The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-19


TO her in the great strait IN which i
found myself on that day l can hardy
saw knew she had money in her
house This had unhappily been made
acquainted with in an accidental way.
and / knew she was Of kindly disposi-
ton and quite capable OF doing a very
unselfish act Still this would not seem
to be reason enough for me to intrude
rpon her late at night with plea for a
large loan Of money had / not been in
a desperate condition Of mind which
made any attempt seem reasonable that
promised relief from the uncomfortable
burden of a pressing and disreputable
debt.
II was obliged to have money-a
great deal Of money-and l had to have
il at once, and while / know this will
not serve to Tighten the suspicion l
have brought upon myself by my late
admissions. it is the only explanation
/ can give you for leaving the bail at
my fathers house and hurryfng down
secretly and alone into town to the lit
tie cottage where, as | had been told
early in the evening, a small entertain
ment was being given which would in
sure it's being open even at so late an
hour as midnight. Miss Page, who
| will, / am sure, pardon the fntrodUc-
ton of her name into this narrative.
has taken pains TO declare to you that
in the expedition she herself made into
town that evening she followed some
persons steps down hill. This is very
likely true, and those steps We're prob
ably mine, for after leaving the house
by the garden door | came directly
down the main road to the corner Of
the lane running past Mrs. Webb's cot
tage. Having already seen from the
hillside the light burning In her upper
windows. l felt encouraged to proceed
and so hestened on till l came to the
gate on High street Here / had a mo-
ment Of hesitation. and thoughts bitter
enough for me to recall them at this
moment came into my mind, making
that instant perhaps the very worst in
my life. But they passed, thank God,
and with nothing more desperate in
mind than sullen intention of having
my own way about this money lifted
the latch of the front door and stepped
in.
81 had expected to find jovial group
Of friends in her little ground parlor or
y
and laughter in the rooms above, but
no sounds of any sort awaited me. In
deed the house seemed strangely silent
for one so fully lighted. and. astonish-
ed at this. I pushed the door ajar at
my left and looked in. An unexpected
and pitiful sight awaited me. Seated
at table set with abundance Of I'M
tasted food. l saw the master Of the
house, with his head sunk forward on
his arms, asleep. The expected guests
had failed to arrive. and he, tired out
with waiting. had fallen into a doze ut
the board.
This was condition Of things for
which 1 was not prepared. Mrs. Webb.
whom 1 wished to see, was probably
up stairs. and while might summon
her by sturdy rap on the door, be-
side which stood. had SO little desire
to wake her husband, of whose mental
condition 1 was well aware. that l
could not bring myself to make any
loud noise within his hearing. Yet I
had not the courage to retreat All my
hope of relief from the many difficult
ties that menaced me lay in the gen.
crosby Of this great hearted woman,
and If out of pusilIanimity I let this
hour go by without making my appeal.
nothing but shame and disaster await
ed me- Yet how could I hope to lure
her down stairs without noise? l could I
not, and so yielding to the impulse Of
the moment without any realization,