Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-11-18
\ Ills Hearts Desire
III BY SIR WALTER BESANT
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linen what Is ltl You are trembling.
| VIII you take a cup of tea?"
mo, l can't afford it. 1 can't afford
any luxury now, Mary. You will have
to watch over every penny for the flu
ture"
What has happened then?"
Il am a miserable man. 1 have been
miserable for six years. thinking over
my papers; but l always hoped to find
them. Now they are found-that is all.
They are found, and l never really lost
them till they were found"
Where were they. after all 2"
Il cannot tell you. Mary. l only Aeard
to-day-by post-by letter-not by
word of mouth-that they are found.
And they are in the hands of a-of a
villain; villain, Mary who will rob
me of l know not what before | get
them back. Don't ask me any more,
don't tell any one what l have said.
must have told some one, or l should
have died. Don't speak to me about it;
l must Think must think Oh! never
in all my life before did l have to think
so hard"
He could eat no dinner; this mornings
business had taken away all desire for
food. He made pathetic illusions to the
wOrkhouse.
Come, uncle" said Mary, "you will
make yourself i'll if you fret. You have
said for six years that you had lost this
money, and now you find that you really
have lost it, and you cry over it as if it
was new thing. Nonsense about the
workhouse; you are as rich as you were
yesterday"
Mary" he said, David has been here
again. He says it is all a judgment"
All what, uncle?'
"All the trouble that has fallen upon
me-the fall from the pony, the loss of
the papers, the very paralysis; he says
1t Is judgment for my taking his land
DO you think that it is a judgment,
Mary? Perhaps l was hard upon the
boy; but one couldn't stand by and see a
beautiful piece of property going to rack
and ruin without stepping in to secure
it. If l hadn't lent him the money on
mortgage, another would if l hadn't
sold him up, another woodland it is all
in the family; that's what David ought
to think, and not to come here swearing
and threatening. If it is a judgment
Mary" He paused for a word of
comfort.
well, uncle" she said, eve are
taught that we bring our sufferings upon
ourselves; and be sure, if everybody was
good, there would be great deal less
suffering in the world. Nobody can deny
that"
But not such lot of judgment, Mary.
All this fuss because David had TO sell
his farm, and 1 bought it! l can't be-
lieve that. Why don't other people get
judgments then?'
Patience, uncle. Think-whateve
happens now about that money, that it
was lost six years ago.
All. you keep on saying that. You
don't understand what it is to have the
thing you had despaired of recovering
dangling before your eyes and then taken
away again. What does a woman under
stand about property? David laughed.
There's something come over David. He
is just as slow as ever in his speech
and in his ways, but he's grown clever
No one could have guessed that David
could go on as he went on here this morn
ing"
What has David to do with it, I'M
cle?'
with the property? Nothing, Mary.
nothing" he replied, hastily. Don't
think that he has anything to do with
it" He groaned heavily, remembering
how much, how very much, David had
to do with it,
Can l do anything? Can George do
anything?"
George would like to see me wrong.
ed. 1t is an envious world. There is
one thing he could do 1t seems a big
thing. but it is really a little thing. If
George would do it, l would would
i would-no; because 1 should only
lose the money another way"
You mean you would give your con-
sent, uncle?"
Mono; I can't do that. I couldn't
yesterday; much less to-day, Mary"
well, what is this thing that George
could do for your"
"A villain has got my property, Mary.
George might go and take it from him.
II had the use of my limbs, I'd dog
and watch the villain. | would find out
where he had put the property. l would
tear it out of his hands if 1 could get it
no other way. Old as 1 am, 1 would
tear it from his clutches"
George can hardly do that for you,
uncle. Especially when you refuse your
consent to our marriage, and are going
to drive him out of Sidcote, as you drove
David out of Berry"
Its business, girl; it's business. How
can l help it?''
well, then, uncle, if you are in real
trouble, send for George, and let him
advise you"
George, advise-mel Mary, my dear,
when begin to want advice of any man.
send for the doctor and order my coffin.
1 might use Georges arms and legs; but
my own head is enough for me, thank
you. There is another way" he said.