River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-05-24

which the paint was scarcely dry,
stood where the log house had been.
The yard. always level. had been
cleared of rubbish. and inclosed in
neat fence.
Hastily striding up the gravel walk,
he entered the sitting room where his
wife, daughter and uncle awaited him.
Ia the kitchen beyond. a young girl
fitted about, getting supper. To the
left. the open folding doors showed a
prettily furnished parlor in which a
handsome organ was conspicuous.
The sitting-room was less extensively
furnished, but a sewing machine and
several easy chairs gave an air of home
comfort, as delightful as it was novel.
just what John Weston would have
said had his wife been alone it is i'm
possible to say But being in some
what wholesome awe of his uncle, who
was bachelor aud wealthy, he only
inquired:
What in the devil does all this tom
foolery mean, Alice?"
simply that | have reinvested my
half of the bank stock" she replied,
quietly.
You don't mean TO say that you
have dared to touch that money in the
bank, he roared. Its mine, every
cent of it. i will not have il touched
You could not get it without me, and if
anyone" dartiDg an angry look at his
uncle, has been fool enough to lend
you mohey on the strength of it, III
see them hanged before I'll pay it"
For ten minutes he ragged like wild
animal; then Alice spoke quietly yet in
tone that Gained even his anger
stop, John; now you must listen to
me. Seventeen years ago, when we
were married, You had less than one
hundred dollars. My father bought
this place, stocked it and furnished
money for Improvements. When he
died allowed you to do exactly as you
pleased with everything You have
bought and sold to suit yourself. Your
stock nave been we'll sheltered, while
your family have lived in a howell
A nything to aid you in outdoor labor
has been freely purchased, and at the
same time simple necessities of life
have been denied us. But this is
thing of the past. Henceforth matters
viii rest on more equitable basis, and
we will live in accordance with our
m cans
There was ten thousand five hun.
bred dollars in the bank at b.
drew FIVE thousand five hundred dollars
of it. You have over five hundred
from this years sale of produce, and
the remaining five thousand dollars
lay no claim to. Thus we start even.
I Ill I
ask no division of given receipts. You
can go on just as you have and no one
will question your management, but
one-half of all the net proceeds must be
deposited to my order"
You don't mean to say that you
have squandered five thousand dollars
since / have gomez" he exclaimed,
angr.i,
Il have squandered nothing. l have
properly expended some twenty-five
hundred The house cost two thousand
dollars, the furniture about five hun
bred more. The otlrer three thousand
! have intact"
And you have got the money and
spent it?"
u have got it and have spent por-
ton of il"
You signed my name to the order?"
Il did"
"And if / refuse to let the matter
rest so, and have you arrested for
forgery?"
A smile curled her lip for a moment.
"Then in such an event, which do
not anticipate. l should be forced to
have you arrested for attem pied fraud,
and let the farm to tenant who will
justly divide the profits.
The last was certainly a master
stroke, for he made no reply, and the
girl announcing supper, the subject
was not renewed.
In the evening, how ever, when John
and his uncle went to the barn, John
asked him if he had set the thing go
ing.
mot at all, he returned. though l
do not blame Alice Look at your fine
lot of personal property. besides money
in the bank, and it has all come through
her Now let me advise you. Accept
the situation gracefully; Alice has
counted the cost carefully, and she
will never yield her position. And yet,
John, you have brought it upon your
self If you had treated her little
more Justly she would never have at
tempted this.
NO, by Jove. l did not think she
had so much grit. I've live with her
seventeen years. and never heard her
scold until tonight"
Rather mild scolding that, think. "
"Well, pretty thorough overhaul
ing, then" John said. with a faint at
.empt at a laugh. But, really" he
added, this places me in bnd fix.
have bought the Allston estate, and
there are oil wells on it that make it
big bargain. was to give ten thou
sand for the place, including tools and
stock This thing knocks my calcula-
ton endwise, for, as his place really
belongs to Alice, l cannot mortgage it,
and If the sale is not completed by
Monday the whole thing falls through. -
You intended taking deed of this
place yourself
"Of course" he answered, readily.
then had the grace to color as he caught
the twinkle in his uncles eye.
You have said nothing to Alice about
it?"
mo; to tell the truth. did not con-
slider it was any of her affairs. ] never
looked at things just as have tonight
and did not think she would care as
sert her rights. IN fact, | think 4 had
forgotten she had any"
''She has dared, however, and honor
her for it. Now, John. I'll tell you
what I'll do. II you and Alice will take
joint deed of The Allston place I'll
lend her the two thousand dollars re-
quired and she can pay me when con-
venient. Bus it must he joint deed,
understand.
Alice was delighted with the arrange
ment, and though surprised at finding
such smooth sailing felt duly grateful
to Johns uncle for his timely aid, and
found n o future difficulty in maintain
ing the stand she had taken.
As for John, he had always enter
tanned an exalted opinion of John IVES
ton, but from that night he entertained
a wholesome respect for John Weston's
wife Chicago Journal
MRS. STOVES CHILDHOOD.
Recollections of Her First Essay as n
Schoolgirl.
One of Harriet Beecher Stoves
early teachers was John Pierce Brace,