Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-03
THE MORTGAGE ON R0DERICK DHU.
ny ANNIE HAMILTON DoSSKLL.

"No, no, child. What an idear'
Mrs. Primble's voice was unconscious
ly sharp. Besides, we've got a
woman all spoke to. How's Roddyg"
she added, hastily changing the sub
ject.
'What'm9 Oh, Roddy Doc? He's
pretty well, thank You, ma'am. /
guess I'd better be goin' now"
Out in the street Tilly's tense little
hands beat tattoo against her sides.
She winked rapidly to keep back the
tears.
"She nights well've said it," she
thought, bitterly. "She nights
well've said, you don't iron EN-
smooth enough, lilly Gamble, an
you wouldn't wash 'em clean. l
guess | knew what she meantl Poh,
| should hope you amt goin' to cry,
lilly, or I'm ashamed O. you, yes /
ami
But in the night Tilly's tears per-
sisted in pushing their way out. She
could not wink them back. In her
plain little nightgown she sat up
straight in bed and gazed into the
darkness unseeingly. Mechanically
she put out her hand and patted Roddy
Docs warm little body beside her
over and over again; il comforted her.
Somebody else has got TO let me
iron," she was thinking. "T've got
to do something. Tiff / don't, an
An the money gets all gone, then
I'll have to carry Roddy Doc to the
'sylum--Oh, i can't, can't"
Poor little Tillyl The thought of
that was more than even her stopt
ThsnS hakFS codi6 Bdzfs6 mvs n56a
Doc taken away from herl 1t ha'
stared her In the face ever since he
mother died. That was nearly yea
ago now.
IL Mis- Primble an Miss Kath'rin
| had given her up an the Peters
moved away-''an' they're goin' to!
moaned lilly In the dark; what shoul
she do? She couldn't go out to worl
there was Roddy Doc. And Tia
money-mother's money-was almos
gone.
Another trouble-but lilly woul
not think Of that--was the little shant
house they lived in. BY and by tn
man that owned the land was going t.
tear it down and build great, ne,
house. BY and by-its very indefi
niteness comforted lilly, and Their
were nearer dangers now to broo,
over. Until "by and by" she an,
Roderick Dhu were permitted TO live
rent free, in the tiny, unkempt house
"But you can't live in free house
without eatin'," ran on the child
anxious thoughts; IAN you can't ca
when there amt anything, an folk
won't let you iron their clothes. Oh
dear me!'
IL was very late when at last tn,
stiff little figure swayed back on tn
pillow asleep. There followed har,
days for Tilly. She hardly knew how
she got through them, the load oi
her heart was so heavy and the drea,
Of the "'sylum" loomed so befor,
her.
The Peters moved away, and, on,
by one, Tilly's slender little means o
support seemed to desert her. Sh,
kept her trouble to herself, and, wheI
there was no help for it, she set hel
little white teeth and got Roddy Do,
ready. IL was very short process
The night before the day she had Sc
to carry him to the orphan asylum sh,
lay awake all night, with the baby il
her arms and his sweet, warm breath
tanning her cheeks. Her trembling
fingers patted him necessarily, hom
after hour.
Just as the faintest daylight begar
to creep into the world Tilly's inspi
ration came to her. II took away he,
breath. II set her pulses beatin,
with wild, triumphant Joy. Sh,
Rugged Roddy Doc fercely agains
her breast and then crooned over hin
till he went to sleep again.
"Fll do IL. I'll do itw she wills
pered. I'm 60 today--oh, I'm goin
to keep Roddy Doo-Pve found
1 way!"
Gershom Flint was the richest AM
the hardest man in Prospectville
People said he had been keen an,
snug and hard "a his own name. TIL,
boys nicknamed him Skin Flint, IN,
to all appearances he admirably fitte,
the unsayory name. About half tn