The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-02-04


aloud: +" Pity that mortal man can't sec
outside of his stomach!'
fright you are, Miss" answered a
deep, hearty voice at her very ear.
She looked up instantly and saw
what? A tall, solid, strong man, with a
cheek as red-brown as an autumn leaf, a
bold black eye which looked at her clear
and straight, just as the man would have
looked at an equal and one of his own
fearless, merry comrades. He didn't un
derstand carpet-knight politeness, you
see. He touched his cap, though, as she
looked up.
my name is Wolf Heatherclough
Miss" he said.
Then the two pairs of eyes, one black,
the other blue, looked in each other and
measured each other, and one glance was
Just as firm, fearless and decided as the
other.
"pm civil engineer, and civil sort
of fellow generally, hope. I've been
surveying Northern railroads and I've
hardly seen lady for ten years. Con
sequently," continued the hearty, solid
strong young man, don't know very
we'll how to behave to lady. The law
yer tells that you and are deadly enc
mics, though we never heard OF each
other before in our lives. We've each
had grudge bequeathed us by will and
we are to set to and scalp each Other
like a Crow and Blackfeet. 1t seems
odd to thrash fellow when he never did
you any harm," said the solid young
man, musin gly.
ayes, Mr.. Heatherclough."
"I don't know who's in the right of it.
I'm sure" said Wolf. But when fel'
low has spent ten years surveying rail
roads and farms so big that it was twJ
days journey to cross 'em, twenty acres
look like very contemplate little patch
AS to that little frying-pan full Of water
with the minnows in it"-jerking his
thumb over his shoulder toward the fish
pond know lakes out yonder so big
and beautiful that whenever you see
them your heart aches with the wonde1
and admiration which you can't put into
words" He looked thoughtfully at the
ground moment and then added, as il
it was an afterthought: "And, Miss
when a man sleeps half the time under
the open stars, and has not a living soul
who cares much for him, except the good
God who cares for us all, is it likely that
he will miss an old house that he never
lived in, even though it was the home ol
his ancestors? Miss Clough, don't care
two cents for Heatherton Park, with the
whole Gown of Heatherton thrown in.
surrender to you all the rights of the
Heathercloughs, if they ever had any, in
this property, and you are to take it, and
welcome you are to 1t. That's what
came here to say"
She looked mp at the broad-shouldered,
brave young man with bright glow in
her fair cheeks.
"Mr. Heatherlough," said she, "you
are very generous and noble. But
don't care two cents for it, either"
"Then we'll donate it to the town for
lunatic asylum" said the broad.
shouldered, brave young man.
They walked peaceably away together
in the pale November light, Clough and
Heatherclough side by side. So calm
strong and self-controlled these two
were, so different from the noisy, squad
bling, cackhng Clough and Heather
clough who had died bequeathing thei1
mutual hate to these their heirs. Genu
inc strength is always calm; inferior
force is always violent"
Pale November whitened into winter
winter changed into green spring, and
spring, again, deepened into the gold OF
summer; but still the Clough and Heath
erclough dispute had not been set
tied. Since the world began there never
was a dispute which required SO mucf
consultation between the chief parties
as this dispute. Dame Heatherclougf
would have surely jumped out OF hel
year-old grave and clawed the red-browr
cheek and bold black eye of Vol
Heatherclough, like cat O. mountain
if she could have heard the mysterious
hints which were rife in the village abou
a new way to pay old debts.
As to Mariana and Wolf Heatherclougf
of course; why not?
Once more they met beside the lovely
little lake in the midst of the Bone
the little lake where the trailing vines
drooped to the waters edge and the
darting tiny fish turned up their glanc
ing, red gold sides to the light. She hae
gone there first and he followed, seeking
her, his "enemy," he always said.
"Miss Mariana" he began, without {
moments ceremony, tive have been en-
gagged"
"No, we haven't" said Mariana
laughing.
He blushed like big cabbage-rose
"I mean we've been quarreling with al
our might for nearly q year now anc
we're no nearer to an agreement than We
were at first. There is one way Of
settling our dispute which I've otter
thought of lately, but which ] never
mentioned to you. I've been afraid yor
wouldn't like it."
"May inquire what that isl" asked
Mariana, very composedly.
He looked hard at the ground, ant
when he spoke at length it was hesitat
ingly and with much embarrassment
He was very modest, this brave fellow.
"Miss Mariana, I'm but rough fel
low, because never had time to lear
| the fine ways which ladies like, though
think I might learn them even yet
from teacher of my own choosing
That's neither here nor there, though
Once, standing right here by this littl'
kettleful of water, / begged you to &C
cept this patch of land with the oil
house up yonder. Imust have bunglet
wretchedly in my offer Of it, for you re
fused it, and you have refused it steadi
" ever since. Miss Mariana, wish t,
offer it to you again, and this time bel
you very earnestly to accept it, and
and q half-civilized fellow who woult
| carry you in his heart to the worlds ent
so tenderly that life should scarcely hav'
rough place for you"
! He seemed a. If choking with the ct
fort to speak, he was 90 embarrassed
Mariana was silent. How could sh'
look into the eyes of this @rongh fel
low" this brave, pure, child-hearte'
man, and tell him that he himself wa