Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-02-05
The Mortgdged
Bride
ByCLAUDIA MAY FERRIN

HIRAM PATTON had used his
credit for so many deals of diff
ferent kinds that he had reached the
point where none would trust him
for a penny. For an unmarried man
of the maturer twenties he was ex-
ceedingly unfortunate, for oft-times
his trade so languished that he could
barely exc out the most meager live
lihood His blacksmith shop was his
only hope, and of that the contents
alone were his. The last-named fact
might have afforded him a grain of
comfort had the rented building been
a substantial one, or his set of tools
and appliances of the patent list Of
the last few decades; but it seemed
that Time had sent him all the worn
out, discarded things to be found,
with a shelter which age had long
since marked as unworthy of the
name.
Hiram was progressive in his way;
but he was too slow-or, rather, too
fast-for the age in which he lived
Had he saved his money he could long
since have been independent, for his
business was largely cash and his list
of patrons of goodly length. In view
of these facts it was strange that no
surplus funds beyond the necessary
Change" ever jingled in his purse,
yet it was these very facts that
handicapped him at every turn. And
when a neighboring smith decided to
sell out his business-building, con-
tents and all-the chance of a life
time seemed to have come to Hiram's
very shop door.
Mr.. Patton exerted himself most
heroically to renew his long since
threadbare credit in order to pur.
chase the shop. The shrewd Mr..
Coler knew him too well to make the
trade on other than ironclad black
and-white terms, which harassed the
covetous Hiram most grievously. AS
a last resort the young man deter
mined to lombard the bank account
of a crusty old bachelor of the vi
entity, one Bartimeus Graves, whose
reputation for close deals and miser-
ly favors was unrivaled.
But Hiram was desperate. And,
resolving to secure the money on
whatever terms might seem neces.
sary, he approached the ill-tempered
Bart with the blandest smile he
could command. Bart, on the other
hand, was mistrustful of Hiram Pat
ton and his creditless reputation; but
an opportunity to loan money at
good interest was to him something
not to be despised. Hiram's straight
forward manner of introducing the
subject impressed him favorably,
while the youths confidence in the
success of the venture heightened his
own ambition pro rata.
His terms were rigid, yet to Hiram
his rasping tone seemed but the
voice of a guardian angel. Yes; he
would loan the money, provided Pat
ton would give a frst-class mortgage
on the lot, building, contents and
trade, meaning by the last item that
everything purchased or in any way
secured with the money earned in the
shop-whether it be live stock, fur
nishings or horseshoe nails-should
belong to "the said Bartimeus
Graves" by virtue of the mortgage.
The papers were signed up and the
new proprietor at work in his shop,
ere the neighbors knew that the trade
had been made. They focked thith-
er to congratulate him on his good
fortune, every one volunteering to
help him transfer the best of his be-
longiugs from the old place of business
to the new.
Early and late did the youth ham
mer away, his now doubled custom
making such labor necessary. The
first payment was met without acci-
dent; also the second. This so elated
him that he relaxed his purse strings
Just a little, and the third one was
met with barely enough of a surplus
to pay his board and lodging for the
| uext few days. But his sudden lit OF
economy had SO wrought upon his