The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-12-25
Uhf Ttil,uue.
THAT HORRFD MISS LEIGH.

AOUG iotAiuS huu HcH W kooN F'Of
ty-bul he had one sorrow. he was en-
gagged to girl he had never seen
Some ten years before dispute had
arisen about q certain Hillingdon estate,
in Leicestershire, in which Mr. Luttrell
Toms fafher-and a certain Carn-
worth Leigh, both laid claim. Legeti-
nation seemed inevitable. and tbe legal
fraternity began TO prick up It's cars.
when one morning Mr. Luttrell received
she following note:
DEAR LUTTRELL-You and ] have
been good friends all our lives, and there
in no man living for whom | rave
greater esteem than for yourself. cannot
We then, settle this wretched business
without troubling these internai law. ersI
Ny uncle, Haughton Leigh, had quit
that lasted him twenty years. and killed
him in the end. Now listen to me, my
daughter Nellie will have all I've got at
my death, except BarEeld, which goes 10
Jacks boy. Why shouldn't she marry
your boy Tom Let the property alone
for the next ten years. if either should
decline to carry out rhe arrangement. let
the property go to the other.
This is rough idea of my plan, which
Jackson and your lawyer can soon pus
into shape. What do von say?
Yours, etc.
CARNwoRTH LEIGH,
Barfeld. -
To lhi. proposition SIR. Luttrell
agreed. and Tom found himself an en-
gagged man at fourteen. Soon after this
Mr. Leigh was obliged to leave England
for his health, and for many years be
resided entirely on the continent. So it
happened that Tom and his future bride
had never met.
About month before the time fixed
for his departure. Tom betook himself to
ANAL inn in the village of Settlebourne,
near Stockford, nominally to fish, but in
reality to escape from his fathers argu
Inente. and to get little time to himself
for quiet reflection, while he solaced his
1retched soul with tobacco.
One day as he lay lazily smoking by
the silver Beck. something fell from
high bank above him, and dropped
lightly on the water, while girls voice
exclaimed:
'Oh, my gracious, my hat !
Tom looked and saw a very neat little
hat floating, boat like, down the stream.
''Bother the young woman" he grum-
bIed, 81 suppose now she'll expect me
TO fetch it.
As he rose he looked up to the spot
from which the voice had proceeded, and
saw girl whose beauty surprised him.
She stood bare-headed on the bark,
gazing with look of comic dismay after
the fast receding hat, and Tom had an
opportunity of examing her critically
from the little head with its crisp brown
hair, di.ordered by the wind, to the slim
ankles, which her position revealed Il.
she stood above him.
Running some yards down the bank he
stepped out on an old willow, which pro-
truded over the stream, and waited in
the hope that the current would bring
the hat within his reach. He was not
disappointed, and 10 few minutes more
he was again on terra frma with his
prize.
II must make friends with this yeung
person." he thought, as he carefully dried
the dripping feather With his handker
chief
The fair stranger had watched his eff:
forts from her elevated post, and smiled
sweetly on him as he climbed the bank
with his recovered treasure. She had
evidently been sketching. for her mater
ials were scattered in picturesque confu
sion around her.
81 hope its not much dana ged, said
Tom, as he looked rather ruefully at the
result of his manipulations. I'm afraid
the feathers in bad way. -
''Oh, it doesn't matter in the least,
thanks. How kind of you to take so
much trouble. But for you'll must have
walked home bare-headed.
II wouldn't put it on just yet" said
Tom. s'Let it lie in the sun little
and dry. while you go on with your
work
but suppose it starts off again, and
there is no ore to recover it for me ?"
she suggested.
''Let me guard it, then, and you can
work in peace. You are sketching, l see
may look.
"Oh, yes; but its miserable failure.
m afraid" she said laughing. as she
handed it to him Tom examined it,
and, being bit of an amateur himself. |
proceeded to critise. and finally to instruct.
He found his girl very charming; she |
seemed SO delightfully."- free from CONVEX
tionality. without at all resembling his
tete NOR, the fast girl -
They grew quite confidential as the les
son proceeded, and were amazed when
on consulting their watches, that it was
$50 o'clock.
II must fiy," she said, "or l shall be |
late to dinuer, and Sir John can't stand
that
Have you far to go?" asked Tom
erattily.
About mile. I'm staying at New
lands. Goodbye. No, can carry them,
shanks; I couldn't think Of troubling you
any more. Goodbye aud she went
away.
Tom went to his room thinking good
deal about his new friend, wondering
where tie charms lay, which, even more
than her beauty, had fascinated him.
Perhaps its her Dress he thought
she dresses better than any woman l
syer saw; and then her boots Here he
lit 3 cigar, and fell into dream about
,aid boots, and about the little white
band that had worked so industriously
.nd con6dingly under the direction of his
big brown paw. All the rext day he
wandered by the river. but she came not.
That evening he was restless and ill-tem-
pered with his hostess and every one who
approached him.