The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-01-16
MistRIIanRnns SeLfrtipns
HORRID MISS LEIGH.

Tom LuttreH aged tWenty-four
was a thorough good fellow, good
tempered, goOd-looking, heir to &
good property, but he had one sor
row-he was engaged to a girl he
had never seen.
Some ten years before, a dispute
had arisen about a certain Hillingdor
estate, in Leicestershire, to which
Mr.. Luttrell-TOm's father-and q
certain CarnWorth Leigh, both laid
claim. Litigation seemed inevitable
and the legal fraternity began to
prick up their ears, when one morning
Mr.. Luttren received the following
note:
"Dear Luttrell: You and 1 have
been good friends all our lives, and
there is no man living for whom
have a greater esteem than for your
self. Cannot we, then, settle this
wretched business without troubling
the internal lawyers? My uncle,
Haughton Leigh, had a suit 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 Barfield,
which goes to Jacks boy. Why
shouldn't she marry your boy Tom2
Let the property alone for the next
ten years; then Nellie will be eigh-
teen and Tom four and twenty-ii
they like to marry then, well and
good; if either should decline to car
~ out the arrangement, let the prop
erty go to the other.
"This is a rough idea ofmy plan,
which jackson, your lawyer, could
soon put into shape. What do you
say2 Yours, &C., Carnworth Leigh,
Barfeld."
To this proposition Mr.. Luttrell
agreed, and Tom found himself an
engaged man at fourteen. Soon af-
ter this Mr.. Leigh was obliged to
leave England for his health; and
for many years he resided entirely
on the continent. So it happened
that Tom and his future bride had
never met.
About a month before the time
fixed for the decision, Tom took him
self to small Inn in the village Of
Settlebourn, near Stockford, nomin
ally to fish, but in reality TO escape
his fathers arguments and to get 6
little time to himself for quiet re-
hection, while he solaced his wretch
ed soul with tobacco.
One day as he lay lazily smoking
by the silver Beck, something fell
from a high bank above him, and
dropped lightly on the water, while
girls voice exclaimed.
"Oh, my gracious, my hatr'
Tom looked and Jaw a very neat
little hat floating, boat-'ike, down the
stream.
"Bother the young woman" he
grumbled, 81 suppose, now she'll ox
pect me to fetch itn'
As he arose he looked up To the
spot from which the voice had pro
ceeded, and saw q girl whose beauty
surprised him. She stood barebead
ed on the bank, gazing with look
of comic dismay after the fast reced
ing hat, and Tom had an opportunity
of examining critically from the lit
le head, with its crisp, crown hair
disordered by the wind, to the slim
ankles, which her position revealed
as she stood above him.
Running some yards down the
bank, he stepped out upon an ole
willow, which protruded over th'
stream, and waited in the hope tina
the current would bring the hat witt
lin his reach. He was not disappoint
ed, and in few moments more h'
was again on terra firma with hi
prize.
81 must make friends with thi
lyoung person." he thought as h,
carefully dried the dripping feather
| with his handkerchief