Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1903 — THE ERASER MILLIONS [ARTICLE]

THE ERASER MILLIONS

HMPUDENCE. I call It," said the fair young widow Marston, “when you know I start for London tomorrow. Marry you, 81m Parker! Tool Why, I may be a ‘ladyship’ before I come back with all that money.” “You may. Some folks ’lows as you mayn't,” said Mr. Sim Parker, totally unmoved by Cellnda's scorn. “You’ve •Old up everything?" "Everything," said Cellnda, decidedly. “Everything, even the cow and the —the pig. Chub cried for the pig; but the cow and the pig were sold In one lot because they're such friends." “But s’posin’," delicately hinted Sim, "when you gets to Loudon there ain’t nothin’ In this yer yarn about them millions?” "I can’t suppose anything of the •ort No one but a a groundhog like sou, Sim, would think of such a king.” "I may be a groundhog -groundhogs b very good catln’ when you can’t git nothin’ else- but you’re spendin’ all the money you’ve got, after you’ve paid ofT the late lameuted’s mortgage, ' )oss to fetch theseyer millions. How do you know they're yours?” “How do t know? Sira Parker, you make me tired. I—l feel It, I tell me. Wasn’t my maternal great-grandfather a Fraser; and haven't 1 all the papers proving my descent from the Frasers Of Ochiltree? There’s a matter of four millions walaing for me. Pounds, mind you, not paltry dollars. All I have to do Is to go over to London, walk Into the Bank of England, say, *Pve come for the money,’ and they'll give It to me straight off, or I’ll know the reason why. I reckon to stay Just two days In London, and then home again. I want to buy the Judge's place when I come back." “You’re golu’ to take the baby with you?” “Chub? Of course I take the darling with me. You don't suppose I’d go without him?” “And you won’t take me?” “To London, or marry you?” i “Both." "Neither, thank you. I don’t think Tou could live up to the Fraser mlllons.”

“You’ve sorter set folks’ backs up,” Silica tely hinted Sam, “with theseyer gb -falutiu’ notions of yours. They’re glad you’re golu’.” The youthful widow turned upon him with a glorious light in her beautiful black eyes. “And you, 'Sim? You're -you’re not glad?" “See that tree?” naked Sim, pointing to an ancient rock elm which leaned crookedly against the side of Cellnda’s pretty little bouse—the bouse she bad just sold. “Of course I do! Wliat has that got to do with It?” “You’ll find me lennin’ agin It when you come back; that’s all.” The young follow’s blue eyes impressed her with • sense of power. Her own fell beneath bis masterful gaze. "Oroak away,” she said, scornfully. "If I’ve need of you when I come bock. I’ll ask for your forgiveness." "That’ll do me,” said the •ble 81m. “That’ll do me, your—your ladyship.”

“Her ladyship” made hlin a pretty eourtesy, aad held the infant Chub, •fed two and a half, more closely to her. ‘you’ll be a lord when we get the money,” she said, ecstatically, to that sleeping cherub; “and I'll dress you top with a gold crown.” “Take my advice* sonny,” said Sim to the Interesting Infant, “nud don't have nothin' to do with It. You’ll have a heap more fun with the pig. I washed him a-purpose yesterday.” He laboriously produced a document from hla pocket. “I’ve brought you a letter.” % “What for?” “It's for a big Canadian lawyer settled In London—Hiram Gould. I’ve ■eat him fifty dollars nud told him to give you a show for the money." • ‘You dared to do that!” “Of course. I reckoned you wouldn’t take me along. Somebody’s got to take you round and give you a good time.” Oellnda was touched. “You mean well, but you're so Ignorant, 81m.” “I’m not too Ignorant to know you're the prettiest girl In the Ottawa valley.” “You mustn’t I’m not a girl, Sim. I'm a widow." “If wlshin’ could have made you a widow, you wouldn’t have waited all this time. He was a bad lot." “He was.” calmly acquiesced Celin4a. “Most men are. That is why I want the money to be independent of them. I wonder who bought my house. Mar “I wonder.” “If you’re very good, when I come hoek I’ll get you to manage things far me.” “I’d rather manage you,” said the fervent Sim. “Don’t be so familiar. Remember, Tm a great lady.” Mai shrugged bis Shoulders. “No ■H say In’ nothin’ r “Hh use.” Mas’s Upa worked a little. “Oellnda. jgPß*re layin’ up a heap of trouble for “Whan I wont you to get me out of M n tall you,” she said, haughtily, 44t wont Into the house.

