The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-11-11

1t was such an unusual occurrence
children, 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.
Il asked 'em in, but the little gal
said she'd stay to the door. She's got
the baby tied to her."
''She's got what?"
''The baby, sir-tied to her with
string She said she had to or he'd
run away"
"Oh! Well, go and fetch 'em in
here. Tell 'em I've only got min
ute to spare. Hurry 'em up"
Confound it. What could any chill
dren want of him, Gershom Flint. He
wasn't really on visiting terms with
any of their kind; must be little beg
gars, confound EN-!
He took ont his watch and held 1t IN
his hand as Tilly and Roddy Doc came
in. Roddy Doc was tugging back on
his leash stoutiy His small, round
face was very shiny with recent soap
suds and puckered with grieved re-
volt
Tilly put both hands on his tiny
shoulders and pushed him toward Ger
shom Flint Her face was full of
eager purpose.
II came -Roddy Doc, make bow
--guick-to the man-to get you to
mortgage the BABY" she said. 'If
You please, size added, in polite Gter-
thought.
Mr.. Flint stared astonished.
"Hey?'
"To mortgage the baby-him, YOU
know" prodding Roddy Doo's fat
cheek with her finger. +T want him
mortgaged right Off you please.
It's the way they do when-when they
haven't any more money left, isn't it?"
she asked, eagerly. She had gone up
quite close to him and was peering
wistfully into his stern face. Roder-
lex Dhu, on tiptoe, reached up and
cluched his dangling watch chain with
a murmur of approval. The little
moist, velvety hand touched his for
an instant on its way.
The girls anxious face close to his
face, the baby's touch unfamiliarly,
oddly pleasant, and, above all, the e1-
traordinary proposal, combined to-
gether to produce a strange effect upon
Gershom Flint's senses. If he had
ever cried or laughed in Lis life he
would have better understood the con-
fusion of sensations. As it was he
merely waited for further develop
ments. What would come next?
"Won't you do it?" asked Tilly,
little note of apprehension in her
voice. "He's a beautiful baby to
mortgage. wisht you would!"
"You wish / would. hey? Mort
gage the baby, hey? Come here, little
chapr'
Gershom Flint actually lifted the
child to his knee in an awkward, un-
accustomed way. Little amused
wrinkles were beginning to radiate
from the corners of his eyes-stiffly,
rs if the skin were unused altogether
to the process. A warm spot some
where in Gershom Flint's heart was
manifesting Itself insistently. He
ran his fingers lightly over the wrig-
Cling baby body as if testing its sound
ness.
"What do You value him at?' he
asked, gravely,
"W-what?" quavered lilly, look
ing blank.
'I'm not accustomed to mortgage
for more than two-thirds the value.
So must know what price you set on
the youngster-how much you think
he's worth, that is"
''Ohw breathed Tilly. Her brows
were knit in puzzled thought. She
looked at Roddy Doc with all her love
in her eyes and an anxious quiver in
her chin. The tiny fellows head was
nestled against Gershom Flint's coat,
as he clinked the gold chain, with
soft repetition, against the buttons.
"He's worth everything-all there
is-to me" said Tilly, slowly.
Exactly" Gershon Flint nodded
gravely "Well, will mortgage him
at two-thirds of his value, interest at
six per cent, payable quarterly. Does
that suit you, hey?"
''Oh, yes--oh, thank you SO much!
An needn't put him in any dredful
's,lum-no, NO, no! Roddy, Roddy
Doc, do you hear, darlin'? You're
gyin' to stay right with Tilly an be
TIED TO Tilly's clothcsline?"
Gershom Flint uttered queer gut
tural sound. Roderick Dhu was
asleep! His little. hand slowly re-
laxed about the watch chain and fell
with soft slap to the big hand under
meath. Through the thick coat his
little head felt pleasantly warm.
When Tilly went home that after
noon she carried, tightly held against
her breast, little role of mortgage
money" that meant home and Roddy
Doc and all things beautiful to her.
Sho lid Tho most of ~ ou-or with care