The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-09-12
THE GER $45R4l KEEPERS )

$4,000 S11H-. A4l4 A4V ~
STORY. !
= 4Fws1 ! qlft rom +1whbh Ilat,
@ith the frelight a.shih g &to eath.
corner, and the stuffed birds, foxes and,
polecats looking !ifslike in the leaping 8.
blaze. A quaint cottage room, but the
essence Of comfort. As pulled at the
stiff glass Of water and whisky snd puff.
ed my meerschaum, I felt excessively
comfortables I Wis in no hurry to get
my wet water boots dried, which lay
steaming oq. the ample hearth. J..
Ny temporary host sat opposite ia
fuc, athletic old man, With snow white
hair and whiskers The cut of his
coat and the wary look on his weather
beaten, honest face sufficiently told the
e4rgape-kecper, had not the retriever
pup at his feet and the gun behind him.
added evidence. A fine specimen of
his class, he was well-knit even :at
eighty years Of age, with . frank, CHEEKY,
look in his eye that told Of Straight
forward truth and worth. ::
had been suipe:shooting on some
marshes I had rented; of the lady of the
manor, and having got soaked in deep
| r,iyulet s' from a fall, had sought shelter:
in the keepers cottage. To be sports
man, was, to be sure, passport to his
:fa3or,: added 10 Which ibis grandson,
Tom, was my invariable attendant and
bag carrier. The old man I had seen
but once, when on renting the shooting
from Lady Linwood, he as her head
keeper, had shown me the boundaries.
The great hall was closed, tor Lady Lin.
wood, a childless widow, lived perma-
nently t.Nice, and her fair estates were
all let. She was the widow Of poor
lieutenant Z e I Colonel, knigghted for GAL
liant service, and had succeeded to the
property in lack Of direct heirs. .,::.'
Seameu, my host, was something
more than head keeper. Evidently be
had been one of those ancient trusted
servants, to whom the honor aud vel
fare of family are dear as to its own
members. And BY the sad look on hia
lace Y whenever ka' spoke Of III, squires
Of Linwood I. fancied that some portion
Of the family history was mournfal and
z'Do yoa see much II 11.'dy Lin: Ii =.
wood p I asked. .>
"Never, sir. She is always abroad
And there's never been Linwood here
since the last squire died." T.
.,i:"rbat xsa ,lqpgsgoo;:rly.E:..: I. :. is.:: " !
eyes SIR long ago. Five and forty
years agohe, sir;'' said he, musingly
his eyes fixed on the FIRE, Give and
forty years agone-and like yesterday p
! I was interested. The keepers man
ner, action and expression were all un
4 like his andsI felt curiosity, VI
all do, when something tells us of.
hidden history: 81: 81:
aMI ipppose The lasteAaire had gooi
stock Of game?" said I. -s.'*
eyes sir. Hundreds of pheasants b.
turned out.,; I was youngster then
under keeper--and: I used to fetch al
the sacks ofbarley to feed 'em.'f ~. r.: .
a,1 Andwas he much Of a sportsman p
! - x'"Yea sir With tho gun, rod .nt
horse he wasn't eqaalled all the. coun
,ktry isround. He was a tall, 6ne man
with coal black hafr; sand 1hiskers
| pleasant and kind to the tenants, buj
with . fearful temper if anything
4:shq4h gos vtppgfl Hfa: sxaye :snt
swear, and smash an around him In th,
room when he was once in one of hi
storms. The only persoSthat managee
him w@zMisg Qote tH7.<yEI . ~ I;5o .
| Here the keeper became silent, ant
\ d Look Of deep sadness 2came'6yer hi
rugged face: fst 4'S 7@1+
!"cYou'n have to stay a longish time
4 iair, for your shiogsl sre, soakeas So, i
you like to hear it, I'll tell you th'
story.s'1 suppose I'm like old. men, cir
:tand like 70 maunder, ,p,hs added,with1,
smile of natural dignity and courtesy
thatimishs bsvsaheatssd. Is Psfaice. =
"Mr. George 1inwood five ami fort.
years ago, was the squire. He ;iyet
with his mother, gentle lad 1iSh'
7 was always on her sofa, and never well
but kind as an angel to the poor: Mis-
Dora M6tland; her niece, came to sta!
up at tho hall with them. Her pa
I rents; ;vers,ve.y. poor; md she'd six sis
ters 80 they were glad-Miss Dora
parents, T. mean-when Mrs. Liuwoo,
saidsh&d adopt her asa daughter. =:
heard this you, know, from the lady
maid at the Hall, who was safterward
1'my wife. She died ysass;sgo:" An,
the old man a sjghed js. and glanced gl''' at a
empty chair near his own. -
r "Wellsir," he resumed /; "Miss Dor
t came, and Mrs. Linwood was very fon
!. Of her, So was 1cyeryboay, 'she was 8
sweet and gentle; and hor voice va
like q blackbird's Everybody. abou
i, the estate knew Miss Dora, and ,.sh