The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-11
The Good .fOr.NOthIng.

Richards main fault is that he's Just
good for nothing" and Josiah Broadbent
tapped the ashes out of his pipe in very
Responding way.
''l don't believe that, Josiah, Nature
does not put such grand dome over fine
face for nothing Richard has not had a
fair trial, that is all about it,"
The subject Of this conversation sat at on
open window at the other end of the long
parlors, and as the two older men looked
toward him he raised his eyes from the
book in his hand to follow the upward
flight of white-winged flock of pigeons.
Rational, full, dcep-set eyes, and bright
keen face, surrounded by soft, light, curly
hair. Most people would have looked at
such face in man with DIM dyubts and
foreboding. Richard was stray soul in
stray body In that plain matter of fact fam
lily. None of the Broadbents he'd ever been
the least like him. Yeomen, woolstaplers,
spinners and weavcrs, great hard headed
hard listed Yorkshlremen, what kin to them
was this bright, clever 20 outh, who looked
like knight j lst stepped out of fairy
bookY
At first Richards love Of learning had
rather amused his household. Old Josiah
was not averse to seeing his son carry off
all the honors Of his school, and when peo-
pie spoke of the lads attainments, and of
the promising career before him, he thought
OF course they meant that Richard would
greatly increase the business of Broadbent
u Sons, and perhaps IN the end get into
Parliament.
But Richard showed no disposition for
business, and after year of frultless and
aggravating efforts to find something he
could do in the works, tho trial had been
abandoned. His elder brothers, Stephen
and Mark, were very fond of this lad, who
was ten years younger than either of them,
and whose beauty and bright ways had
been their pride for twenty years. Indeed
richards mother dying at his birth, these
"big brothers" Lad adopted ''little Dick"
with all their hearts. and when he COM
planned that the smell and noise of the
works made him i'll, stephen had spoken
very decidedly to Lis father about forcing
the trial further.
There's plenty O. brass i Leeds bank to
keep him. father, and Mark and can we'll
fend for oursel's. Let the lad be. He's
none like u.s.
And Josiah, having also tender SPOT in
his heart for his youngest son, had sig ghed,
and left Richard very much to his own de-
vices. But every now and then he wanted
his grumble about the lads shiftless, good
for.nothing ways, and this night he had
it TO his chief friend, the Rev. Sam
uel Sorlcy, Rector of his parish.
MIR. Sorley knew Richard hotter than
either his father or brothers, and lie was
glad the subject had been opened.
"Josiah, he said, gravcly, 'tell Stephen
and Mark that l want Richard for four
years. You can give him thousand
pounds or not, just as you trust me, but at
the end of That time l think I'll prove
Richard Broadbent no fool"
"What wilt do WI HIM, Samuel2 Send
him to Oxford2'
Thou must ask no questions, JOSIAH,
I'll have the lad entirely at my own disp j.
SAL"
Then the two men looked toward Rich
ard again, but he had left his seat and was
strolling off toward Saurham Park. They
walked to the window and watched him,
and his father lifted the book ne had
LAID down, and with mixture of contempt
and indignation threw it aside.
AT this moment Stephen Broadbent Gu
tered the room and said, angrily:
"Father, Dicks off to Saurham wood
again: I'm willing cnou' to let Dick play
the fool / our house. but dang me if he
shall meddle + t squirc's"
"What does thou mean, Stephen?"
81 mean that our Dick am Miss Saurham
have gotten some love nonsense together.
l know 1t. tell thee how: jim Hardness
going home from t. works has seen them
meet livery night. Now l wcen't have
IT,"
Father and son were both equally angry
and distressed, but this circumstance 80
favored the rector's proposition that 1t was
eagerly seconded by Stephen, and was re.
garded as settled. Then the rector put
himself in Richards way and met him lust
at dark outside Saurham Park. He was q
man accustomed to look we'll after his pa
rishioners and their children, both tempo
rarily and spiritually and therefore Richard
was neither astonlshed nor offended when
he said:
''Whohave you been walking with, Dck9
Tell mo the truth, my son."
'Wtth Agnes Saurham, sir"
The Tight of love was still in the young
fellow'a face, and the rector could not help
noticing how handsome he was. He did
not say 70 him: "You have no right, Rich
ard--thE Fl beyond your