Hutchinson gazette., 1901-01-17
CHAPTER Ill.

more for persons than for things; ana
while those near and dear to them
are well and happy, the pin prlcks OF
having to so without many things
their neighbors have are not so koenly
felt, while to a man each IL a morti-
1catioL
Harold Dynevor was q good son, and
brave man; but poverty tried him
sorely, and there was constant
chatting at the injustice OF clrcum-
stances which made his life harder
than II might have been, but which
those who knew his story thought
only natural.
Harold was a gentleman farmer. He
worked quite as hard as many farm
ers who did not own the prefix; but
he was the last male representative OF
good old county family, who had
been known in Sussex for many gem
erations. He was popular wherever he
went, his mother was devoted to him,
his pretty sister, Kitty, looked up to
him with fervent admiration; but
Harold Dynevor could not be called
Il happy man. He had inherited a
grievance, and the recollection of 1t
marred his content.
You're tired out, Harold" said
Kitty gently. I'm sure you work as
hard as any OF your own men, Sit
down in your armchair, and III go
and hurry tea"
"All right, dear" he said gratefully.
1T may do me good for I've a split
ting headache"
Mrs. Dynevor waited till her daugh-
ter was out OF hearing, then she asked
anxlously:
rs there anything wrong, Harold?
You we're going In to Marion; did you
see Mr.. Proctor?"
81 saw him, mother, and got a re-
celpt in full. There's bad news.
meant to keep 1t from you, but l can
see I've betrayed there's something
wrong, so I'd better tell you the
truth, for fear you think 1t worse
than 1t Is"
"You don't mean that the mortgage
wants to foreclose, Harold?"
Poor lady! that was the bugbear of
her life. Uplands, the land which her
son farmed, was her very own. 1t
had been her wedding portion, and the
home Of her married life. When bad
seasons came, and expenses multi
piled, with her full consent her hus-
band raised n mortgage on the farm.
They had thought lightly Of 1t then
"a few good harvests would soon en-
able them to pay off the debt; but 1t
had never been paid off In all those
years. II hung like an incubus about
them, and Mrs. Dynevor's one dread
was that some day the mortgage
would foreclose, and, II they could not
find the $4,000 due to him, they
would have to leave their beloved
home.
mo, mother said Harold quietly,
tits not so bad as that; but you will
like the news as little as l do. 1t
seems Mr.. King has been settling his
affairs, and he has transferred the
mortgage on the Uplands to some one
else. Proctor told me the interest
was still to be paid to him, so we
shall have no personal dealings with
our new creditor"
Then l don't see that It matters"
said Mrs. Dynevor "Your dear father
always said Mr., King was n very hon
est man. Do you mean that you have
heard bad account Of the new mort
gagee?"
He Is man we both have cause to
fear and dislike, MOTHER -Eustace Lin
don!"
Mrs Dynevor had grown white even
to her lips-nothing could have ter
riaed her more; but she was q brave
woman, and she knew besides, where
help and strength were to be found.
One silent prayer to heaven, and she
answered calmly:
There Is only one thing for IL, Har-
old-we must raise the $4,000 and pay
off the mortgage. To be at that mans S
mercy is more than can heart"
II don't see how we're to do It,"
said Harold, gloomily. There's no
money in the bank, and we must spend
"a good sum on the farm this year, for
everything wants renewing. The blow
couldn't have come at worse time"
II wonder what his object is?" said
Mrs, Dynevor quickly. HE has never
once been near this place since he left
1t with your poor Aunt Nina just after
their wedding, Not year after her
death he let the Manor to General Cra-
ven for fourteen years, and, except
pocketing the money from the estate,
he has taken not the least interest in
the property since"
Proctor says he has married again,
and thinks he means to settle at the
Manor. The generals lease expires
year, and he has refused to renew It,"
"If he means to live here, Of course
he would want to get rid Of us first"
said Mrs. Dynevor quietly, for men
never like the near presence Of those
they have wronged."
Now, according to the strict letter Of
the law, Eustace Lindon could not
have been said to have wronged the
Dynevors, yet every one for miles
around Dynevor Manor regarded him
as their despoller.
1t was sad little story, SO we'll