The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-04-14
NOBODY has ever been known to say
By John Foster Frazer.

SOOO WOlu III VciNL OAllNls
Everyone knows everyone else in the
old town. When Bob Wright, the gro
Ger, bought some of the new houses
down the Ropery the merits of his pur-
chase were discussed in the bar parlor
OF the White Deer. When young Wig
gins met Betsy Haverhill one Sunday
night as she came out from the Wes-
leyan chapel, and walked with her
homewards, all Trentborough smiled,
and said it was just what had been eX-
pected.
When one of the little tradesmen
failed they could tell you in the White
Deer what was the cause of his failure.
who had been giving long credit, and
who "ud cum cropper."
And when old Martha Morris, who
Kept little shop at the corner of the
lane that turns down by the side of the
church, put up the green shutters, and a
meeting of creditors was called, there
would have been the usual talk had not
something strange occurred.
Martha Morris had always been I'M
fortunate. Her man died, and left her
nothing. So she sold some of her fur
niture, and some friends lent her
money, and she opened the shop, with
the bull-eye chunks of glass as win
dows. She sold states and slate pen
ellis to the children who went to the
church school. Sometimes she sold
colored wool to the girls to make mats
on the Friday afternoon. A few of the
local journals were always on her coun-
Ter, and some notepaper in penny pack
cts, and cotton and worsted. Birthday
cards she kept in a drawer with pen
holders, cheap combs, and many little
oudments such as the people of Trent
borough might require.
When a big shop near the Market
place commenced to sell the same ar
ticles as she did, her trade disappeared.
BESIDES, her shop was shabby, and her
things were old and faded, and some
times dusty. The other shop had two
big windows, and the things looked
newer and brighter than hers, and often
they were cheaper.
And thus it was that Martha Morris
put up her shutters one forenoon, just
before the children came tumbling and
screaming and laughing out of the
schoolhouse. A young man from the
lawyers office had been writing out a
list of all she had; furniture. the two
chairs that belonged to her grand
mother, the kitchen table, vase with
some worked wooden lilies under glass
case, the dull-ticking. brass-faced old
clock, even cracked china cup and
saucer that were given her by her
mother on her wedding day. The value
OF the lot was computed by the young
man to be Is 14s. cd, and her liabili-
ties were f27 As. or Whereabouts. For
she could not remember if she had paid
for the Goals that stood in a shed at the
back of the decrepit shop.
1t was warm, heavy-atmosphered
afternoon, with humid air from the
marshs across the river hanging over
the town, when the few creditors to
whom Martha Norris was indebted met
TO decide upon selling her up, or wind
ing up the estate" as Lawyer Spencer
termed it.
The meeting had been called for four
O'Clock. At three o'clock Martha was
ready, although the walk from her shop
to the office of the lawyer was little
more than five minutes. But after she
had washed the plate and wiped the
knife and fork after her dinner she MT
OF the old black bonnet and the old
pldck cloak, worn time out of mind in
summer and in winter
She went out into the hot street. No
body was about. But the rumble of n
cart over the rough cobbestones could
be heard some distance away. She
turned and crossed the market place
that was bathed in sunshine and had an
Old cannon, the prize of one of the wars,
standing in the center.
When Martha Morris tapped at the
door and went into the little office with
green baize-cOvered table at one side.
where sat the lawyer with a bundle of
official documents before him, her
heart beat quickly, for she felt slight
fremor.
"Sit down, please" said the lawyer.
Martha looked round and could not
make up her mind which of the three
empty chairs she should take.
Maybe yen just sit down, Mrs. Nor
ris," said Amos Atkin; Its warm walk
in ter-day."
yes sir, it is said Martha, taking
the chair nearest the door.
She felt slightly overawed.
Lawyer Spencer looked up from hi.
papers with slight frown. He was {
clean-shaven, bald man. with hurried
manner. I'VE had better not commenc,
in an informal way" he said. This i.
the case of Martha Morris. of Church
lane, in the parish of All Saints
Peterborough, widow The debtor flee
his own petition. The liabilities ar,
put down at e. odd, though | heIiev,
they will rank more, and the asset
are estimated to realize sometime
about c Is. The debtor. | believe. ha
no offer to make. The best plan would
be to have Mrs. Martha Morris adiudi
Gated bankrupt. If you please, choos,
one of your number to act with me t,
wind up the estate. and after the nee
essary expenses have been paid the re
mainder will be divided in accordance