The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-10
'TnKR OWENS STORY
THE SIEGE or THH BLACK COTTAGE.
nj w,LKrR COLLINS.

ut SI EbeE VT Inn DLAlM WI 'HVH ~
= s- NJ w1LxrR COLLINS.
To begin a. the beginning, Imust take you
back 70 the sine after my mothers death,
when my only brother had gone TO sea, when
my sister was out At service, ana ~hen lived
alone with my father IN the maost OF moor
in the west OF England
The moor was covered with great limes,o n
rocks, aud intersected here and there by
streamiets. The nearest habitation TO ours
WAS situated about \ mile and half on where
strip Of the fer Tile land stretched ont in Ia the
waste like a tongue. Here the out.buildipes
Of the great Moor Farm, then in the possession
OF my hashsnd': father, began. The farm
rich valley, lying nicely sheltered by the high
platform Of the moor. When the ground be-
gan to rise again. miles aud mi les away il led
upt acountry house called Holme Manor,
beiongihg TO gentleman named Knif,on. Mr..
knifton had lately married young lady whom
my mother had nuysed, and whose Kindness
ana friendship for me, her fos sister, shall
remember gratefully 10 the last day Ofmy life
These and other slight particular il is neces-
sary to my story that / should tell You, and
II Is also necessary that you should De espe-
Cially careful TO bear them veil III mind.
My father was by trade stone m ason. His
cottage stood 4 mile and a half from the near.
20 est habitation. In all other directions we were
four or five times that distance from neighbors.
Being very poor people, this lonely situation
lad one great attraction for us-we lived rent
free on IL. In addition to that advantage, the
stones, by shaping which my father gained his
livelihood. lay all about hin. ut his very door,
that he thought his position, solitary AS il
was, quite An enviable one. l can hardly say
tina, l agreed with him, though 1 never COM
planned. was very fond of my father, and
managed 10 make the best of my loneliness
with the thought Of being useful to him. Mrs.
Knifson wished 10 take me into her service
when she married, but declined, Willingly
enough, for my fathers sake. II i had gone
away, he would have had nobody to live with
him and my mother made me promise on her
death bed that ne should never be left to pine
away alone in the midst Of the bleak moor.
Oar cottage, small as 1t was, was stoutly and
snugiy buiit, with stone from the moor AS a
matter of course. The walls were lined inside
and fenced outside with wood, the gift of MIR.
knifton's father 10 my father This double
covering of cracks and crevices which would
have been superfiuous in a sheltered position
was absolutely necessary, in. our exposed ST..
uaion, to keep out the cold winds which, ex-
coping just the summer months, swept over
us continually all the year round. The ont
side boards, covering our roughly built stone
walls, my father protected against the wet
abode Z cautiously dark, dingy look, especially
when |, was seen from distance; and SO it
had come To be called in the neigh bOrhood,
even before was born, The Black cottage
have now related the preliminary particu.
lars which it is desirable that you should
know. and may proceed At once to the pleas
anter task OF telling you my story.
One cloudy autumn day, when l was rather
more than eighteen years old, herdsman
walked over from Moor Farm with a letter
which had been left there for my father. II
came from builder living at our county
town, haifa days journey off. and it invited
my father to come TO him and give his ludg-
ment about an estimate for some stone.work
on a very large scale. My fathers expenses
for loss OF time were to be paid, and he WAS to |
have his share of employment afterward in
preparing the stone. He was only too glad, |
therefore, to obey the directions which the |
letter con tained and TO prepare at once for his
In yrQt IN fhn ~ fpxryn
Considering the time at which he received |
the letter, aud the necessity Of resting before |
he attempted to return, IL was impossible for |
him to avoid being away from home for one |
night. at least He proposed TO me, in case l |
siisliked being left alone in the Black Cottage,
to lock the door and to take me to Moor Farm
to sleep with any one of the milkmaids who |
would give me share Of her bed. l by no |
means liked the notion OF sleeping with a girl |
whom did not know, and saw no reason to
feel afraid of being left alone for only one
night; SO declined. No thieves had ever
come near us; our poverty was sufficient pro-
lection against them and of other dangers
there were none that even the most timid per-
sou could apprehend. Accordingly, got my
fathers dinner. laughing at the notion of my
taking refuge under the protection of a milk
maid st Moor Farm He started for his walk
AS soon as he had d"ne, saying he should try
and be back by dinner-time the next day, and
leaving me and my cat Polly to take care OF
the house.
