The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1884-10-03

COlllc dCIOSS IHC IlOuhNSs nc WOulO not
scruple to sec them over a field or two.
the whole, n happy fellow.
He and John Gordon had been
thrown together at Oxford for a short
time during the last months of their
residence, and, though quite unlike
each other in their pursuits, ciruum-
stances had made them intimate. 1t
was well that Gordon should take a
stroll for a couple of hours before din
ner, and therefore. ho started off for
Little AlresfOrd. Going into the par
sonage gate he was overtaken by
Blake, and introduced himself "Don't
you remember Gordon at Exeter.
John Gordon! Gracious me! Of
course | do. What a good fellow YOU
arc 10 come and look a fellow up!
Where have you come from, and where
are you going to, and what brings YOU
10 Arlcsford. beyond the charitable in
tention of dining with me? On, non
sense! not dine; but YOU will, and can
give you bed, too, and breakfast, and
shall be delighted TO do it for week.
Ordered Your dinnerP Then Wen un-
order it. I'll send the boy in and put
that all right. Shall [ make him bring
your bag back?" Gordon, however,
though ne assSRted to dinner, made his
friend understand that it was impcra-
tive that he should be at the inn that
night.
Yes" said Blake, whom they rad
settled down to wait fpr dinner, Il am
par5On hCrc-a sort Of n one, at least.
am not only c1uratc, but live in cxpcc-
tation of higher things. Our Squire
here, who owns the living, talks of Civ
ing it To mo. There isn't IL better fellow
living than Mr.. Furnival, or swifc, or
hi four daughters"
''Will he bc as generous with one of
them "a with the living?'
There is no necessity, us far as ] am
concerned. ! came here alrcauY pro-
vidcd in that respect r. yon'n remain
here till September, yCI'N see me a
married man. Ono Kattic FORESTER
intends to condcsccnd TO become Mrs.
Montague Blake. Though | say it rs
shouldn't. swceter human being
doesn't live ON earth. ] met her soon
after had taken orders. But | had TO
wait till | had some sort of "a house to
put her into. Her father IS Il clergy
man. Ike myself, so we are all in ~
Cy- and j Vc got little money, so that
we Sha'n't absolutely starve. Now you
know all about me; and what have Won
been doing yOurself?'
John Gordon thought that this friend
of his had been most communicative.
Had Mr.. Blake written biography of
himself down to the present period, he
could not have been more full or accurate
in his details But Gordon felt that as
regarded himself he must be more
81 tn
my fathers bank, but that came to
grief"
Yes; | did hear of some trouble in
that respect"
"And then went out to the diamond
fields
Dear me! that was Il long way
YES. it Is long way-and rather
rou~h towards the end"
ID d YOU do any good at the diamond
fields? l don't fancy that men often
brin. much money home with them
II brought some"
Enough to do fellow any good in
his aftcr lifc?'
well, yes; enough to content me,
Cn'y that Il man is not easily cOntcntcd
who has been among diamonds"
'.CrcScU amor didntondS"' said the
par-on. II can easily understand that.
And then, when 81 fellow goes back
again, he is 50 apt to lose it all. Don't
YOU expect to see your diamonds turn
into slate-stoncs?'
Not except in the ordinary way OF
NV diamonds, for the
most part. have been turned into ready
and take the comfortable shape
of q balance at my Bankers"
I'D leave it there, or buy land or
railway shares. If l had realized in
that venture enough ia look at it, I'd
NEVER g" out to the diamona'felds
Tx hard to bring an occuA at;on
of that kind ~ an end all at once, isaid
John GOrdOni
"OrcsrU amor dt0mondS"' repeated
Rev. Montagu Blake, shaking his head.
IF you gave me three l could easily
another fellow who had three also,
double or quits till l lost them all. But
well make sure of dinner without any
such hazardous proceeding" Then
hcv went into the dininm-roOm and en-
ioyrd themselves, without any refer |
ancC having been made to the business
which had brpHght John Gordon into !
he ncighbOrhood.
you'll find that port wine rather /
good. cant afford clarct, because it |
lakes such n lot to 90 far enough"
why do YOU make a ceremony with |
me-
"BccauSo it's so pleasant to have an
'Ncuse for such ceremony. 1t wasn't
you only l was thinking of. Think
What it is TO have prudent mind. l
mad 10 get it myself out of the cellar,
because girls can't understand that
vine shouldn't be treated in the same
way as physic. By-the-by, what /
brought you into this part of the world
II alp"
Il came to see one Mr.. white
talf."
"What! old William Whittlcstaff?
Then, let me tell Won, Won have come to
&c Is honest a fellow, and as good
lcaatrI Christian, as any that l
,nOs."
''You do know him?"
oh. YES. l know him. I'd like TO
cc the man whose bond is letter than
,id Whittlestafl' Did you hear what
lc did about that young lady who is
living with him? She was the daughter
# a fricnd-simplv of a friend who
lied in pGCuniary distress Old Whittlc-
tat brought her iu.o his house and
made hrr his own daughter. 1t isn't
very one who will do that, you
now
why do you call him oid?' said
ohm Gordon.
''NeIk don't know. He is old"
Just turned fifty
Fifty is old. Perhaps, if he had
cen 4 married man, he'd looked
ouncer. lie has got n very nice young
irI thcre with him; and if he isn't too
ld TO think of such things, he may
larry her. Do you know Miss Lawric?'
Yes: | know her
Don't you think she's nice? Only
" goose is cooked, I'd 90 in for her
Joncr than any one l can see about"
Sooner than your own squire's four
:
well, yes. They're nice girls too. ]
ut don't fancy one out of four. And
lcv'd look higher than the curate."
"A prcbendary is as high as squire
lid Gordon.
There are prebendaries and there
re- squircs. Our squire isn't Il swell,
rough he's an uncOmmonly good fell
wv. Ii 1 get wife from one and
VIM from the other, shall think my
iii very lucky. Miss Lawrie is hand
)mc girl, and everything that she
Ight to be; but if you were to see Kat
e Forester, think you would say that
le was A l. l sometimes wonder
neither old Whittlestaff will think of :
IaIrying." {
Gordon sat silent How SlInremely !