The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-04-23

anccs and accounts, said Rosamond,
with sweet, sportive laugh. GLOW
do you like this dress, Rutusl" hold.
ing up the cleaning folds of the pink
satin. 81 shall wear it on Thursday
evening"
"Do you think, Rosie" said the
young man, gently, "that it is wise
for us to go so much into society on
our slender income?"
THAT arrow came from your moth
er's culver, Rufus !" said Rosamond,
with another laugh. ''She was always
preaching about your income.
"And, after ALL" said Rufus, 'what
do we care for tho fashionable people
to whose houses we go, aud whom we
invite to our parties? They wouldn't
one of them regret if we were to go
to the Rocky Mountains tomorrow
81 would rs soon die Mt once rs live
without society,"" said Rosamond.
''Do leave off lecturing me, Rufus?
Society is all that makes life worth
having for me-"
And, with deep sigh, Rufus held
his peace.
That was n long, lonely winter for
Mrs. Mildmay, senior, at The Hem
locks.
Snow set in early; the river froze
over, as if it were sheeted with iron,
except in the one dismal place down
in the rlvine, where n restless pool of
ink-Glack water boiled and dubbed at
the fooj of n perpendicular mass of
gray rock, under the shadow of gloomy
evergreens; the sunshine differed
with frozen brightness over the hills,
and the old lady was often secretly
sad ut heart as she sat all alone in the
crimson parlor, by the big fire place,
where the logs blazcd in the twilight
And as the New Year passed, and
the bitter cold of Jenuary took posses
sion Of the frozen world, vague APP
prehension crept into her heart.
Something is going to happen"
she said. 81 am not superstitious, but
there arc times when the shadow of
coming events stretches darkly across
the heart. Something is going to hap
pen!'
And one afternoon, rs the amber
sunset Ela2ed behind the leahess trees,
turning the snowy fields into masses
of molten pearl, she put on her fur
lined hood AMI cloak.
81 will go and take walk" said
she. 81 shall certainly become n
hypochondriac if / sit all the time by
the fire and nurse my morbid fancies
like this. ="
She took q long, brisk walk down by
the ruins of the old mill, through the
cedar woods, across the frozen swamp,
and then she paused.
81 will come back by the Black
Pool, she thought It's II wild and
picturesque spot in winter, with
icicles hanging TO the tree boughs,
and weird lceelfects over the face of
the old gray rock"
1t was Il dark and gloomy place,
funereally shaded by the hemlocks,
which grew there to a giant size and
when Mrs. NIildmay got beneath their
boughs, she started back.
Was it the Elusive glimmering of
the dNrkeniu8 twilight? or was it
really Il man who stood close to the
edge of the Black Pool?
"Rufu5 oh, Rufus, my son !"
She was barely in tune to catch him
in her arms and drag him back from
the awful death to which he was hurl-
ing himself.
When they reached the cedar wains-
coated parlor, whore the blazing logs
cast n rudy reflection on the red
Moreen curtains, Mrs. Mildmay looked
into her stepson's face with loving
eyes.
"And now, Rufus" sail she, "tcll
me all about il. The Lord has been
very good to you in saving you from u
terrible crime"
Mother. why did you stop me?"
he said, reck!cssly. 81 nm II ruined
man. shall be dishonored in the
signs OF the world Death would be
preferable, n thousand times, to dis
grace"
"Rufus, said tho old lady, tender
~, edo you remember when You used
to- get into boyish scrapes mt school?
DO you remember how you used to
coniido your troubles to me? Let us
forget all the years that have passed.
Let us be child and mother once
again"
SO he told her all-of the reckless
expenditure ON Rosnmond's pnrt-his
own, also, be confessed which had
woven itself like fatal web about his
fcot-of the unpaid bills, the clamor.
ing tradesfolk, tho threats of public
exposure, which had driven him NJ
last TO the forgery OF his employers
signature, In order to FREQ himself
from one or two of the most pressing
Of these demands.
"And if NY investment in Eric
bonds had proved n success he said,
eagerly, 81 could have taken up every
one of the notes before they came due.
But there was n change i'm tho market,
and now-now tho bills will be pre-
scntcI next week, oud my villaioy will
be patent TO all the world oh,
mother, mother why did you not let
me fling myself into the Black Pool?"
'Hufus, said his stopmother, "what
is the amount of these these forged
bills?"
Cen thousand dollorsl" no an.
swcred, staring gloomily into the fire.
'Exactly the amount of The Govern
mcnt bonds winch your father left
me, soid Mrs Mildmay. "They
would have been yours at my death.
They nro yours now, Rufusi"
Mother, You don't moan a."