The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-05-19
VOL. XIV. RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, Md, FTsID1

place what had been lost. And, oh,
what fools, silly, silly fools we wereI
What's the use of repeating tale of
such follies? 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 everybody seemed
against us then. At the sale things
we had given pounds for went for as
many pence; and the proceeds were all
snatched up by the creditors. After it
our relations wrote prim letters to say
that they washed their hands of us.
douglas had been brought up to no
profession and knew no trade. We
couldn't tell what to do. We were
penniless; we were in despair; we
were unable to keep even those humble
two-roomed lodgings any longer. 1t
was awful.
"Then a curious note reached us,
written in a struggling, scratchy hand,
and signed by the man who till recent
1y had been our butler. 1t was word
ed half in the third person, half in the
first, and was so painfully respectful
in places that the sense was almost
lost. The writer had taken liberty,
a great liberty, but he could not help
seeing how things had been going for
some months past. He hoped we
should pardon his presumption in see
ing.
"Further, he had done thing that it
was not his place to do at all. He had
taken upon himself to interfere with
our affairs-which was a great liberty
for which he craved pardon, but
knew from experience how hard it was
to get a new place after leaving an old
one without money.
! 'And so he sent a sofa cushion,
bought at the sale, which he would
most respectfully beg us to accept.
The cover was not worn much, but the
inside was valuable. If we ripped up
the silk we should see. After which,
hoping no offense, he was our most
obedient and obliged servant to COM
mand.
"a yellow silk cushion came with
the letter. Douglas stared at it up and
down, not understanding. WAS the
man mad, do you suppose, or drunk, ;
said he, when that letter was written"
He's underlined rip the silk" said
I. 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 one and found
a diamond. took another and a great
emerald dropped into my hand.
'And then began laughing and cry
ing and behaving so stupidity that had
to lie down on the sofa and turn my
face away from the white heapo of down
in the middle of the carpet.
But after a bit I pulled myself to-
gether again, and Douglas showed me
his gleanings. There was double
handful-diamonds, rubies, emeralds
and more diamonds and more rubies,
and a great opal that cleaned and
burnt in the lamplight like blaze OF
colored fires.
"Then a thought struck me and
gasped out a faint question as TO
whether they were really ours.
"'Yes,' said Douglas, all yours. We
paid our creditors to the last penny
and it ruined us to do it. Now we must
start afresh, and, thank Providence
and an honest, thoughtful servant,
we've got something to begin upon. In
the first place, they will provide us
with passage money to Australia, and
I don't think we shall be quite penni-
less when we land
"Well, we went. Douglas became a
great squatter, the owner of many
miles of country and of a million
sheep, and we made happy invest
ments. And what we won was not
frittered away in jewelry or in stupid
emulation of people richer than our
Selves,
There was silence for some min
utes, and then asked about the man
who had stolen, for his masters future
benefit, the precious gems.
Didn't tell you? Why, he waited
on you at dinner tonight. We hunted
him out when we came back and
wanted to do something big for him.
We could we'll afford it. you know,
and, moreover, felt very grateful.
''But he's a most eccentric person.
He wouldn't accept anything. If we'd
pardon the liberty he'd taken that was
all he would ask, unless, indeed, he
might come into our service, What
queer people there are in the world,
aren't therep"-Chicago Post.