Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-28
IN TIME.


little back from a certain road between
Bath and Richmond.
On IA particularly stormy night Il tall,
thin, poor looking man went in at the
gate and after a curious gaze around rap
ped loudly at the door.
Another decrepit, bent nan presented
himself at the door, and on being asked
for nights lodging, which would he paid
for, he hesitnted, but finally begged the
visitor to come in.
The reason / hesitated, sir, began the
thin looking host, twas because | ali so
poor that | cannot afford you even a
mouthful to eat"
Tell me- replied tho stranger, chow
came you in this state?"
"It was commenced by my poor little
wrong headed daughter and is nearly end
ed by the pride and foolish hope Of her
weaker headed father-that's me-"
"Well, sir" said the visitor; "well,
sir?"
"She became engaged to a worthless fell
low about here in the Whom who
loved her we'll enough, nc doubt, but who
could never support he.. They were mar
ried-ah, it was an evil day! And on it
her uncle died. She was alone in the room
, when he passed away, and he told her
| where the will was hidden. Sho found it,
! read it.
sit gave her ~nothing-but me, almost
all, for he had quarreled with his son and
turned him out OF doors. All, how well l
remember when she canie in at that door
yonder as white as "a sheet with rage and
waving that great sheet of paper over her
head. She declared that l, who had for
hidden her marriage with this low fellow,
| should have to live and work; that she
would hide the will and let the property
all 20 to the heirs of her uncle. l tried to
ste, her, but she fled into the storm and
snow all about the barns and lodged me
till ! was faint and weary, and when l
crept to the Kitchen, then so warm and
comfortable, she was gone forever, forever,
and / have never seen her since"
"NOt heard from herr" asked the stran-
ger.
ayes, thank heaven, there was a story
came that the man was kind to her and
worked hard for her, but then another
story came soon after that she fell sick and
died in some strange land. Poor, dear
little girl! poor, dear little girl! l hope
you're with your good mother, and that I
may be with you both in good time"
"And have you forgiven herr" asked the
man thoughtfully.
"Aye, yes, a thousand times. l have
no heart to harbor hate or distrust or re-
venge. May she be forgiven as quick as I
forgave, and she need have no fear"
"And you have had hard timesp' pur-
sued the man, with much curiosity.
eyes, for I've been SO proud I would
never let them do a hands turn for me,
though they've tried to very often. l
mortgaged the old house, all my acres
have gone, one by one, and SO have my
cattle and stock-yes, and all my tools. l
never worked with them, for I was always
hoping that she might send and tell me
where I could find tho paper, and so relieve
me at a stroke, and then, besides that, I
am 80 old and feeble-so very, very weak
and miserable"
$50 you've got low down, then, pretty
near the bottom?"'
II am down. I haven't had over enough
to eat today, and they take away my only
shelter tomorrow, and then I'll have Meth
CT field, nor roof nor food nor friend.
All, I wish I might die!'
"Hush! hush! Don't speak that way"
said the other, and then the stranger slow
ly inserted his hand into an inner pocket
and withdrew a piece of paper. The other
gazed at the paper in silence.
"Here," said the man quietly, placing a
finger on a particular spot, "here is the
kitchen, I suppose; then that door beyond
there leads to a buttery, ehP"
The other looked at him III astonish-
ment, but he continued moving his rough
! hand over the paper unconoernedly.
From there you go on to a wood shed
and from there into another open shed
that looks upon the stable yard, eh?'
The host nodded blankly, all the while
peering into the mans face, but apparent
ly seeing nothing but a rough visage.
"Suppose we take the candle and go and
look at this outer wood she'd"
They arose and stepped through the
rooms. In the shed the ma babe the 9TH
or hold the light, and then again studied
the paper.
"Find an iron hasp on the right of the
door as high up as your shoulder, and
then feel behind It,"
The man hunted. He found the iron
with an exclamation of pleasure, while the
breath Of the other began to move quick
| and short.
"Then," he read, "feel behind 1t, and
your hand will slip into a disused water
gutter, and after you have found it, kick
1t to pieces, and may God forgive me for
| what I have DONE"
"Who are you, sir?" sasped the host,
selling his arm.
"I?' returned the other. II am your
daughters husband, and have come at
this late hour to set you right"
With that he fell upon the slight wood
work, and, in the midst of a cloud of dust
and chips, tore 1t to pieces, and, STOPPING,
picked up a moldy, tightly twisted bit of
paper, which, on being unfolded, proved
to be all they wished.
They re-entered the house, one thank
full and happy at the end Of his troubles,
and the other also happy at his completed
task. They always lived together, the two
men, and they stocked the old farm and
refurnished all the old hooks and corners
of the house, much as they were before,
and ate and drank before an old brownish
| picture of a fierce mouthed girl, and both