Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-10-29
a "a a. X a. a. a A a a a a a
THE JIl0hTGAGE ON R0DERIGK DHU.
by ANsIE HAmIL-ov poxsELL

Docs warm lite body beside her
over and over again; it comforted her.
so nobody else has got to let me
,roa, /" she vas thinking. ifi'vc 20;
to do something. If-if | don't. 1
IAN the money gets all gone, then
III have to carry Roddy Doc to the
'sylum-Oh, can't, / cau'ti'
Poor little Tillyl The thought OF
that was more than even her stout
little heart could bear--to have Roddy
Dec taken away from herl 1t had
stared her in the face ever since her
mother died. That was nearly year
ago now.
If Mis- Primble an Miss Kaih'rine
had given her up an the Peters
moved away AN they're goin' tor
moa1ed Tiliyin the dark; what should
she do? She couldn't go out to work
there was Roddy boo. And the
money y--mo.her's money-was almost
gone.
Another trouble-lut Tily would
not think Of that the little shanty
house they lived in. By and by the
man that owned the land was going to
tear it down and build great, new
house. By and by-its very indefi-
niteness comforted lilly, and there
we're nearer dangers now TO brood
over. Until ''by and by" she and
Koderick Dhu were permitted to live,
rent free, ia the tiny, unkempt house.
But yen can't live in free houses
without eatin', ran on the childs
an Sious thoughts; ''an you can't eat
when there amt anything, an folks
won't let you iron their clothes. Oh,
dear me.''
1t was very late when at last the
stiff little figure swayed lack on the
pillow asleep. There followed hard
days for Tilly. She hardly knew how
she got through them, the load on
her heart was so heavy and the dread
of the i" 'svlun,' loomad 50 before
her
The Peters novel away, and, one
by one, Tilly's slender little means of
support seemed to desert her. She
kept her trouble to herself and, when
there was no help for it, she set her
little white teeth and got Poddy Doc
ready. 1t was a very short process.
The night before the day she had set
to carry him to the orphan asylum she
ay awake all night, with the baby in
her arms aud his sweet, warm breath
tanning her cheeks. Her trembling
fingers patted him necessarily, hour
after hour.
just as the faintest daylight began
10 creep into the world Tilly's inspi-
ration came to her. 1t took away her
brea h. 1t set her pulses beating
with wild, triumphant joy. She
hngged Roddy Doc fiercely against
her breast and then crooned over him
till he went to sleep again.
.'I'll do it. I'll do itl' she whis-
pered. "pll go today--oh, I'm goin'
to keep Roddy Doo-Ive found a
wayw
Gershom Flint was the richest and
the hardest man in Prospectville.
People said he hal been keen and
snug and hard as his own name. The
boys nicknamed hin Skin Flint, and
to all appearances he admirably fitted
the unsayory name. About half the
houses in the town were under mort
gage to Gershom Flint-woe betide
thsm!-and a sharper man could not
easily have been found to carry so
many OF other peoples burdens.
That was what people said If old
Mary Jessup, who had kept Gershom
Flinps house for him for 90 years,
thought different, no one knew it. II
she could have told of many quiet
good deeds done duringaIl these years,
she never did tell Her face, as grave
and stern as her masters, was as in
scrutable. They lived their lonely,
uneventful lives in apparent indiffer-
ence to people and peoples tongues.
At his breakfast one day Mary in
terrupted him in an unusual way. She
was smiling, and her master felt a
sudden wonder that he had never seen
before how really good looking Mary
was.
There's some young ones to see
yon, sir, /" Mary said. '.rhey come to
the front door, an they're waitin'.
There's a little gal an a baby"
"Children--to sec met" Gershom
Flint's voice had astonishment in it.
II was such al unusual occurrence
ehildrenl When had any children ever
been to see him before?
He got up and pushed away his
chair.
Where did you leave them, Mary?"
he asked, with affected indifference.
4 asked 'en in, but the little gal
said she'd stay to the door. She's got
the baby tied to her. 1"
shes got uhat?"
The baby, sir-tied to her with a
string She said she had to or he'd
run away"
'sOh Well, go and fetch EN- in
here. Tell EN- I've only got min
ute to spare. Hurry EN- mp.
Confound i'll What could any chill
dren want of him, Gershom Flintl He
wasn't really on visiting .erms with
any Of their kind; must be little beg
gars, confound EN-!
He took out his watch and held it in
his hand rs Tilly and Roddy boo came
in. Roddy Doc was Juggling back on
his leash stoutly His small, round
face was very shiny with recent soap
suds and puckered with gfievei re-
volt.
lilly put both hands on his tiny
shoulders and pushed him teward Ger.