Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-09-20

BISHOPS "a IA
Can the tree which spreads its branches
vide above ven. or tie sweet fern leaf at
YOUR feet, 80 intimately enter into your al
lairs rs to play an important part IN your
dcstinv. even alter the manner Of an lntell-
cent and responsible agent? There certain
" are agents whom We DO not scruple TO call
10, who perform their Tart with quite as
little betrayal of sympathy
Here was Bishops Oak, winch had been
growing forty years, and had had nothing to
do. hut hold Itself up in dignihed manner,
embrace it opportunities and find the earth
and the heavens oa its sidc-which Is all hu-
man nature has to DO. We are told, and half
beliye-wLcu tao young men, approaching
Bisbou'- Tavern toward the close Of a dread
rul day ia the summer drought, saw it, and
exclaimed together. One of them became at
nnoe 80 excited that. in spite Of the heat and
lis fatigue. he quickened bis pace, and final
IL SIT tifon run. The other followed more
slowly. For moment or two it was even
doubtful 70 himself whether he would fol-
low at all for, sudi,n My, he bad discovered
shat they were within a stones throw Of the
ncer's Head Inn, from which be had depart
cd alone by night, fifteen years before, as
houd-child escaping from hateful bondage.
Under that very tree be had stood and told
little Dcluh not to cry, crying himself mean
while: and though he had told her then
that he would come again, in the years that
had followed be had made himself quite
another promise. With the old lie be had
buried tic I'D purpose. And, yet, here he
was
All al once he now said TO himself, 81 m
hc,e. and III 90 on but they'll never know
me. and they never shall know ne, il they
arc alive Old Bishop, though, must have
come to the end Of HE rope before this
And 20 deciding, lie went ON to JOIN his CON-
pan0n.
Do you see that knee up there ? the
Young fellow shouted. as they stood togeth-
or beneath the oak. How sIlendidly that
great branch Cts into the trunk What q
curve the builders can get from it.
The uce is a landmark, answered the
other, with considerably less enthusiasm.
That is clear enough. Wen have 1t.
though.
/ don't know. ! lived in this region
once hut NUNS the word Call NE Til
iany, and see if any body recognizes me II
| thought there was any danger, | would
back cut of this job. TheIe isn't any one
here want to zee, if the same folk are
around that used to keep the tavern.
Young Lewis looked at his companion al
together amazed. After am0meut be laugh
Cd. and said, Nuns the word. Wen car
~ the tree of between Us as a souvenir.
Not leaf of it ! | should feel said
young Mr. Tiffany, looking up into the go
rious green above him, as it had commit
ted a murder. Do YOU think tree has 10
leeling?'
You sentimental humbug What an
eye to business you have, to be sure :
Let Us rider our supper said the sent
mentaist, I'm as hungry as bear.
The Landlord Of the beers Head Inn was
standing on tie steps Of the two-st0ry white
frame baiding, which was the pride Of bis
lie, and the like Of which You may see fifty
times repeated IN Your country Tamblcs on a
summer day, when the young men came in
sight.
A couple Of swells,' be said to himself,
with a decision that showed no sense of dill
Guilty in deciding upon men.
lie meant, perhaps, that they worl I'M
commonly well-dressed youths, such rs are
accustomed to find satisfaction IN the looking
glass. Any mother on the face of the wide
Garth might, IN fact, have felt proud to own
young Lewis as her son. Such figure and
hearing. and such health, one would not see
repeated often in a regimen; Of men. 1il-
fanny. two or three inches shorter, had been
dealt with les kindly by nature in every ex-
tcrnal particular, yet considered apart by
himself, his dark countcnance and bright
eyes would have presented their attac-
tions.
The round and rcd faced innkoefer, gray
haired, slow-m0ying, good-naturod, as usual,
stood on the topmost step Of the flight lead
ing to his door, ready to welcome tie
strangers. and as there were 10 horses TO PUT
out be had only to step into the ball, shout
Delphy, and order supper for two
The young stranger, who had been a child
fifteen years age. and had then found in
this id man an object Of terror, needed now
no further information than was given him
by his own wary senses.
Haying brought his eyes 10 bear with
hlearcd discrimination upon the new corners,
Bishop speedily discovered that the slender,
sNifi-moyiug, dark-browed Tiffany was The
man of the two. AID that the other swell
would be good fellow to talk and smoke
with that evening, 50 he paid court to
both
The super he'll soon sounding, the Young
men icund themselves forthwith seated at
one end of the tavom-tsble, and waited On
by the iun-kecpers daughter, girl whom
apparently no amount Of work could throw
off her balance. That the burden of the
Public' had not been borne by her good
for nothing father was perfectly manifest
Id,
their thoughtful, wistlul look. and to her
ioatares tie expression Of anxious forebod-
ing which appeared to be permanently fixed
m them?
Tie travellers addressed themselves to the
dishes before them with an earnestness which
showed their purpose to make an end Of them
They seemed hardly to see the girl who wait
Cd On thom, until Just as the innkecper en- !
tered the room and sat dswn near the table
-thon Tiffany appeared to notice that she
Vas a very pretty girl, and to wonder beth
q sLe cculI be aware OF the fact
The inn keeper had evidently dropped in
to continue the conversation begun in his |
bar-rocm before The call to supper, for he |
said, as be sat down.
Eve had offers before for that old fellow
but never had the mind, yet, to let him
go
You'll think better Of it this time. I'm |
sure, said Lewis. helping himself with lib |
eIal hand from two OF three dishes in swift |
succession.
/ don't know. Rs The only tee on the
corner, you sec, and you'd be amazed to
know how it breaks the heat Of summer, and |
the east winds in winter We c3uldn't well |
get on without it.
May be the squiIrels have inquired with
in its an Old tree, said Lewis with indif-
ference
Sound as coach, sir You don't see no
wOOdpoekeis on them limbs, and there are
enough of tie littlc rascals prying around
here, | assure you
II you conclude t. SELL said Tiffany,
you II give Us the refusal?
Nell-weli-yes-yos-Ill give you the
refusal. | wouldn't take anything short of
fifty dollars, though. understand As he
spoke, the inn keeper brought his hand down
ON tie table with an emphasis which made
the dishes rattle.
Just twenty FIVE more than we have Maid
yet, said Tiffany. looking at Lewis.
It's capital knee, returned LOWS. Il
never saw better. It's worth full twenty
five dollars, and you Will have at least three
cords of wood from it after we've taken what
We want
Wood isn't that high with u.s. answer
ed Bishop, dryly, with wise smile, which
assured Lewis that he must try again
Let us go out, and take another look at it
before dark, be said, swallowing his hot tea
without wincing. We must be of carly
in the morning, Tiffany