The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-08-16

orphaned children were sit
ting around the kitchen
stove, trying, as Martha, the eldest,
said, to 'look the situation In the
face"
Martha was sixteen years old; Ann,
the next Oldest, was fourteen; then
there were three little boys-Jerry,
Leander and Horace.
Their mother had been dead three
years. and their father had been an
invalid for two years. He had at
one time been fairly prosperous man,
but not within the memory Of his chill
dren, and he had never said much
about his "better days"
The people in the town where the
Coombses lived wondered vaguely
"what In the world those children
would do now" and Martha had lain
awake nights trying to solve the same
problem. Her mind was made UP to
one thiDg-they woulc all stick TO-
gether."
The house OF four rooms, I'm which
they lived, was their own, and Martha
had exactly twenty-five dollars In the
world.
The day after Mr.. Coombs' funeral
was raw and dull. One of the neigh
bors had made Martha promise TO
come to her house for dinner, and
bring all OF the other children with
her.
Everybody has been so kind" said
Martha to her sister and brothers
She had In her lap some papers that
she had taken from the tin box In
which her father had kept them for
years. Most Of them were yellow
with age, and some OF them fell apart
mt the creases when they were un-
folded. Some had seals, and were
clearly legal papers; others seemed
to be old notes and bills, and there
were a good many business letters.
AS Mr.. Combs had told Martha that
none Of the papers were of any value
and had advised her TO burn them,
she now removed lid OF the kitchen
stove and began to drop them, one by
one on the Goals. She had burned
most OF them, when she picked up n
folded paper, on the back OF which
was written in her fathers hand:-
This man ! trusted above all others.
and my loss OF confidence I'm him
grieves me more than the loss of the
money he should have paid me. But
on what ] know TO be my death-bed.
/ forgive Justin Gye all the loss and
ha hoC
Father could never hold n grudge
against any one" said Martha TO her
self, as she unfolded the paper. She
spread the document out on her knee
1t was promssory note for Ave thou
sand dollars, signed by Justin u. Gye.
had written In red ink across the face
Of II this single word. "Outlawed."
Martha looked at the date OF the
note. 1t was thirty years old.
Il wonder who this Justin ID. Gye
was, and wonder what 'outlawed'
means" said Martha. I'm going to
ask Mr.. Marston about II when we go
over there to dinner, and am going
TO keep this note. because, when 1
think Of II, don't believe there is
another line of poor fathers hand
writing in the house"
Mr.. Marston told Martha that the
word "outlawed" written on the note.
mean that the money due could rot
be collected by law, and that a note
was worthless after a certain number
of years.
IF your father has written out
iawed' on the note. It is of no value" !"
concluded Mr.. Marston.
But promise to pay ought 10 be
good at any time" said Martha.
1T ought to be, but unfortunately II
isn't good IN the written law. The
moral law is another matter" said
Mr.. Marston.
When Martha went back home she
took the note from the drawer In
which she had placed IL. and read
II again. A few minutes later she
busted herself with some kitchen
duties. Her pantry shelves needed
clean papers on them. Martha re.
moved the things from the shelves
anu TOOK SEVERN papers from n bundle
Mrs. Marston bad given her. She was
cutting n strip from n newspaper
when her eye fell OH this paragraph:
"Mr. Justin ID. Gye. who has within
the past five years realized a fortune
OF fully million dollars from his i'm
vestments In Western mines and real
estate, proposes To erect a magnificent
house on Gaynor Hill"
Martha looked at the title OF tho
paper and read. tie LouIsborough Ga
zette.
Its the town where father lived
before he and mother were married
am sure that Justin ID. Yye and the
man who signed his name to that not,
are the same. And he is worth q
million dollars!"
She took her scissors. and cut on
the lines she had read Then she go
an old atlas and looked up the city
Of Louisborougb.
"It must be n long distance from
here" she said. with a sigh. III 4
were only nearer. do believe I'D &,
and remind Mr.. Gye Of his 'promis'