St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-06-17
OvINGTON PARISH, SATURDAY, S93

agreed with him So We started to re.
place what had been lost. And, oh.
what fools. silly, silly fools We wcrei
What's the use of repeating . taic of
such follies7 We spent all. and then.
worse still, were owing money. There
was . bankruptcy and = shameful SELL
Ing up OF our stock and sticks at the
beginning of the winter season.
"Everything and every body seemed
against us then. At the sale things
We had given pounds for went for a
many pence; and the proceeds were all
snatched up by the creditorA After II
our relations wrote prim letters TO say
that they washed their hands of US
douglas had been brought mp TO no
profession and knew NO trade. We
couldn't tell what 70 do. We were
penniless: we were in despair; We
were unable to keeE even those humble
two-roomed lodgings any longer. II
was awful.
"Then . curious note reached us.
written in . struggling, scrstchy hand.
and signed by the man who till recent
~ had been our butler. It was word
ed half in the third person. half in the
first, and was 90 painfully respectful
In places that the sense was almost
lost. The writer had taken . liberty,
. great liberty. but he could not help
seeing how things had been going for
some months past He hoped wo
should pardon his presumption in Sec
ing.
Further. he had done thing that it
was not his place to do 1t all He had
taken upon himself to interfere with
our affairs-which was = great liberty
for which he craved pardon. but
knew from experience how hard it was
to get new place after leaving nm old
one without money.
''And SO he sent . sofa cushion.
bought At the sale. which he would
most respectfully beg % to accept
The cover was not worn much. but the
inside was valuable. If we ripped up
the silk VIC should see. After which.
hoping mo- offense. he was our most
obedient and obliged servant to COM
mand
"A yellow silk cushion came with
the letter. Douglas stared 1t It mp and
down. not understanding. Was the
man mad, do you suppose. or drunk,
said he, when that letter was writtenT
Hes underlined rip the silk" said
L Then ripped It shall be- replied
Douglas, and brought out his knife.
"And. then. what do you think? In
and among the rest of the fluffy elder
down were some two score Of little
balls of feathers tied around with fine
cotton. Douglas opened ono and found
, diamond. took another and great
dropped into my hand.
''And then began laughing and cry
ing and behaving SO stupidity that Ihad
10 lie down on the sofa and turn my
face away from the white hespof down
in the middle Of the carpet
But after . bit pulled myself to-
gether again. aid Douglas showed me
his gleanings. There was . double
handful-diamouds. rubies, emeralds
md more diamonds and more rubies.
and q great opal that CLEANED and
burnt in the lampliRht like blaze Of
rolored 6reA
"Then . thought struck me and J
gaspcd out . faint question rs To
they were really ours.
"'Yes.' said Douglas. all yours We
paid our creditors to the last penny
and il ruined N to do it Now We must
start afresh, and. thank Providence
md an honest. thoughtful servant
we've got something to begin upon. In
he first place, they will provide rs
with passage money to Australia. and
don't think we shall be quite penni-
ess when we land
swell, we went Douglas became . |
.reat squatter. the owner of many
niles Of country and Of . million
heep. and we made happy invest
neut& And what we won was not |
away in jewelry or in stupid
'mulation of people richer than our
elves"
There was . silence for some min. |
tics, and then asked about the man |
vho had stolen, for his masters future |
,eneiit. the precious gems.
''Didn't tell you7 Why. he waited |
n You 1t dinner tonight We hunted
i'm out when we came back and
wanted to do something big for him. |
We could well afford it you know,
nd. moreover, felt very grateful
'.But he's . most eccentric person.
le wouldn't accept anything. II we'd
'ardon the liberty he'd taken that was
II he would ask. unless. indeed, he
night como into our service. What
ueer people there are in the world.
p>n,t t<h~r>9"-Chi~aOn Pest /