Paul Prescotts Charge | Page 5

weather-beaten house, of one story, about half a mile
distant from 'Squire Newcome's residence. The Prescott family had
lived here for five years, or ever since they had removed to Wrenville.
Until within a year they had lived comfortably, when two blows came
in quick succession. The first was the death of Mrs. Prescott, an
excellent woman, whose loss was deeply felt by her husband and son.
Soon afterwards Mr. Prescott, a carpenter by trade, while at work upon
the roof of a high building, fell off, and not only broke his leg badly,
but suffered some internal injury of a still more serious nature. He had

not been able to do a stroke of work since. After some months it
became evident that he would never recover. A year had now passed.
During this time his expenses had swallowed up the small amount
which he had succeeded in laying up previous to his sickness. It was
clear that at his death there would be nothing left. At thirteen years of
age Paul would have to begin the world without a penny.
Mr. Prescott lay upon a bed in a small bedroom adjoining the kitchen.
Paul, a thoughtful- looking boy sat beside it, ready to answer his call.
There had been silence for some time, when Mr. Prescott called
feebly--
"Paul!"
"I am here, father," said Paul.
"I am almost gone, Paul, I don't think I shall last through the day."
"O, father," said Paul, sorrowfully, "Don't leave me."
"That is the only grief I have in dying--I must leave you to struggle for
yourself, Paul. I shall be able to leave you absolutely nothing."
"Don't think of that, father. I am young and strong--I can earn my living
in some way."
"I hoped to live long enough to give you an education. I wanted you to
have a fairer start in the world than I had."
"Never mind, father," said Paul, soothingly, "Don't be uneasy about me.
God will provide for me."
Again there was a silence, broken only by the difficult breathing of the
sick man.
He spoke again.
"There is one thing, Paul, that I want to tell you before I die."

Paul drew closer to the bedside.
"It is something which has troubled me as I lay here. I shall feel easier
for speaking of it. You remember that we lived at Cedarville before we
came here."
"Yes, father."
"About two years before we left there, a promising speculation was
brought to my notice. An agent of a Lake Superior mine visited our
village and represented the mine in so favorable a light that many of
my neighbors bought shares, fully expecting to double their money in a
year. Among the rest I was attacked with the fever of speculation. I had
always been obliged to work hard for a moderate compensation, and
had not been able to do much more than support my family. This it
seemed to me, afforded an excellent opportunity of laying up a little
something which might render me secure in the event of a sudden
attack of sickness. I had but about two hundred dollars, however, and
from so scanty an investment I could not, of course, expect a large
return; accordingly I went to Squire Conant; you remember him, Paul?"
"Yes, father."
`I went to him and asked a loan of five hundred dollars. After some
hesitation he agreed to lend it to me. He was fond of his money and not
much given to lending, but it so happened that he had invested in the
same speculation, and had a high opinion of it, so he felt pretty safe in
advancing me the money. Well, this loan gave me seven hundred
dollars, with which I purchased seven shares in the Lake Superior
Grand Combination Mining Company. For some months afterwards, I
felt like a rich man. I carefully put away my certificate of stock,
looking upon it as the beginning of a competence. But at the end of six
months the bubble burst--the stock proved to be utterly
worthless,--Squire Conant lost five thousand dollars. I lost seven
hundred, five hundred being borrowed money. The Squire's loss was
much larger, but mine was the more serious, since I lost everything and
was plunged into debt, while he had at least forty thousand dollars left.

"Two days after the explosion, Squire Conant came into my shop and
asked abruptly when I could pay him the amount I had borrowed. I told
him that I could not fix a time. I said that I had been overwhelmed by a
result so contrary to my anticipations, but I told him I would not rest till
I had done something to satisfy his claim. He was always an
unreasonable man, and reproached me bitterly for sinking