The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-01-15
THE FENIAN PLOT.

know. the name. Ask him in.
A fiddle aged man Of rudy and |
cheerful countenance, with plentiful
light hair-except on very marked |
bald patch, smooth aud shiny, on the
top Of his head good deal of sandy
beard, shot with gray, and rest
less little gray eyes, set deep IN under
a fat forehead fringed with very prOml-
nent eyebrows, was shown into the
rOop.-
have yeutured 10 call, " ne be-
gan. oddly screwing up his left eye
into a smile, whilst the rest Of his face
was inscruta bly, passive, in search OF
apartments.
let lodgings, and there are but two
houses. besides this, in Clumpington,
| big enough to afford you accOmmoda
| ton, and I am certain neither of their
owners would entertain the question.
Besides, | was quite amazed 20
| think Of any fone wanting lodgings in
| Clumpington-a little lonely Hamp
| shire hamlet on 4 large expanse Of
heath, whittier it had occurred to no
one hitherto to come IN search of
change We have not twenty houses
in the village, not single shop, (for
| wesget all our necessaries from the
neighboring town of Clayington,) no
lawyer, no doctor (thank goodness,
the place is too healthy to keep one),
and a parson only once a fortnight.
There is nothing to see but undulat-
ing miles of purple heather and gold
en-blossomed gorse, aud the clump of
frs which gives its name to the
place.
/ hope [ have not made mis-
take" the gentleman continued, I" but
an acquaintance of mine in London
Mr.. Hickey, house agent-told me
he thought you could aecommo date
me" m
Then l remembered how-some
twelve months back, when my old
friend and school fellow, Maurice
Hickey, left Clumpington after fort
nights visit, abusing the dullness of
the place and my obstinaey in choos-
ing to live a life of retirement in a
big house alone with a very old house
keeper--he had threatened to make it
his business to find some one to en-
liven my solitude, efor a part of the
year, at all events. | know at the
time [ strenuously objected to let
lodgings, but Maurice would have it
that suitable companion would cheer
me up, and do the empty rooms a
deal Of good; " always provided, as
i he thoughtfully added, that there
was to be found in the wilde world
another such an old nope assmyself
to volunteer for six months solitary
confinement. reeollected that.
half in earnest, had told Maurice
Hickey he could send me compa-
MON if he liked; for, in truth. had
! been very lonely since the death of
my wife; aud my dark, empty rooms
were the graves of dead memories,
and the burial places of much sun
shine which had died out of my life.
l was rather favorably impressed
with Mr. Ledfoot.e Perhaps the air
of oyerpowering candor which a very
widely open white waistcoat lends to
a stout person with a happy face, as
if to express that the secrets of his
breast are all barred to public iinspec-
ton, had good deal to do with it; in
' addition to which he wore the frank
est shirt ever saw. At all
events, l expressed my readiness
to see what could be done fol
friend of Mr.. Hickey's, though a,
TO termssl know omore than the mar
in the moon what to ask. This mat
ter, however, was soon settled, by my
visitor handing me a note from Mau
e rice Hickey, in which | found every
thing arranged about terms on scale
| certainly thought exorbitant, bu
which seemed satisfactory enough Il
my prospective lodger.
Then. [ may consider the matte
nE% Cd II
disguised pleasure.
For my part I thought so. and sale
! | so, provided the rooms suited wheI
he had seen them: but beyond in
quiring if he could have a bedroom
with shutters to it, and a four pos
, bedstead, he see med to care very it'll
'' about the rest. Satisfied on this point
he refused even to look at the apart
mcnts. shutters and a four poster
were indispensable requisites for hi
purpose. This looked odd to me
~ What purpose could he have which
they could answer?
| hoped be was not a whimsical oil,
gentleman, that would turn out
bore. But no, as I looked at him, h
II was beaming and happy, and the.cau
n dor of his waitcoat completely reas
nr surfing. He had, too, a merry way O
Id continually closing his left eye Wbel
.. he was talking and pleased, whic
prepossessed me much in his favor
o So leaving word with Mrs. French
- the housekeeper, to get the room
ready, | drove Mr. Ledfoot iu IN
S, cart to the railway station at Claying
ton, to fetch his luggage. This cor
z. sisted of a large, secretive-lookin