Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-05
Tales aud Sketfhes.
HESEw AGENT.
Continued from yesterday. }

Continued from yesterday
Would he? All, didn't hep cried
Malcolm explosively. go and ask poor
old Dan Sampson what be thinks. Old
Dan had the Goodspeed Fafm-one of the
best of the estate-as large as six of this.
He dared to post letter to the squire, and
he got his discharge papers off hand.
Yes, sir, he was turned away and another
within a week otter the letter was put in
to the post. Silas Carter must have the
postmaster under his thumb. In fact, the
squire owns the line of buildn's where his
store is and where the post office is. An,
it was different when the old squire was
Twin. He never turned deaf ear to an
honest tenant-not he"
"Why-look, Susan an me-we'd kind
/ o. promised ourselves that we'd give our
second child-little Georgie-he's ten yeas
old now, sir-.hat we'd give him leetle
( better eddication than boys of his rank
usually get, but we can't do it now. This
/ last rise in our rent has took the last pen
ny-and more, too. Really and truly |
can pay II. | hate to give up the dear old
/ place, where Susan was born and reared !;
/ but it must come. can have farm of
! Sir Oliver Thorndike for about one-halt of
what I've got to pay another year of this.
but, pardon me, good sir This is no
business of yourn, but you asked me a
question, and gat goin' and didn't
know how to stop, seeing that the rise in
1 my rent had just been made. But believe
me, good sir, amt in the habit of telin'
this stuff out o school. You're the first
man not one of us that ever opened my
| head TO on the subject. wouldn't like
/ that Silas Carter should hear what I've
been tellin', cause d'you see, such things
/ sound so different when they're told sec
ond hand"
/ Have no fear of me, my good man, y
returned the stranger, heartily. My
name is Sidney-George Sidney have
met young Maxwell, and should chance
/ TO meet him again YOU may be sure shall
give him gentle hint of how things are
going on here. Is there any one on the
estate who, you think would be entirely
fit and competent in every way, for
an agent in Carter's placer"
Yes, sir" answered Malcolm, prompt
y and heartily; II know just the man,
saying my wite's presence. It's her
brother John Guiford. He used to rent
a farm here. but he got disguised with
Carriers uppishness and left. He's now
with Sir Oliver-a sart OF useful man
about the old castle, but not engaged
| permanently"
Ibid you ever write to your young
master ?'
mo, sir-never."
81 suppose you-can writeP'
The honest, hard-handed farmer colored
up to the eyes, and before he could speak
his wife answered for him:
Good sir. Malcolm's got into a sort of
careless way of speaking, but do assure
you he has a good education. AS for wri-
ting, he's done that ever since he was
chld, and Mr.. Carter'll tell you, if he'll
tell the truth, that my husband has
straightenned out his accounts and written
important letters for him more than once.
Malcolm won't speak for himself, but I'll
speak for him."
Mr. Sidney nodded and smiled, and
changed the subject, He asked Malcolm
about his land, about his crops. and about
the best methods of treating land for diff
terent kinds of seed. And then he asked
about the quality of the land ofthe various
large farms of the estate, and sought to
know how they were carried on.
10 all his question the farmer not only
gave Intelligent answers, but he offered
many thoughts and suggestions that might
have been OF real value to the owner of
the land.
AT 9 O'Clock Malcolm suggested that. as
1t was late and very dark, with rain still
falling, Sidney had better spend the night
with them, if he could put up with their
homely accommodation. He accepted the
offer gratefully.
The good wife provided him with a
clean, comfortable sleeping room. and
gave him comfortable bed in which To
sleep, and on the following morning. af-
ter good breakfast. the weather BEING
clear and bright, he babe his entertainers
a kindly adieu, promising them that. if he
should ever be in that region again, he
would not fail to call.
Both Malcolm and Susan thought it
rather strange that the man had made no
OTTER OF return for his entertainment: and
yet they were glad that he had not. for
they would only have refused it. and thus,
perhaps, have hurt his feelings But very
/ likely the man was poor like themselves.
They remembered that he had worn no
lewelry, nor no ornament OF anv kind.
/ That afternoon Malcolm harnessed his
horse and rode to the village. where he
found great commotion. The squire
young Mr.. Philip-had arrived at the
Hall, and it was beloved that he was going
J to spend the summer on his estate. Who
had seen him? Nobody. But they knew he
had come, because his luggage had come.
Il went up to the Hall last evening
said the keeper of the village inn. ..but he
was not there. They told me he had been
there, but he'd gone out"
Just then servant from the Hall ar
rived on the spot-the largest village
store, where the post office was. In a
moment he was piled with questions.
Where did the squire go to last
nightp' the landlord OF the inn asked
him.
al don't know" the servant answered.
HE took his gun about the middle OF the
afternoon, yesterday, and went off into
the woods, he said to start up deer, and
if you'll believe it, he didn't get back till
this morning. | don't know where he
stopped. | cant imagine. Malcolm Vans
ley felt dizzy. His head seemed to whirl
and his throat to fill up. Without a word
to anybody. he got back into his wagon
and drove home-drove up to the door
iuts as light chaise from the Hall