The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-01-28

estate; and he was making fun o
Jane RoystOn-making fun Of her Ont
July night, some years ago, the time
the action Of this story commences.
CHAPTER II.
BILSON, TIE BUTCHER.
Goodson had left the Black Swan
early in the evening, outwardly a:
calm and D0mDOus as ever, but in.
wardIy writhing. He had always af
fected to look down upon the son OF
the lawyers clerk, and, knowing that
it was really painful to catch the Oc.
casional uncouth evidence in his
wooden face and stiff body of the tor.
ture he experienced before the Dlau-
Udjs sujct's clever, relentless sarcasm
] call Ralph TatesOn nlduUdis sujet
but he was nothing of the sort, unless
Miss Blister, directress of the Blazer
Seminary, knew more about him than
she did of the French with which she
was so fond of relieving her stultilO.
quence. He was a decent fellow in
his way, being generous, and open,
and truthful, and honest, though hot
headed and as vain as a girl. PrecO-
ciOus perfection, you know, seldom
puts a feather in a mans cap, unless
it be a white one. And if he had
known the consequence of his visits
to the parlOr aOf the Black SWAMI
consequence already inceptive and
fiourishing like green bay sapling-
he would have cut off that strong
right hand of his rather than continue
them.
"And you have been n sailor, Mr..
Tateson? inquired Jane ROyston, her
face all aglow with pleasure.
''I have been many things, Miss
ROystOn. Some of them rot over
creditable," was the candid reply.
"NO doubt of it, not the slightest, y
muttered bagman, who, not being
handsome, nor well-made, nor clever,
naturally hated those who were.
"YOu must settle down nOw," said
Jane, letting half a dozen loops slip
off her kneedle, and knitting away rs
if the accident had not happened.
"Settle down whereof
"Why not here? BE a lawyer, like
your father"
IA lawyers clerk, you mean," he
said, with curl of his scarlet lip, 81
couldn't live on his salary, Miss Roy
stOn; and my employer would charge
me With assault and battery before a
week was out. No; when | settle
! down, it will be in the States, under
j the flag Of freedom and progress-the
banner of the people. Would you
! like Lo 20 to the United States ?"
The question was idly asked, and
he never noted the light i'm James
eyes, nor the sudden blood in her
checks.
Grainwood, one of the Brewster's
clerks, winked at Draper, the Catho-
lie grocer, cOughed, and woke Ingleby
! for a cigar. George was always sleepy
bedtimes, and when there was not
mnch doing i'm the bar, cked out the
slow hours with sundTy maps. He
was about composing himself in his
comfortable armchair for another
doze, when the door opened, and in
walked young Thickley, of TenwOod,
followed by BilsOn, the Dissenting
/ butcher.
Thickicy of TcnwOod was a tail,
stout gentleman, with clear eyes. and
plenty of color in his face. He car
ried a riding-whip, and his riding
boots were white with Blazen mud.
Bilson was thicllset, undersized man,
with square, hairless jaw. and thick,
Overhanging eyebrows, at the base OF
very low forehead. He nodded
gravely TO Ingleby, scowled at'Ralph,
and, ordering cold gin, sat down.
"GoOd evening, Inglehy," said
Thickley; "the squire wants to see you
tomorrow, on business. Can you
Gomez"
GAY, Maester Henery, pll cOme,"
replied George. "Maabe you'll take a
drop of sum'at?"
You would never have supposed,
from the manner of the two, that
George was the holder of a mortgage,
the foreclosing of which would make
young Thickley and his sister little
better than beggars. The squire had
wasted his patrimOny i'll London,
when he should have been looking
after his stock and crops down in
! SouthdOwnshire; now unable to pay
/ for his broken and useless whistle, he
was STAYING off the evil day until he
could effect the sale of his beautiful
Amy to Quatrechique, Lord Devil
rue's son and heir.
HPl take a drop of brandy" said
Henry Thickley, slightly raising his
hat to Jane; he was about to take a
seat, when his eye fell on Ralph.
'Mr Ralph TateSon, l believe" he
said, loudly, striding forward; "Brew-
ster's clerks sOn?"
'"The son of Brewster's clerk" re-
piled Ralph, gravely.
"I've got something to say to you.
] ;,,AnrlnI 10 find won ont IN
but to-night's as good as any time"
''Say what you have to say-as po-
litely as you can, please. / am not a
patient man, and, rs you no doubt
guess, your name affords you all inn
punity."
Young Thickley by no means rel
ished this call on his magnanimity.
'I'm not rs good as some with my
tongue" he said striking the table
lightly with the stock of his whip
"Pm aplain man. You've made your
self liable for trespass, young fellow.
You've been in TcnwOod preserves
twice without leave; and, whats more,
you've dared to insult my sister,.
"Has Miss Thickley told you so"'
asked Ralph.
Amy had not told her brother So;
and, moreover, Henry knew that his
sister would have peremptOrily re-
! fuse to part with Ralph'S little finger
| for the fortunes of five hundred DeV-
ilrues; but he was none the less angry
hone the less determined TO repair
the broken fortunes Of his house.
'I don't want 10 handy words with
a fellow that nobody knows anything
about he said, taking no heed of the
! ominous glitter in Ralph's great hazel
eyes. ''What Pve got to say is this
begging Miss ROystOn's parlon-if |
catch you on our land, or within speak
ing distance of my sister, I'll break
every bone in your body"
"You will break every bone in my
body!" repeated Ralph, slowly.
'Make your mind up about it,
youngster," said Thickley, with an
other rap on the table.
"Well, Henry Tilickley, go home to
your sister and tell her what you have
said to me-" resumed Ralph, with a
! pOrtentious gravity. 'iShe viii guess,
if you cannot, why you reached home
sound in mind and limb, instead oi
being carried thereon a shutter"
Unconscious of the fierce anger that
showed itself in James white face, the
lads cOrruscant eyes followed the re.
treating form Of the sclf-Seeking broth
er until the door closed on il. Miss
ROystOn rose suddenly, and hurridly
left the room.
Bilson, the Butcher, laughed dcri-
sively.
"Maester ThickIey's a good un al
foitin,p he said. '"ThcTe's few as can
COON up to Maester Thickley. Why
Pm thinking | could lick SOON as
blow bit about BlaaZen.n
He sat within reach of his enemy
and before the words were well out o
his mouth, he received a blow on the
check, delivered with the palm oi
Ralph's hand.