Chapter 11 - Page 2

disturbed damsel, with great bitterness, "he is
not yet gone, but he may go as soon as he pleases now, for the worst is
done. I do verily believe, Miss Peyton, they haven't so much as left him
money enough to buy him another suit of clothes to cover his nakedness,
and those he has on are none of the best, I can tell you."

"How!" exclaimed the other, astonished, "could anyone have the heart to
plunder a man in such distress?"

"Hearts," repeated Katy, catching her breath. "Men like them have no
bowels" at all. Plunder and distress, indeed! Why, ma'am, there were in
the iron pot, in plain sight, fifty-four guineas of gold, besides what
lay underneath, which I couldn't count without handling; and I didn't
like to touch it, for they say that another's gold is apt to stick--so,
judging from that in sight, there wasn't less than two hundred guineas,
besides what might have been in the deerskin purse. But Harvey is little
better now than a beggar; and a beggar, Miss Jeanette, is the most
awfully despisable of all earthly creatures."

"Poverty is to be pitied, and not despised," said the lady, still unable
to comprehend the extent of the misfortune that had befallen her
neighbor during the night. "But how is the old man? And does this loss
affect him much?"

The countenance of Katy changed, from the natural expression of concern,
to the set form of melancholy, as she answered,--

"He is happily removed from the cares of the world; the chinking of the
money made him get out of his bed, and the poor soul found the shock too
great for him. He died about two hours and ten minutes before the cock
crowed, as near as we can say." She was interrupted by the physician,
who, approaching, inquired, with much interest, the nature of the
disorder. Glancing her eye over the figure of this new acquaintance,
Katy instinctively adjusting her dress, replied,--

"'Twas the troubles of the times, and the loss of property, that brought
him down; he wasted from day to day, and all my care and anxiety were
lost; for now Harvey is no better than a beggar, and who is there to pay
me for what I have done?"

"God will reward you for all the good you have done," said Miss Peyton,
mildly.

"Yes," interrupted the spinster hastily, and with an air of reverence
that was instantly succeeded by an expression that denoted more of
worldly care; "but then I have left my wages for three years past in the
hands of Harvey, and how am I to get them? My brothers told me, again
and again, to ask for my money; but I always thought accounts between
relations were easily settled."

"Were you