The Republican journal., 1874-01-22
Horrid Miss Leigh.

Tom Luttrell, aged twenty -four. was Il
thoroughly good fellow, good-tempered,
good-looking, and heir to a good property
but he had one sOrroW-he was engaged
to girl he had never seen
Some ten wears before a dispute had
arisen about a certain IIillingdon estate, in
Licestershire, to which Mr.. Luttrell-Tom' $
tather-and a certain Carnworth Leigh
both laid claim. Litigation seemed newt
able, and the legal fraternity began to
prick up its ears, when one morning Mr..
Luttrell received the following note:
Dear Luttrell,- and l have been good
friends all our lives, and there is no man living
for whom have greater esteem than for
yourself. Cannot we, then. settle this wretched
business without troubling these internal law
yers: My uncle, Haughton Leigh, had il suit
that lasted him twenty years and killed him i'll
the end Now. listen to ne; my daughter
Nellie will have all I've got atmy death, except
shouldn't she marry your boy Tom: Let the
property alone for the next ten years; then
Nellie will be eighteen and Tom tour-and-
twenty-if they like to marry then well and
good; if either should decline to carry out the
arrangement, let the property go to the other.
This is arough idea Of my plan, which Jack
son, your lawyer. could soon put into shape.
What do you say: Yours, &C..
CARNWORTH LEIGH, Bartell.''
To this proposition Mr.. Luttrell agreed,
and Tom found himself al engaged man
AT fourteen. Soon after this Mr.. Leigh
was obliged to leave England for hi,
health and for many Years he resided
entirely on the Continent. SO it happened
that Tom and his bride had never met
About 4 month before the time fixed tol'
his decision Tom betook himself to a small
inn in the village of Settlebourn, near
Stoclltord, nominally to fish, but in reality
to escape from his fathers arguments and
to get u little time to himself for quiet re-
Election, while he solaced his wretched
soul with tobacco.
One day as he lay lazily smoking by the
silver Beck something tell from {; high
bank above him and dropped lighly on
the water, while a girls voice exclaimed.
"Oh, my gracious, my hat y
Tom looked and saw very neat little
hat floating, boat-like, down the stream.
Bother the young woman he grum-
bled, 81 suppose, now, she'll expect me
to fetch it =
As he arose he looked up to the spot
from which the voice had proceeded and
saw Il girl whose beauty surprised him.
She stood bareheaded on the bank, gazing
with a look Of comic dismay after the fast
receding hat and Tom had an opportunity
Of examining critically, from the little
head with its crisp brown 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 old willow, which
protruded over the stream, and waited in
the hope that the current would bring the
hat within his reach. He was not disap-
pointed, and in few minutes more he
was again on terra tirma with his prize
Il must make friends with this young
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 materials
were scattered in picturesque confusion
around her.
Il hope its not much damaged" said
Tom, as he looked rather ruetully at the
result of his manipulations ''I'm afraid
the feathers in a bad way
thanks, How kind of you to take so much
trouble But for you | must have walked
home bareheaded."
Il wouldn't put it on just YETI Tom
said LET it lie in the sun a little and
dry, while you 60 on with your work
"But suppose it starts off again, when
there's no one to recover it for me?A she
suggested.
"Let me guard it, then, and you can
work in peace. You are sketching, see !;
may l look ?"
''Oh, yes; but it's miserable failure,
I'm afraid" she said, laughing, as she
handed it to him. Tom examined it, and,
being bit of an amateur himself proceed
ed to criticise, and finally to instruct He
found this girl very charming; she seemed
so delightfully."- free from all conven-
tionality, without at all resembling his
betc uoir, the ''fast girl"
They grew quite confidential! as the
lesson proceeded, and were amazed when,
on consulting their watches, they dis
covered that it was halt-past six.
Il must fly" she said; ''or | shall be
late for dinner, and Sir John can't stand
that"
"Have you far to go?" asked Tom,
craftily.
about mile Pm staying at New
lands No. | can carry them, thanks; |
couldn't think of troubling you any more.
Good-by," and she was off.
Tom went to his room, thinking great
deal about his new friend, wondering
where the charms lay which, even more
than her beauty, had fascinated him.
perhaps it's her dress" he thought; "she
dresses better than any woman l ever saw ;
and then her boots" Here he lit cigar
and fell into dream about the said boots
and about the little white hand which had
worked SO industriously and confdingly
under the direction of his big brown paw.
All the next day he wandered by the river,
but she came not. That evening he was
restless and ill-tempered with his hostess
and every one who approached him.
The day after he was more fortunate.
She was sitting in the old spot, and greet
ed him smilingly.
you're just in time" she said "Look