There was a big but unsympathetic procession to see Cellnda start from the wharf next day. Four Cornerltes vaguely resented Cellnda’s airs and graces, and did not believe that she would get the money. But she looked so radiant and confident that even the case-hardened editor of the Four Corners Gazette offered to adopt Chub until she came back. Cellnda, haughtily conscious of the hostility of her former friends, was coldly distant, and rather resented Sim’s accompanying her to Montreal. But when the boat was slowly “tugged” out from the wharf, and she saw Sim’s handsome face receding In the distance, Cellnda, conscious of certain misgivings, took the radiant Chub down to her cabin and cried over him a little. The story of her being the heiress to the Fraser millions was noised about all over the ship. For the last two years Cellnda Industriously studied up the family pedigree, and there was no flaw In the evidence. As far back as 1750 Fraser of Ochiltree’s eldest son had emigrated to Canada. When Fraser of Ochiltree died his son had never clatthed his money, which presumably continued to accumulate. One of the Montreal papers said that It amounted to four millions. All Cellnda had to do was to prove her identity and bring back the money. She wanted to settle down In the Judge’s house and show people what she thought of them. But when the vessel got outside Quebec, Cellnda would have given all the Fraser millions to be back at Four Corners. But In time she recovered. Chub (he declined to be seasick) made violent love to the captain, whom he persisted In looking upon as a parent, greatly to that worthy’s embarrassment. He was a married man, and told Chub so; but Chub only laughed and gurgled, and wanted him to “tiss mummy”—a proposal which sent a blush to the young widow’s pretty cheeks. When Cellnda reached Liverpool the captain obtained permission from his owners to take her up to town, and leave his first officer in charge. Cellnda had refused to marry the first officer four times, the second officer twice, the third officer thrice, but they none of them bore malice, except to pity the captain for being a married man. “You see,” said the first officer to his companions in misfortune, “we can afford to look down on him, because he's out of It—married. Now, if the widow comes back with us for the return trip, we can go on proposing until she gets tired and takes one of us. It looked at first as if the old man had the bulge on us, but you Just wait until he goes home and tells his wife all about it.”

Sim Parker wont Into what had once been Celinda’s pretty house and gazed at It with an air of satisfaction. Everything was Just as it had been before Cellnda went away te fetch the hypothetical four millions. Chub’s cradle, already aired, stood In one corner. Sim gave It a thoughtful push with his foot and set It rocking. Some Interesting works of art on the wall shone In fresh frames. The rooms had been repapered and the kitchen ceiling whitewashed. At the sale Sim had been the only bidder for five photographs of the late unlamented Dick Marston. With a certain delicacy he took them Into the kitchen and put them in the stove, as If he thought they would thus rejoin the person whom they portrayed. The “hired girl” wore a new frock, presented to her by Sim. Celinda’s little pig, no longer an outcast, in spite of his piteous entreaties, had been scrubbed by Sim into a state of pinky perfection, in case Chub wanted to “love him.” The black and white cow looked out from her stall and lowed to a pretty little black and white calf which had mysteriously appeared upon the scene. The calf wore a collar with the word “Chub” In brass letters.

“So far that’s all right,” said Sim, as he went round the veranda and noticed a belated humming bird hovering over a big fuschla in lta green tub. “Now, If parson and his wife will only come In time’ Cellnda ’ll git here Just after dark, and nobody be any the wiser.” He looked at a telegram from his agent In Montreal,' and Biniled. Then he frowned. “I dunno,” he mused. “I dnnno as It's fair to Cellnda to force her into It Reckon she’ll be feelin’ pretty bad.” He beard the whistle of the night boat as she fussed up to the long wharf. Td like to wring the neck of that whip-poor-will,” mused Sim, taking his position against the tree he had mentioned to Oellnda. “Makes mo feel that lonesome, It gives me the chllia.” The Inhabitants of Four Corners were all Indoors enjoying their evening meal, and the stage, after vainly waiting at the wharf to bring up passengers, crawled emptily Into Four Corners. “Jus* so,” said Sim, placidly continilng to smoke. “Juss so. She ain't join' to com* up In the stage, and have half the place rnshln' out to jeer at her. Not much. No, elr. Not much. By and large, Celinda’s pretty cote.”