l had cleared the table and frightened un
the fire, and had sat down to my work with
the cat doing 1T my feet, when l heard the
trampiing of horses and, running to the door, |
SAW Mr.. and Mrs. Knifton, with their groom
behind them, riding up to the Black Cottage.
1t was part OF the young lady's kindness never
to neglect an opportunity of coming to pay me
4 friendly visit, and her husband was gener- |
ally willing to accompany her for his wife's
sake. l made my best courtesy, therefore,
with great deal of pleasure, but with no par
ticnar surprise at seeing them. They dis
noun ted and en- tered the cottage, laughing and
talking IN great spirits. l soon heard that
they Were riding TO the same county town for |
which my father was bound and that they in
tended 10 say with some friends there for |
few days. and to return home on horseback,
as they went out.
I heard this and also discovered that they |
had been having an argument, i'll Jest, about
mo ney matters, is they rode along TO our |
cottage. Mrs knifton had accused her hus-
band e1 inveterate extravaganza and of never
being able to go out with money in his pocket
without spending it all, if he possibly could
before he got home again. Mr.. knifton had 8
laughingiy defended himself by declaring that l
all his pocket money went in presents for his a
wife, aud that, it he spent it lavishly, it was
under her sole influence and intendence
I'VE are going to Cliyerton now" he said to ,
Mrs. hnifton, naming the county town. and |
himself at our poor fire lust as | )
pleasantly rs if he had been standing on his d
,wn grand hearth. "You will stop to admire
,'ery pretty thing in every one of the Oliver
IN shop-w windows: tshall hand you The purse
lnd You will go in and buy. When we have
reached home again, and you have had time to .
se' urea OF your purchases, you will clasp
'onr hands In amaZement, and declare that
'ou are quite shocked AT my habits of invet-
rate extravaganza l am only the banker
VINO Keeps the money; you, my love, are the
IendthrIit who throws 1t all away.'
Am l, sir ~ said Mrs. Knifton, with a look | y
u mock indignation. ave will see If l am to 1
n inisrepTesented in this way with impunity.
5essie, my dear turning to me,) ''you shall
udge how far deserve the character which
n N Lang ms ia i'm 81 y xQ m m. |
am the spendthritt, am And you are
My The bankerl Very well. Banker, give
ne my money at once. If You please"
Mr.. Kniftun laughed, and took some gold
nd silver from his Wais tcoat pocket.
NO no. :" said Mrs. knitton, "you may want
What You have got there for necessary ex-
enses. Is that all the money you have about
ou, What do ! feel here p and she tapped
er hnsh,pd ON the chest, Just over the breast
ocket of his coat.
Mr.. knifton laughed again, and produced his |
oc ke book, Ills wife snatched it out of his |
and, opened II, aud drew out some bank.
otes, put them back again Immediately. and, | :
losiUg the pocket book, stepped across the
,om u my poor mothers little walnut wood
oo,sca &c. the only bit of valuable furniture | n
~ had IN the house
Nv nat are You going to do there p asked Mr. |
>niiton. following his wife II
Trs knlttoh Opened the glass door of the
ookcase, put the pocket book in Il vacant place E,
~ one OF the lower shelves, closed and locked 3
ne ooor again, and gave me the key. +
" on called me u spend thr III inst now she | II
aio. There Is my answer Notone far,hin~ G
y that money shall you spend mt Cliyerton on p
re. Keep the Key in your pocket Bessie and | 81
sna st Mr. knif,on may say, on no account
80, ~" H"'e 9ntii We call again ON our way
'acA. no, ssr, won't trust you with thai
money Ia your pocket in the town of 11,,vsr
on Will make sure of vour ,sk;nr;,. al