale and white and still as
dead man right from the grave. FL
nally the painful stiffness was broken
by Groundwig's exclaiming:
''Susan Grounding, the business
which brought me here can be easily
arranged. and long before the clock
strikes 10 can be on my way out OF
your presence-as my presence seems
so hateful to you-never again to re-
turn. It is for you to say-nOt for me;
or before the clock shall strike again,
I can signal my comrades, who are
hard by, to seize your boy, and take
him forever from your sight,
Twas stunned for a moment and it
took me several seconds to collect
, sense and strength to say:
'Silas Grounding, what is it you
ask?o
Madam, I want nothing but you can
comply with. I am poor: [ am an out
cast in the world. [ have been driven
to desperate deeds to make the world
give me living. I am at the mercy,of
worse outlaws than myself: They have
come hither at my bidding to obtain
|
house and I want S., OOO I must have
it and don't care to argue the matter.
It is useless to say that to comply with
my request you make yoursel and your
boy beggars, and, in the opinion of your
neighbors, yourself thief. I care
nothing for such pleas. Neither do my
comrades outside, whose mutterings
you can hear this moment. There Is
no time to lose. [ must signal them to
come in for money or your boy. They
/ have been promised one or the other.
| Where now was my God that He
didn It strike that wretch dead as he
stood there, with such words on his
lips? [ am to rob myself, rob my boy,
rob my friends and go forth tomorrow
beggar and thief, and for what?
Heavens! to save my child Can I
longer hesitate? Money, honor, repu-
tation, everything have in this world
must go if [ would have my boy stay.
My head grew dizzy. The room was
whirling round. involuntarily led
the way to the bed room. He followed
me. [ took from it's hiding place q
key. I unlocked my writing desk. I
touched secret spring in drawer. [
pointed to the exposed money. Not
| word is said. He seizes the roll of
bank bills, gave me demoniac look
and passed into the darkness without.
to myself realized what I had done.
My God! the thought was killing me.
[ had violated the trust and now was a
thief Had I not pointed out the money
to that man. that monster? I called
upon my Creator to help me in my ter
rible distress.
Next day I was watching from the
window for my little boy to return from
school. And when [ saw him he had a
letter in his hand coming up the lane
waving it. Another moment and he
bounds into the room and throwing
sealed envelope into my lap, fairly shouts
to me to open it and read it quick, be-
cause the postmaster has just received
a dispatch asking him to deliver the
letter to me at once and have me
telegraph an answer. There comes
the postmaster up the lane now
''Open it mother; read it, quick"
looked at the boy in
amazement. A dispatch. A letter. An
answer must be telegraghed quick.
| What does it mean? More trouble' Is
not my cup full? Is there room in this
| fast throbblng heart for more sorrow?
| Can there be any more weary tears in
these eyes? Mechanically [ tear open
| the envelope. The letter is from my
| New England home. I care not for the
| date. ''Dear madam" are idle words.
A piece of paper drops to the floor. My
boy picks it up and holds it before me
| while [ read:
Enclosed you will find a draft on the Bank of
Commerce, City of New York, for the sum of
| three thousand dollars. payable-[my eyes fail
me. can read no farther. There is plenty of
roo1u for tears. The mist grows thicker. The
postmaster begs pardon for intruding my
privacy at such q time but says it is important
that he telegraph my answer at once. hand
| him the letter and ask him TO finish reading it.
| He reads ito your order. In reorganizing the
| National Wooden Mill Company there is q
| scramble going on for shares. In searching for
| the several shareholders it has been discovered
that the assignment by your father of the. forty
shares owned by him to your former husband
was not only 1rreguarly entered ON the trans
| fer books, but was forgery. The company at
| once repaid the dividends, amounting to three
thousand dollars, and that amount L remit to
| you by enclosed draft To enable the friends of
| your lamented father to obtain majority of
| the shares in order to control the property and
| take it from those who are trying to depreciate
| its value by bad management, they can buy
| the stock for much less than its real value. I
| sell the forty shares which were your
| tion OF directors is to be held on the 21st in
slant speedy answer, and by telegraph, is
| necessary, advise you to sell.
SAMUEL EDaroSpsoN."
It required but a moment for me to
| conclude what l would do. Mr. Ed
mondson had proven himself honest and
faithful to my interests. [ would trust
him now. My answer went quick, II
| accept" In a few days another draft
came, and my faith i'll that divinity
which doth all things well was re-
| stored, and from the most miserable of
beings become the happiest.
Thus you see, my kind friend that
the answer I gave you when you asked
my hand in marriage was the only one
I could give you, though you thought
me cruel and heartless. I know the
courts are open to me for a severance
of the marriage bond. Butt can never
consent to do an act that will serve to
| MI hid from in he loocf a