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��PAYING THE MORTGAGE.
��People wondered why Mrs. Bradshaw mortgaged her place, while she alone knew that to save her grand-children from their father she had sent him a stip- ulated sum of money, which might have purchased but temporary safety had not death claimed him and so relieved her of further anxiety.
In her thankfulness for this mercy she thought comparatively little of the obli- gation she had incurred, although her family arrangements were made with reference to the liquidation of the debt. She lived even more frugally than be- fore; but sickness and other untoward events had made it impossible for her to do this. For three years not even the interest had been paid, and now the amount saved for this purpose was hard- ly sufficient to pay the funeral expenses.
Elsie Dunlap found herself sole heir of an encumbered estate which, if sold under the hammer, would leave her pen- niless. She was energetic^, and capable. She possessed a strong will and much force of character ; but, for the time she was nearly paralyzed by the sudden blow which had fallen upon her. Now, Aunt Jane's presence and homely counsel had done so much to reassure her, that she met Mr. Greenleaf with becoming dig- nity.
"My dear Elsie, how charmingly you are looking," he said blandly, "I could not deny myself the pleasure of coming early. I am to be out of town for a few days, and I thought it would be pleasant for us both to have everything definitely arranged between us. You will t have no further trouble about the mortgage, and I — I shall have a fair and happy bride."
"What do you mean," now asked the young girl, recoveiing from her surprise at his audacity.
"You know what I mean, my dear," he replied with a smirk, which was in- tended to be a smile. "I did not expect you to accept my proposal at once. Perhaps I should have thought you wanting in maidenly modesty, if you had ; but now you have had time for con- sideration, and I am impatient for your final answer."
"I am too young to marry," she said hesitatingly, remembering the charge
��she had received from Aunt Jane. "I am not sure I understand fully about the mortgage. Please tell me the exact amount of your claim upon my estate, and the terms by which I can retain it."
"It is a waste of words, my dear, but I wish to please you;" and he proceeded to give her the desired information, even yielding to her request to make the state- ment in writing.
She read it, thanked him, and placed the paper in her pocket, saying: "I think I can pay the interest before the first of December ; and if I do, I can still remain here."
"If the taxes are paid. In order to se- cure myself and save you all annoyance, I have paid them. You see I have re- gard for your interests. You will give me the promise I desire, Elsie?" and he rose from the chair in which he was sit- ting, as though he would go nearer to her.
"What promise?" she asked, springing to her feet.
"The promise that you will be my wife. You shall have everything that heart can wish. I will surround you with luxury and make your life a long holiday. As my wife, you will not need to work, or calculate how money is to be made."
"But your wife did work," responded Elsie with provoking coolness. "I have always heard that she worked hard and never had a cent of money to spend with- out being called to account for it. I am too independent for that."
What Peter Greenleaf thought my readers may imagine. What he said was:
"When my wife was living, I was a poorer man than I am now. She was a worthy woman, but we were not alto- gether congenial. In a second marriage I should hope to realize what was denied me in the first."
There was an expression of scorn upon the rosy lips of Elsie Dunlap, and a flash- ing of the dark eyes which bodedlll to her suitor.
"Have a care, my dear," he said in well modulated tones. "You have other debts and other debtors. I must be your husband or your enemy. You can choose
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