Year: 1876

servant in the household of Judge Wallace.
The Judge lived in a handsome house in the
suburbs Of the little country village Of Thorn
dale. "


Margaret was left an orphan at an early
age, and the judge and his wife had taken her
into their house 70 save her from being thrown
on the charity of the town.


They had done their part we'll for her.
They had two children of their wn-Allce
and Algernon, twins-and Margaret had en-
joyed advantages of education in common
with the brother and sister.


As she grew older, and began to realize how
much she owed the Judge and his wife, she
felt desire to be able in some way to make
them return for their kindness, and, as she
was strong, active girl, she soon became very
useful about the domestic affairs of the house
hold. Mrs. Wallace was feeble woman, and
very willingly resigned some of the cares and
burdens to Margaret, and in due course of
time the young girl came to be trusted and
depended upon, until, by the time she was
twenty, she was really the head of the estab-
lishment, although Mrs. Wallace still did
the honors in her quiet, ladylike way, and
poured the tea and coffee at the head Of the
table.


Alice had married early, and gone to the
far West with her husband; Algernon was
finishing his medical studies in German
University, and only the judge and his wife
and Margaret man and woman
servant, who had been With them for years
remained at home.


Some unfortunate speculation, largely in
dulged in when the judge was young, had en-
numbered the old estate with mortgage, and
this it was the judges ambition to discharge.
He wanted to leave the place totally free from
debt to bis son Algernon.


The strictest economy had been practlced
for years in the household, with this end in
view, and at last the judge held in his hand
the money with which to liquidate the claim.


1t was late on Saturday night when he
brought it home, and said to bis wife, as he
swung the little black leather trunk contain
ing it before her eyes:


"Well, Annie, at last we are to be free from
debt. There are eight thousand dollars in
that trunk, and on Monday shall pay Jones
in full, and we shall burn the abominable
mortgage together, you and I, Annie. twill
be the happiest day of my life"


"But if anything should happen, William"
said Mrs. Wallace nervously. "Do put the
money in some safe place. 1t has cost US dear
enough to scrape it together" ,:. .. .. -.


The Judge bent down and patted the little
woman on the head. ri ....
q ri am going to put it in the little oak closet,
and if by chance burglar should enter the
house, he would never dream of finding any
thing of value ir that little stihed up closet
Of Tho hood of fhe r,arrat stairS"


And with light heart the judge went off
to deposit the treasure.


Margaret was sitting in the room darning
the Judges stockings when the conversation
took place, and of course heard where the
money was to be placed, though at the time
she gave little attention to. il. -.--r-.st.< go.


The next day John and Susan, the two ser
wants, had a holiday to visit married daugh-
ter of theirs, who resided fifteen or twenty
miles away, and as it was in November, and
as the days were short, they would not return
until Monday night.


And sometime after they set out there came
an imperative message to the judge from his
sister, saying that she was very i'll and desired
to see him without delay. Her home was in
Shelby, eight or ten miles off, and, of course,
he lost no time in obeying the summons. He
took his wife with him, leaving Margaret
alone in the house.


"Itis barely possible, Margaret, that we may
remain all night. 1t looks very much like a
storm, and in that case we shall certainly stay.
And if so, you had better get Sallie Turner
to stay with you for company.


But, though Margaret would have liked
Sallie's company we'll enough, she at once de-
cided not to ask for it. Sallies brother would
be sure to come along, and the less she saw of
Willie Turner, the better she was pleased.
Willie was an honest, industrious sort of fel-
low, and he was Margarets most devoted ad-
mirer; but with the usual inconsistency of
her sex, she utterly refused to see what was
best for her.


The afternoon went slowly away. Marga-
ret read little, drummed few tunes on the
old.fashioned piano, played with the black
and white kitten, and held the old cat curled
up in her lap, like sleepy caterpillar, and at
last it was sunset-time to milk the COWS and
shut the barn doors for the night


1t was evident enough that there was storm
brewing, for the north and west were dark
and gloomy with ominous black clouds, and
the east winds sighed drearily in the pine
woods back of the house. And indeed, before
Margaret had done up the chores in the barn,
the great drops of frozen rain began to fall !;
and by the time she had eaten her supper and
strained the milk, the storm had set in in good
earnest.


She closed and barred the door-the win
dows we're already fastened-drew the shut
ters, and piled the fireplace full of dry hicko-
ry. The kitten had gone to sleep in corner,
and the old black cat sat on the hearth, blink
ing her eyes at the heerful blaze.


Margaret read little, and dreamed great
deal, as girls of her age are prone to do when
left to themselves. She made very pretty
picture, if only there had been some one to see
her. Her soft brown hair. was unbound, and
fell ripping to her waist; her fair round face
was tinted as delicately pink as the inside of q
sea-shell her brown eyes were dreamy and
full of languor; and her red lips were sweet
and womanly enough for any true lover to
find his rarest happiness in kissing.


Slowly, at length, the old cofin-shaped clock
in the corner struck ten. Margaret started
up. She had not thought it was so late. The
evening had gone off much quicker than she
expected it would. 1t was not so dreadful to
stay alone, after all, she said to herself.


She opened the shutter and peered out into
the night. It was dark as Erebus, and the
wind and rain beat against the pane in per.
feet torrent. The judge would not think OF
returning on such night.


"Well, Tommy" she said to the cat. 81
guess you and I and kitty will 60 to bed.
W. nonst he nm hotirnos in the morning vOu