Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-08-24
LANDLORD AND TENANT.

Confusion seize all houses, say
I ~ rOared Squire Clingy, striding
up and down his snug little library
like wild animal in its den
'sTaxes, repairs, insurance, and a
'TO Let always hung up on the
front door. | was a lunatic ever to
buy that house. wouldn't if Fox
well hadn't told me it was a dead
bargain. He talked me into it, the
sly, oily-tongued fellow, and now
here he is telling me, as cool as a
cucumber, that it needs a new roof.
a new roof! There will be one
hundred dollars clear out of pocket,
and not a shilling in. There he
comes now. I'll give him piece
Of my mind. See if don't. say,
FOXWell-eh what is it? A ten
ant for Rose Lodge ?"
ga tenant, squire, responded Mr..
FOxWell, the real estate agent, seat
easy-chair, and hopping the pol
ished surface of his bald head with
a silk pocket-handkerchief.
"NeVer heard of such thing in
my life ~ cried out the squire.
''Three years that house has stood
vacant, eating its own head off with
taxes and repairs, until the roof has
fallen in, and the neighbors say
there's ghost there, and now here's
a tenant. What's going to happen
next ?''
"Wishes to take possession to-
morrow" said Mr.. FOXwell. "Will
pay fifty dollars quarterly, in adj
vance. Lease, three or five years.
Best OF reference. A widow lady"
81 don't like widows" said the
squire, with a grimace.
mo? ?" said FoXWell. But that's
scarcely logical reason for refusing
to let her the hOuse.n
81 suppose she must have 1T, 7"
said the squire. "After a house h s
stood empty for three years, Il man
can't afford to stand on trivial OBJ
iections. But there's one. thing l
want understood first-she mustn't
expect me to call on her."
"Oh, don't think she expects
anything of the sort" said FoXwell.
''She-"
az dare say, l dare say" uncere-
mOniOusly interrupted the squire.
"I'll have the gate between Rose
Lodge and this place nailed up, and
change my rooms to the north side.
Then there can't be any possibility
of collision. leave all the business
part to you, FOXWell."
"All right, squire, p" said Mr.. Fox
well, carelessly.
GA red-faced viragO of forty, no
doubt" muttered the squire to him
self, "whO has nagged one husband
into the other world, and is on the
lookout for another. I'll give her a
wide berth"
So Mrs. Apologize arrived with q
boudoir-piano, q mimic aYiary, a
poodle, dnd whole conservatory of
plants, and established herself in
Rose Lodge, without eyer having
looked upon the face Of her land
lord.
81 wish she wasn't a widow"
said the squire. If she had been
man, now, | could have strolled
over there for a comfortable smoke
of an evening"
The squire had gone out one sui
try July afternoon to see about the
cutting down Of some trees on the
edge Of the swamp, when he heard
a little feeble cry for help from the
adjoining paSture-field.
hHulloI" said the squire to him
self, "What's up now ?"
And scrambliRg over the wall the
squire came face to face with a
pale-cheeked girl of eighteen or
nineteen, who was perched halfway
up the stOne-fence, In mortal terror
of Il huge and MISUNDERSTANDING
bull, who stood in the middle Of the
field, paving the ground and utter
ing a low, OminOuS roar.
Tho besieged damsel came flying
toward the squire, saizing his arm
in both her hands:
"Oh, help me, help me!H she
pleaded. 81 shall be gOred to death ~
The squire burst out laughing,
"YOu silly child,n said he, F!donit
you see that he is tethered to the
ground ? He can't get aWay,n
"But ! was so frightened" said
the girl, the color coming and going
on he cheek with every breath she
drew. "Oh, | was so frightened !"
The squire looked down at her.
She was very pretty, with curly
rings and tendrils Of silky black
hair, a complexion OF cleaf pliFe,
and dusk, glittering eyes. General
ly the squire disliked and distFusteq
WOmen-he had had one or two Sc
we're lessons, poor old misanthrOpe
but who could be veXed with such
a pretty child as this ?
''My dear" said he, "it's natural
enough. But you shouldn't be out
here alone by yourself. Tell your
mother to take better care of you.
Where do yOg live"
"At Rose Lodge,' she faltered.
81 will walk home with you.
What did you come out fOr-butter-