Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-14
PERE GOWN.
CHAPTER !.


1t an orchard in England, where '" ourt'
seems to suggest pavement, which it Is fan
from doing in Normandy. Not but what there
are plenty OF stones in my cour, ana Oracle
my precious, only daughter, sits in the sun
shine making Druidic circles with them
Oracle, who is vision of delight, the small
tyrant of our fields and home. Mira, the big
DOS Is watching her with grave and puZ
zled mein, some occult resemblance in the
flint stones to well-polished bones seeming to
enchain his interest. There is another circle.
maker close blythe cow-tethered by q
chain passed round her horns to an iron pin,
driven firmly into the SOIL To give the COW
new center of operations is my present OBJ
ject-but where to put herY She has eaten
up all my grass, and is now looking wistJully
at the green yell tied round Gracie's hat, as
If she would like to eat that too.
My speculatlOnS are cut short by q low
growl from Mi Ia, the object of which, l see
next moment, man leaning over the gate
the one that leads fore tward-a sallOw,
heavy browed man, in the universal blue
blouse and closely fitting fur cap, this last
quite out Of keeping with the climate. He
touched his cap politely.
Monsieur has a nice cow; but she looks
thin. And the grass OF the court is worth
nothing"
"The grass is-not bad" remarked, eff
there were only more of it."
"Ah! Monsieur should see the grass in my
cour, thick and luscious, and have no COW
to eat it. Will Monsieui sell the cow?"
No, lwould not sell the COW. 1t had cost
me too much to acquire real practical work
ingcow, whose milk foams in the pail, N ilk
that will develop into cream and butter. l
would not part with the cow, but would my
new friend Sell his grass?
oh" cried Oracle, running up at this mo-
mems, ut is my little lere Gown. Bojour,
petit pere, and have y on made the little boat
you promised Inew
Not yet" said ,ovin, STOPPING down to kiss
the protfered lace. l have not found piece
of wood suitable"
But there is wood everywhere"
Gown, in spite of his heavy and forbidding
look, is kind and Obliging. He certainly has
got nice piece Of grass, with not so many
flint stones cropping mp. We strike bargain
at once, without troubling the notary to put it
into writing-a lease o. his cour fer an mdeti-
mite period, at rent Of s. francs per year,
payable quarterly in advance.
As we came out saw the Professor comm g
along, and paused TO wait for him. The Pro-
fessor and his wife reside in the neighbOring
town, our only compatriots within circle OF
many miles.
The character I heard of Gown from the
Professor hardly tended to reassure me. He
was a fisherman, it seemed, having a boat on
the river, and often sleeping on board it. No
one in the village liked him; he was savage,
morose and uncUmmnnlcatye living an utter
good word for HIM was the cure. Gown"
he said, us industrious and attentive to his
religious duties. | have known him to spend
hours in the church, praying, his face working
with strong emotion, his eyes fixed upon the
sacred images"
But the cure added gravely that although
estimable in some points, he feared the man
was passionate and reyengeful His unbridled
temper had already brought him into trouble,
about which the cure declined to say any
more.
found out what the trouble had been from
another quarter. He had attempted TO assas-
tinate his "proprietor' (his landlord), and had
only lately finished term of Imprisonment
for the offense. l comforted myself by the
thought, that even the most ungOvernable of
men would not assasslnate a tenant who paid
his rentregularly, and determinedthat Gown
should get his quarterly payment with most
scrupulous punctuality.
Soon after this I exchanged my COW for a
pony, an operation which called forth many
jeers from the Professor. OF course, having
pony and no cow, no longer wanted grass,
but hay. And so next spring put down both
cours for hay.
One evening, soon after, l wanted some
fresh grass for the pony, and took my scyuhe
and went mp to GOWNS cOur to cut a swathe
of the rich, sweet heritage. The clauk of the
scythe brought Gown ont Of his cottage, and
he watched me for few moments with low
ering brow.
at is forbidden to cut this grass" he said
Just as l had finished.
Howl / cried, Il may not cut my own
grass? Do l owe you any rent, Monsieur
Coyin:'
II did not letit for such purpose. I forbid
you to cut any more"
II don't want any more at preasant but in
afortnight's time began to cut the hay"
II forbid your he cried, in a voice husky
with passion.
"All the same, shall begin"
"And shall prevent you"
't1ood we shall seei"
He foil wed me to the gate, muttering and
talking to himself. l went home with the un-
pleasant feeln. that it was my destiny to
have desperate feud with NJ. GOWN All the
same I would not give way. The hay should
be cut, if had to cut it myself.
This turned out to be the alternative, No
one would come to cut GOWNS cour, not for
any inducemeut could Offer
1t was lin the prime of summer time" a
sweet, fresh morning, when | rose and shout
dered my scythe to begin on GOWNS cour.
kissed my sleeping wife with kind of feeling
that was tound on a dangerous errand. !
reached quickly the cour, and taking nv
stand under a tree, began to sharpen my
scythe. At the sound Of the milestone and
scythe Gown appeare on the scene, his face
white and wrathful, and hogan an harang que.
At last, with kind of fierce hoop, he
bounded forward and placed himself in front
of me.
''Not another stroke-not another blade OF
grass"
Had 1 been prudent should have should
cred my scythe and walked away. But prim.
tive instincts of com 0at were reused within
me. 1t seemed to me impossible to give way
I was not going to cave into fellow like that
Il don't want t. quarrel with you," l said
slowly, and feeling white all over; but ]
mean to cut the grass. Stand away" and
raised the cythe for a sweep.
Gown leaped forward and planted Himself
in himself in the way of the scythe. I turned
aside, and began my StOrke at another
place. With wild bound he leaped in from
of me, the scythe gave sickening jar
CHAPTERII.
~ Quite faint and queer, leaned upon nv
scgthe, looking at GOWN, who with eyes baz
ing forth from a face of dsadly palor, swaved
ward to he'll him, but he thrust me away with
all indignant e sture. | had wounded him
but could not tell where. | might have
severed an artery; his death might be upon
my head. Gown sank upon one knee and
threw off his shoe; the scythe had cut through
the leather. it was full of blood. There was
an ugly wound on his foot, which he began tc
staunch with wisps of grass that he snatcheC
from about him. The sight of his own blood
seemed 10 increase his fury, and supply hin
with an access of strength; he bounded to hi
feet and dashed at me. With his face close
to mine, pouring forth burning words, he wa!
feeling for something at his side, his knife
no DOUBT, which he habitually wore, sailo
fashion. hanging from his waist. A glance
however, showed me that the knife was no
there. Gown, too, had arrived at the sam,
conclusion. The knife had been there few
minutes before-it must have fallen on tn,
grass. We were both searching the grount
With our eyes. and felt sure that if Gown
could get hold of it before me that stood
good chance of deadly wound. We held eacl