Amador ledger., 1905-07-28

fool, mammie?' ked George, sus
piciously. Neiher he nor his mother
had, from past experience, any reason
to expect any favors from Harding
or the rich property owner be repre-
septed. Here was The mortgage i'll heu
hands-a small niece of paper, after
all, to have been such dead weis 4;
on the tiny home aud the three that
we're III it. Careful examination fail
ed to discover any scrap ur letter
or word of explanation accompanying
! it.
1T is too good to be true, - sighed
the widow, still dazed by the event,
''but people are sometimes better
than we give them credit for. | have
already more than paid the original
amount ut money which ycur poor
father was obliged to raise. when the
interest is counted in, aud they may
have been moved to do kindly,
generous act, although" she added,
"I would as soon Look for sunshine
in coal hole. If any one really has
been good it is not Nh Harping, |
am sure of that much; it must have
been the man to whom the money
belonged and for whom he works."
"If it amt some kind of mean
April fool I'll eat my hat said
George, with greater force than ele-
ganoe, who would not believe the evil
dence of his own eyes, when that evil
dence was in Harding's favor.
Presently that person himself made
his appearance. He had the air of
one who had earned warm welcome
and expected to receive it. Between
gratitude aud doubt the widow smiled
and her manner was so much more
friendly than ever before that Hard
| ing flattered himself that he had done
very clever thing indeed:
Eyes, my dear Mrs Morris. sent
on the mortgage ahead of me because
| thought you would like to get it in
your own hands at last. ~
"lndeed l am very glad if all my
trouble with it is finally at au eud. "
81 fully appreciate that fact, and
wished to relieve you of all annoy
ance as soon as possible, with a
plausible, self lf-satlsfied look "But l
felt so sure your own good sense
would urge you to agree kindly to my
proposition. that at last you would
consent to make me the happiest OF
men, that | did not hesitate to let
you see with what perfect confidence
[ was ready to carry out my part OF
the contract to relieve you of all
| financial trouble -
"Mr. Harding!" was all she could
say in her Indignant surprise
Perhaps | have been too hasty-"
81 am sorry you have put me to
the disagreeable necessity nf repeat
ing what thought l had said plainly
enough before; had rather give up
this little home of ours and take my
children l know not where than to
accept any home you could provide. -
Rising as she spoke, with a very
becoming color in her cheeks, she in
dicated that the interview was at an
end.
'"Then, madame" he replied, also
rising, at is my painful duty to in
form you that the alternative of your
selection must be enforced If you
will please to notice this mortgage
still lacks my signature as agent with
power of attorney. That signature l
shall be pleased to affix on the pay
ment of the balance due-S37. 80. -
"But ought-stammered the
widow.
lyon thought that | was fool
enough to release you from the obli-
CATION of this document before knew
you we're ready to marry me? Hard
ly. Have you the 1884,. so handy? No?
thought not. Then, madame, l shall
fol eclose without any further delay
and
Count that, will you, and see if
there isn't s37. so there
1t was George who had heard enough
of the conversation to find out that
the mortgage was not paid off after
all, and slipping out of the room had
returned minute later with small
box full of silver and copper, which
he slapped down rather unceremoni-
ously on the table in front OF Hard
ing. Which was the more surprised,
the mother or the lawyer, it would be
quite impossible to tell.
whats all this mean?" demanded
Harding, with a scowl.
=" Never you mind what all this
means. just count that money and
sign your name, and then if you ever
bother my mother again, just look
out for yourself, that's all. "
e" Oh, George!'' was all that Mrs
Morris could say.
There was nothing for Harding to
do but count the money, which was
correct to cent, and affix his sigma
ture, which he did with face that
looked like thunder cloud, and not
without mutterings that family sug-
gested the disagreeable commotion in
side. When he was at last out of the
house, viciously banging the door oe-
hind him as a sort of harmless male
diction as he went out, George caught