Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-04-09

grave at the end Of Mr. Higgins best stories
but there was keen, needle like glance of hel
unwinking little eyes which Mr. Higgins fell
rather than saw, and which made him shiyer
even on hot day, when it fell upon him
Miss Pratt was u Dissenter and to propitiate
this female Mordecai, Mr. Higgins asked the
dissenting minister whose services she attended
to dinner kept himself and his company in
good order, and gave handsome donation tc
the poor of the chapel. Al in vain-Mss
Pratt stirred not a muscle more of her face
towards graciousness and Mr. Higgins was
conscious, that in spite of all his efforts to cap
tivate Mr.. Davis, there was secret influence
on the other side, throwing in doubts and sus-
picions, and evil interpretations of all he said
and did. Miss Pratt, the little plain old maid
living on eighty pounds year, was the thorn
in the popular MIR. Higgins side, although she
had never spoken one uncivil word to him-in-
deed, on the contrary, had treated him with a
stiff and elaborate civility. The thorn. the
grief of Mrs. Higgins, was this-they had no
children. Oh how she would stand and envy
the careless, busy motion of half dozen chill
drcn; and then, when observed, move on
Hith deep, deep sigh of yearning regret
One day the hounds met not far from town
and the fox was found in part of the wild
heath which was beginning to be enclosed bv
few of the more wealthy town people, who
were desirouS of building themselves houses
rather more i'll the country than those they had
hitherto lived in. Among these, the principal
was Mr.. DudgcOn, the attorney of Barford
and the agent of all the country families about
The firm of Dudgeon had managed the leases
the marriage settlements. DC, of the neigh
borhood for generations Mr.. Dudgeon's faith
er had the Responsibility of collecting the land
owners rents, just as the present Mr.. Dudg-
con had, at the time OF which we speak. and
as his son and sons sons have done since
Mr. John Dudgeon had built himself n house
on WilDury Heath, mere cottage as he call
ed, but though only two stories high, it spread
out far and wide, and work k-people from Derby
had beet sent for on purpose to make the in
side as complete as possible The gardens
too, were exquisite in arrangement, if not We
~ extensive aud not a flower was grown in
them but of the rarest species. 1t must have
been somewhat of modification to the own
er of this dainty place, when, on the day of
which | speak, the fox, after a long race, du-
ring which he had described a circle Of many
miles took refuge in the garden but Mr. ID.
put good face on the matter, when gentle
man hunter, with the careless insolence of the
Squires of those days and that place rode
across the velvet lawn, and tapping at the
window Of the dining room with his whip han
die, asked permissiou-no, that is not ira
ther informed Mr. Dudgeon of their intention
to enter the garden in a body and and have
the fox unearthed. Mr.. Dudgeon compelled
himself to smile assent, with the grace of a
masculine Griselda and then he hastily gave
orders to have all that the house afforded of
provision set out for luncheon, guessing right
ly enough, that six hours ride would give
even hOmely fare an acceptable welcome. He
bore without wincing the entrance of the dir
ty boots into his eXquistively clean rooms :;
he only felt grateful for the care with which
Mr. Higgins strobe about, laboriously and
noiSelessy moving on the tips Of his toes as
lie reconOitered the rooms with a very curious
eye.
g am going to build house myself, Dudg-
con and, upon my word l don't think | could
take better model than yours"
Oh my poor cottage would be to small
to afford any hints for such a house as YOU
would wish to build, Mr. Higgins, replied Mr.,
Dudgcon. gently rubbing his hands, neverthe-
less, at the compliment -Four sitting rooms
and the bed rooms, &c. | confess l took
some pains in arranging it, and, though far
smaller than What you would require, it may
afford You some hints"
So III y lift the eating gentlemen with their
mouths and their plates quite full, and the
scent of the fox overpowering that of the has
ty rashers Of ham and they carefully inspec-
ted all the rooms
Mr. DIdgeOn'S sanctum was the centre room
over the porch, which formed a balcony, and
which was carefully filed with choice hOwerc
in pots. Inside there were all kinds of ele-
CANT contrivances for hiding the real strength
of all the boxes and chests required by the
particular nature Of Mr. DudgeOns business
for though his Office was in Barford he kept
(as he informed Mr.. Higgins what was the
most valuable portion here, as being safer than
an Office which was locked up and left every
night. But as Mr.. Higgins reminded him in
a sly poke in the side when next they met his
own house was not over secure A fortnight
after the gentlemen of the Barford hunt
lunchcd there, Mr.. Dudgeon'S strong boX--in
his Sanctum up stairs, with the mysterious
spring bolt to the window, invented by him
SELF and the secret of which was only known
to the inventor and few of bis most intimate
friends, to whom he had prudently shown it
this strong bOX-contaning the collected rents
of (there was then no bank nearer than Der
by, was rihed, and the secretly rich Mr. bud
geon had to stop his agent in his purchase Of
by Flemish artists, because the mon
ey was now required to make good the missing
rents. ...... ....-..- ..... --- . -..
About two years after this time-and alb
out seven years after Mr.. Higgins had been
Tuesday evening Mr. Davis was
reading the news in the coffee room of the
George Inn. Mr. Higgins came in. He was
pale and haggard with cold. Mr.. Davis who
bad for some time the sole POSSESSION of the
fire, moved politely on one side, and handed
the new conner the sole London newspaper
which the room afforded Mr.. Higgins ac-