Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-08-08

struggle 81 do say so," he replied
His fingers crumpled the deed as he
spoke, but his head was erect, and truth
seemed to sit on his lips. Christian sat
down and buried his eyes In his hand.
The stranger smiled again the same cold
smile.
THE mortgageor wishes to withdraw the
mortgage" he said.
"He may do so-in IS days" answered
Balladhoo.
"That win suffice. 1t would be cruel to
prolong painful interview"
Then, with glance toward Christian,
as he sat convulsed with distress that he
in hard tone:
"Only the mortgageor camo to have rea-
SONS to think that perhaps the deed had
been drawn without your knowledge"
Balladhoo handed back the document
with a nerveless hand He looked again
through dim eyes at the stranger and said
quietly, but with an awful inward effort:
You have my answer. l knew of 1t. -
The recording angel set down the words
in the book of life to the old mans credit
in heaven. They were not true.
The stranger bowed low and retired.
Christian leaped up and took his father
by both hands, but his eyes were not raised
to the troubled face.
"This is worse than all, +" he said, "but
God knows everything. He will make
me answer for it"
"What Is the debit" asked Balladhoo,
with an effort to be calm.
money squandered in England"
The old man shook his head with an
Impatient gesture.
II mean how much"
"A thousand pounds" There was a
pause
"We can meet it." said Balladhoo land
now, my son, cheer up, set your face the
right way, and his servant shall not be
ashamed"
Christian strobe up and down the room.
His agitation was greater than before. ~
feel less than man," he said. "Oh, but
hidden sin is mean thing, father-a
dwarfng, petrifying, corroding, unmanly
thing. And to think that could descend
so low as to try to conceal it-a part of it
by consorting with gang of lawless fel-
lows-by q vulgar outrage that might
have ended in death itself but that the
hand Of heaven interposed?'
You are not the first, +" answered Bal
ladhoo, "who has descended from deceit to
the margin of crime, but it isn't for me to
judge you. Read your misfortunes, my
lad, as heaven writes them. Are they not
warnings against the want Of manlinessf
No. it's not for me to say it, but If there's
one thing truer than another it Is that the
world wants men. Clever fellows, good
fellows, it has ever had in abundance but
in all ages the worlds great want has been
men,"
Balladhoo glanced down at Mona.
Throughout this interview she had sat
with eyes bent on her lap. The old man
touched the arm Of his son and continued:
"As for the hand Of heaven, 1t has work.
ed through the hand of this dear, brave
girl You owe her your life, Christian, and
SO do l."
Then the young man, with eyes afame,
walked to Mona and lifted her in his arms.
The girl looked very beautiful in her con-
fusion, and while she sobbed on Chris
tian's breast and Balladhoo looked on with
wondering eyes Christian confessed every
thing; how, in effect, Mona had been his
wife for six years past, and little Ruby
was their child.
Itwas staggering blow. But when the
surprise OF 1t was past all was forgiven.
you love my boy?" said Balladhoo,
turning to Mona. ..,
The girl could not answer in words She
| threw her arms around the old mans neck,
| and he kissed her. Then through the tears
that had gathered In his blurred old eyes
there shot merry gleam as he said above
the girls hidden face, "Oh, SO I've got to
be happy yet, find"
There came the noise of people entering
the house. In another moment Kerruish
Kinvig had burst in with one of the Castle
Rushen men behind him.
"Manxmanlike, he's dog after the fair
and away from Peel tonight" bawled
Kinvig, indicating the subject of his in
consequent remarks by contemptuous
furch of his hand over his shoulder.
"We staid too long in hiding" said
the man, with glance of self justification
"Of course" shouted Kinvig, oblivious
| of the insinuation against his own leader
ship, land who hasn't heard that the crab
| that lies always in its hole Is never fatp"
1.-THE fishing boat is still at sea, sir. It's
scarce likely that the men will come back
to Peel, said the man, addressing Ballad
hoo.
"Who dreamed that they would?" cried
Kinvig. "What black ever stamped on his
own foot?"
"We're trusting you think we've done
our best, sir, continued the man, ignor-
ing tho Interruptions.
Eaten bread is quick forgotten, shout
ed Kinvig "What you've done you've
done, and there's an end Of it, and it's
not much either and if were MAGISTRATE
I'd have the law on the lot of you for
o pack of incompetent loblolly boys
Wouldn't you. Christian?"
"You have done your BEST" said Bal
ladhoo, and the man left them. LAS for
you, Kerruish," he added, "if you'd had
the in luck to succeed, think what a sad
dog you must have been by this time. You
would have had nothing to growl about. I"
Christian had walked to the window.
"Hark, he said, turning to Mona, "the
wind is rising what of those poor fellows
outsider" The melancholy sough of the
wind could be heard above the low moan
of the distant sea. Mona thought of Dan
ny, and the tears came again into her eyes
1t was time for the girl to return home
Christian put on his hat to accompany
her, and when they left the house together
he laughed, detected though he was, at
ruish Kinvig as he glanced in stupid 81
lence from Balladhoo to them and from
them back to Balladhoo.
fro BE coNTTNUFp.l
Literary Work Under Dickens.