The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-04

he had begun to save, and now he
boarded still saying to himself and to
others, 'When my daughter is found
she shall be an hciress. He lived most
miscrahly, he wore garments that
would have disgraced beggar. lie
had no friends, no companions. All
his talk was of money, of land. of
bond and mortgage And now and then
in its midst he would pause, and, look
ing at his listener with eyes in which
tears gathered. he would say
You see, have to BIO sharp. must.
When that poor girl Of mine is found
she must be rich. "
And some would think the poor man
crazy, and laugh, and some would pity
him.
However, in his own unfinished
home Hiram kept one room under lock
and key--a Gorgeous chamber, fur
nished, as one might see, for Il woman.
This was for his daughter whom
every one else thought dead,
So the years passed on, as they pass
with all of us, until twenty were mum
bered Wall street knew old Hiram
well. He was always lucky.
Strangers took him sometimes for a
beggar. Once gentleman had offered
him a coin and thought him proud
when he replied that he had mo great
need of It, And of all hard men--of
all unyielding, cruel and Implying
men of all avaricious, crushing,
grinding men, Hiram Bassett was the
most unyielding, most IMPLYING. most
avaricious schemer and grinder
Yet, under all, lived the hope of his
life still at times he prayed for his
fruition upon Bonded knees: still he
wept. yearning, longing, loving tears
for the child he had never seen.
One evening Hiram sat alone in his
empty little room, when there came a
rap upon the door. He cried Come
in - and there entered Il woman.
She was young and rather pretty.
decently shabby, timid, and with eyes
that looked as though they had been
weeping.
"Mr. Bassett?" she said.
Hiram nodded.
Il am Anne Heldt," she said.
Don't know the name -
perhaps you know James Hcldt?'
said the girl.
flames HEIDI, Yes, Yes. The man
who has been trying to cheat me: the
man whose mortgage we foreclose to- |
morrow.
The girl clasped her hands.
NO sir, she said: she has been |
robbed and he has been i'll. He'll |
pay in time. Don't sell the little |
house: it can be nothing TO you with |
your great fortune: to him it is all. -
"Women's ways of looking at bust
ness. " said Hiram. What's due must
be paid. | do nothing unlawful. y
mo, no, " said the girl, but | ask
of you mercy. Give him another
year. He is so old. He is seventy-six.
and this would kill him, 1t is all we
can do to live; word from you would
put stop to these proceedings. In a
year we may manage-or or may
be alone. Out of mercy to him. You
are an old man yourself.
Don't see the argument. Good
many men older than | owe me money;
40 excuse for non,payment. Who are
YOU his wife?''
His daughter, said the girl
oh. sir, could you see him
Business is business, - said Hiram.
The girl retreated to the door. She
saw it was of no use.
The words touched Hiram; he lifted
lis shaggy eyebrows and looked at her
more kindly.
IF could | would, " he said, "but {
.ou see. | want to save for my daugh-
er's sake Every mans relations s
night beg money of mel | couldn't {
ct every man off scot free present
lin with piece of property and say
Never mind the money / may seem
lard, but it's for my daughters sake, {
must leave her rich 1
Il don't know who your daughter
nay be, sir, said the girl, 'but were y
she | would not have money so unmcr- J
ifully gained. \ curse will come to d
on for it, remember that. = I
And with these words she left Hi
am was alone, not quite as comfort
BILE as he might have been in mind. b
nut not one whit moved. The case e
,as no new one. An old seafaring
nan had bought some years before Il c
little piece of ground with a small
orse upon il, On which remained :
mall mortgage. Since that time the q
and. owing to certain improvements i
u the town. had multiplied in value. =
t was not the policy Of such a man as t
Iiram to be lcnicnt in such case. "
lie had been anxious to regain the s
roperty. and had seized the first cppor- h
unity of doing SO. Il
The next day the mortgage was fore
losed, and in due time the property "
as sold at its increased value to a II
IAN vino desired to erect factory up
n it, y writ of ejectment was served. II
nd again in the twilight came rap
t Hram's door, and the young girl II
no had entered it once before stood Il
gain before him. n
Il ask very little said the girl. !
You have killed my father. He is -,
wing. | only want you to let him VI
lie in peace. We are ordered to leave j,
lie house to morrow. and have no place -
90 to. 4 month at farthest and all "