The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-01-05


Pratt laughed at the estimate of his
wealth he could have bought the
whole county and turned it into shoot
ing park had he wished-and modestly
replied that he didn 1T think he could dc
that though he had got along pretty
well. Then he changed the subject by
remarking on old Sans evident pros
perity.
YES" said the old man delightedly,
'things are lookin better, amt theyi
But of course you heard all about it?''
Pratt had not heard.
"Oh, no." he said, "this amt my
doings at all. They are Walters. My
Oldest boy, Walter, you know. Jeel ]
guess he was born after you left. WASH 7
he? Well, we'll, how time does fly, to
be sure. tell you, Walter is mighty
smart boy, but an awful fellow to
work. and half frightened express
sion came over his face.
AS old Sam said this he jumped
back into the ditch and picked up his
shovel as if he were going to dig again.
"Well," said Pratt, "I'm glad your
family is turning out so we'll, but you
used to be more fond of hunting than OF
blowing and digging, didn't your"
eyes, bat | amt done no hunting in
the last three or four years.
"Why, there are lots of squirrel left,
are there not, and some quail and par
tridge?''
eyes, but Walter would not let me. p"
said the old man doggedly.
would not let you! That's strange. "
"No, he sold my gun. .
"You surprise me-
tWell, 1 guess he was right. used
to waste an awful lot of time with it
when / should have been working. If I
had not wasted so much time, would
not have got into debt 1 suppose you
heard about that, didn't you?'
"Why, no; did not hear anything
about it. &"
'Oh, / was in awful trouble. could
not sleep nights or anything. The store
bills kept getting bigger, and then I
gave notes, and then little mortgage,
and the times kept getting harder and
the taxes higher until was almost
crazy. But I tell you" and little
CLEAN of pride lit up his face, Walter
has changed all that, and even though
be does make me work hard l don t
know that 1 have any right to COM
plain. You see, this is the way it was:
When things got to the very worst and
we were afraid the sheriff would come,
Walter offered that if | would make
over the farm to him and agree to work
for him until / was 20 he would pay off
all the debts, give something to each of
the other children, and that after / was
20 neither myself nor the old woman
would have to do any more work. He
would support us, and we would have
to worry about nothing"
By a series of questions Pratt learned
from the old man all the details of this
wonderful bargain. He learned that the
simple hearted old man was practically
slave to his greedy and selfish son.
He had to get up at O'Clock in the
morning and work until at night, and
the unfilial brute had dared at time1 TO
thrash his father for not working as
hard as he thought he should. More
over, he did not allow him to have
meat or good food except when he was
working hard. In the winter time,
when there was nothing to do but
chores, the old man and his wife were
forced to live on eornmeal and buck
wheat.
The rich mans wrath arose as he
learned Of the miserable story, and his
heart was moved with unwonted pity
as he saw that his old friend was look
ing forward with such simple anticipa-
ton to the good time coming when he
would be 20 years and free. The prob
abilities were that he would be worked
to death before then; if not, that he
would be starved to death soon after
ward.
Although the old man complained,
and with touching candor told of the
treatment he was receiving, he really
blamed himself more than his son.
"Walter has been hard" he said,
''but l can't say 1 deserve much more.
I lived in way that brought us all
into debt, and have caused him loi
Of worry in getting out, and you know,
Hiram, what debt is, especially to g
man who feels that he would not rot
any one in the world. "
At this moment the conversation was
interrupted by shout.
Looking in the direction from which
it came, a man was seen standing OIL
the fence, waving his arms angrily.
''That's Walter, y said the old mar
as he commenced shoveling for deal
life. "He wants me to get this ditch
finished and the tile laid in it before
the frost comes.
"No, Hiram, can't go shooting
with you this time. Walter can't spare
me, and | amt got any money to gel
powder and shot with, though 1 guess
could borrow Thompson's gun if
wanted it. But, tell you, if you come
back seven years from now, when
amt got nething to do, we will go out
hunting again and have a good time
just the same as we used to. You have
not got plug Of chewing tobacco, have
your"
"No."
"City folks don't chew much, d.
they? Walter said it was dirty and ex
pensive habit, and he made me stop. bu
sometimes l get chew when go to ,
thrashing or logging bee. I"
The millionaire had a strong inclina
ton to walk over to the other field anC
bag the brilliant Walter instead OF go
ing to the woods to hunt for inoffensiv.
squirrels He felt that he would enjoy
putting a charge of cold lead into hin
about as much as he used to enjoy put
ting it into a skunk. But he restrained
himself and walked back to the woods
There he sat down on an old oak log
wondering-for his heart for once il
many years was full of the kindlies
feeling-if it would not be worth,
deed to buy the freedom of his OLE
friend. He could certainly find SOM
way of doing it without causing to-
much talk, and it would be deed o
charity that might do something to soft
en- the hardness of his past life. But a
he thought it all over and remembers,
how the old man was looking forwart
to a good time coming he paused. Afte
all, what was the difference between
them?
The old man was a slave to his son