“Are you there, Sim?” asked a pleasant voice, as the parson’a wife approached a tree. "You bet I’m here, Mrs. Clarke,” said Sim, with a smile; “but It’s sort of lonesome.” ' “You’ll be very gentle with her” hesitated the minister's pretty wife. "You'll be very gentle with her, Sim. True love Is never harsh or unkind.” Sim nodded cheerfully. “You bet I’ll be gentle. Minister In there?” He pointed to the little parlor. In which the lamp shone brightly. “My husband? Yes; he’s very hungry, Sim. Don't be longer than yon can help." “I’ve got a deputation of our ’leading citizens' hiding behind the barn,” grinned Sim. “Had to pay old Parker ten dollars afore he’d come, and Chris Johnson five dollars; but they'v* learned their speech." “You’re a good man, Sim,” said tb# little lady, and tripped away to Join her husband. Presently, as Sim stood leaning against a tree, a slight figure stole timidly through the dusk. In its arms It carried a bundle. A sob rose to its Ups as it looked at the cozy little house. Then It turned sadly away. Chub, who was weary, began to cry. “I wouldn’t go ts I were you, Cellnda,” said Sim, softly. Cellnda gave a little sob also, then choked It back. “I—l wanted Just to have one look at it again. I might have known you’d be here, Sim.” “Of course,” said Sim, quietly. ‘Didn’t I say so?” “They laughed at me,” faltered Collnda. “I went to the Bank of England with Mr. Gould, and they were quite satisfied with my proofs. The only difficulty was that there wasn’t any money. It had never been lodged at the bank at all, and no one knew what had become of it” She turned away bitterly. “Where are you going to put up, Celinda?” ‘Anywhere—anywhere. I’m going Into the bush,” she said, fiercely. “I haven't a friend left here. It serves me right. I—l’m only grieving for Chub’s sake.” “I wouldn’t do that If I was you, Cellnda. Here’s your own house waiting for you, all fixed up cumferable.” “My—own—house?” “Of course.” Sim took Chub from her tired arms. “Your own house, Cellnda. Shall I carry the little feller in for you?” “But I sold it.”

“Well, I bought It back for you. You’ve no call to thank me,” said Sim. “You! You!” She knelt at bis feet. Sim held Chub with one band and raised lier with the other. “I’ll go away If you don’t want me,” he whispered, brokenly. ‘Only, there’s a deputation waitin’ to welcome you back, nnd parson's in the parlor. Brace up, Cellnda. Brace up.” “Sim, dear, will you forgive me?” she whispered, and kissed him with a heart and a half. “I’ve been wicked, so unkind, so brutal to you.” “You’ve kissed me,” said Sim. “Kissed me! That answers everything.” He led her proudly to the house as she wiped away her tears. Once Inside, Cellnda “braced up” and received the greetings of the parson and his wife with shy cordiality. “Would you please marry us, and then we’ll have supper?” she said, with characteristic decision; and the parson understood. “The deputation” staggered In as the brief ceremony finished. “You kin git out again,” said Sim. “You’ve been asleep behind the barn.” “Ain’ slep’ a wink. Wansh earn ten dollars,” hiccoughed old Parker. “We, the undershined—” He looked helplessly round. “Cltl—citizens,” hiccoughed Jimmerson. “We, the undershined—” “Well, you kin Juss go nnd shine somewheres else,” said Sim. “I’m a married man, I am, and I can’t have two cranks like you foolin’ round.” After making three unsuccessful attempts to find the door the deputation withdrew. “We’ll take them home,” said the parson, making a sign to his wife. And they followed the devious footstep* of the deputation. Outside, the river murmured at it* own sweet will. All the happy soula who had ever loved shone down upon them with radiant, starlit eyes as Sim placed sleepy Chub within the empty cradle. Slowly, slowly Cellnda turned and hid her face upon his breast.— Black and White.