Year: 1875

him sitting on the granary stair-cast
near the big barn, sighing and groan
ing to himself. / was frightened, and
ran and told mother; and she kissed
me and began to cry, because she said
the interest was due on the mortgage
money that week, and poor father wal
unhappy because he could see no way
to pay it.


And did he pay it p questioned Har.
ry, somewhat interested.
Yes. He borrowed the money some
where, and then.sof course, there Wa
the interest to pay on that, and so il
went on, from bad to worse, till father
died, and the farm went back to its
owner. Mother said it had fairly wor.
ried him into his grave she added wip-
ing the tears from her eyes. You can
not wonder if am afraid of ofmortgages,
after that


But pet, the two cases are entirely
different said her husband, kissing
her cheek. Your father was a poor
farmer, and found it almost impossible
to raise money. l dare say now 1 am
a thriving merchant, and if all goes
well, I hofe to make enough the com.
ing year to clear our home. Don't you
see? Come, don't think of trouble any
more. Be as careful as you can in the
home expenses, and you will find that
we shall own our pretty home, clear OF
any claim, before you know where you
are


He drew her down to the wide Grim.
son footstool before the fire, and resting
her head upon his knee, began to read
aloud.


The fire and lamp burned clearly, the
pretty French clock on the mantlepiece
licked musically, and rang out its fairy
hour chimes once before his voice ceased
to echo in her ear. The book was a
lively and pleasant one, and Margaret
was able to discuss it with him intelli-
gently as they fingered before the blaze
for one delicious half hour, before GO
ing up stairs.


Yet all the while her thoughtful eyes
were seeing visions in the crimson Goals,
and her heart and brain were busilv at
work, devisiug plans to ward off the
evil that, to her, seemed TO be threat
ening the peace and comfort Of their
little dwelling, so long as any other per-
son held claim thereon


The Ginning bells of the French clock
rang out ten, and Margaret rose and
went about the room, puttins'it it dainti-
ly in order before leaving it for the
night. Her pretty face was blooming
and happy as ever, for ct last she saw
the way clear before her to banish, with
the energy God had given her, this
broodlng cloud Of evil from their do
mestic sky.
AS their married life began, so it went
on in the new home for nearly three
years. The house expenses were care
fully kept down by Margaret, who made
one servant answer where many of her
other friends kept two; and once in three
months, or oftcner in six, as the days
went on, the accounts were settled by
the husband, cheerfully enough at first,
but by and by with sighs and shakes of
the head, which Margaret seemed not
to notice, and Of which she certainly
never spoke.


During the last three years, Harry
handsome face began to wear look of
anxious care. Not a cent, so far, had
been laid up to pay off the mortgage on
their home, and the chance of success
seemed less than ever to him now, be-
cause, like all others in business, he be-
gan to see time approaching which
would try mems souls


The evening reading was gradually
laid aside, and during the summer months
of the third year Harry began to sit
brooding after tea, in his armchair be-
fore the empty hearth, till Margaret,
without appearing to notice his depres-
sion. came to him and induced him to
accompany her on walk. At such
times he strode along beside her, silent
and sad, and returning to his home bur-
led himself in the columns of the Bank-
sr's Day Book till it was time to go to
bed.


And all this time the true wife held
her peace. She noticed everything
she guessed more. but, till the ice was
broken by him, it was not her place to
speak.


So it went on till that dreadful au-
tumn session of crash after crash, ruin
after ruin, old and long-established
houses toppling into the gull, and car
rying thousand minor ones with them
in their fall. Men looked at each 9TH
er with pale faces, asking, who will go
2 and all through the country,
wave after wave, the wide-spreading
stream Of desolation rolled.


During that one last hideous week of
suspense, Harry Graham came and went
between his store and his home, saying
nothing. suffering everything. On the
Saturday evening he went out, alone
for stroll after tea. But in half an
hour he was back again, having made
up his mind in that brief time to tell
Margaret all.


He found her in the parlor She sat
beside the window, bending overa small
package in her lap. At his sudden en-
trance she started and hid the package
in ker pocket. blushing so violently that
at any other time he would have noticed
and wondered at it.


But now his mind was full of his own
troubles, and he had no leisure to me-
tice trif;es.


He went straight up to his wife and
took both her hands.


Margaret said he, i am . ruined
man The panic


And then he broke down and burst
into tears. He fell upon his knees be.