The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-07-06

in the matter of Squire Beans legacy, |
came up to confront her.
"Well, l did it for Hiram, she said |
repeatedly, "but he'll never live to
know it. But that ain going to clear
mew
She fell at last into O troubled sleep,
but at daybreak woke suddenly, with |
every sense refined and with thatquick
impression of duty that comes often
times in the first waking. She was
dressed and at the door before the
first chimney in the village caught
warmer color from the sun, or sent
upward its first thin. wreath of smoke.
She gazed at the sea. The wind
had lulled, but the water looked even
more irightful. Here and there were
eddying fragments of timber that told
their own story.
She walked quickly along in the
gray of the morning through the silent
street strewn thick with wet leaves
and little branches torn off by the
gale. When she reached Mrs. Chilcott's
door she found Susan just lighting her
kitchen fire.
"Why, Mandy Guptill!' Mrs. Chill
colt exclaimed. 81 thought it was a
spirit. Where'd you come FROM"
81 come from home, Susan, and
I've got something on my mind"
sob, 1 know, 'Mandyi Now you
sit down, and don't get anxious. ia
son says Hiram most likely stopped"
cit amt Hiram nor the gale, Susan
Chilcott; it's me. I'm thiefw
Mrs. Chilcott opened her mouth,
but no words came.
'I'm a thief" Mrs. Guptill re-
peated, and the ferceness of the spoken
words told plainly how many times
she had said them inwardly. 'Tknew
all along the money want for me, but
kept it. Hiram had spent some of
it, and I dreaded to cast him down
again, he'd had such luck We was
near starving, Susan Chilcott, when
that money come-but that don't clear
me. Hiram he didn't have no luck,
and he needed them nets, and since
then l heven't dared to tell him that
knew it so long" She spoke hur-
riedly lest her courage should fail her.
care you daft Mandy? What
money do you mean?"
81 mean that Squire Bean money.
might have knowed l couldn't have
kept it. knew it that night we was
to meeting, when you told me about
Mandy Liz beth. "
Mrs. Chilcott stared. Whatever
suspicious she may have had, she had
stilled them.
cit was this way, Susan. Squire
Bean, he really intended that two
hundred dollars to go to your neice,
Mandy Elizabeth Guptill; but when
they come round askin' for Mandy
L. Guptill, forgetting to spell Liz
beth with an E, and my name being
Mandy L. Guptill, I"
Mrs. Guptill could go no further.
She looked as if she were about to
faint. a..
"Great earth and sessW exclaimed
Mrs. Chilcott from the pantry, whence
she presently returned with steam
ing portion of composition tea, -
which she made Mrs. Guptill drink.
Swallow, it all down, Mandy; it
will calm you" she said, Mrs. Cup
till reviveda little.
"Twas an awful path I tread,
Susan !" she gasped. "The stones was
CALLING to my feet, and the briers was
reaching out to catch me and keep me
back, but I kept on. 1 says, they was
after Mandy L. Guptill, and that's
me, and let them dispute it, says I;
till come last night felt different.
"What set you to thinking" de.
manded Mrs. Chilcott.
+ "I've done nothing but think, but
last night / had kind of PRESENT..
ment, and 1 believe just as much as
anything Hirsm's gone down along
, with his father-and all the tackle and
oars was bought with stolen money n
Then for the first time she began to
rock herself to and fro, and sob and
cry out that she could never see he1
, son again, and that his mother was 8
thief.
: "Hush up, Mandy You AIM
4 neither thief-quit, tell you, the
children will hear you! You're allup
set. There, sit up, and don't let III
' have any more such carvings on, IT.
3 nothing but the Guptill luckl"
81 shall never see Hiram again 4
e Mandy sobbed.
e al don't know about that. 1t looks
to me terrible sight like smoke coming
out OF your chimney. I guess it,
1 most likely Hiram building you
t fire |"