Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-11-13
The Starg Te1ler.
THE NEW AGENT.

longer. Pm workin' the flesh off my bones;
Pm starvin' myself; you are starvin'; and
the Lord knows our children are poorly
enough off. I tell you, faint no use. L
can't live So Sometimes when 1 git to
thinkin' of it right up an down-in earn
est feel as though I'd rather go to the
work-house and haye done with it,"
81 know it's hard, Malcolm; but, really,
couldn't it be harder?"
"Harder! Be harder? What can you
imagine harder'n what we have to endure
now?"
"I was thinking of the health of our little
ones, Malcolm, and of our own health, too"
"Aye," exclaimed the weary man, with
a twist in his face that was cOmical, for 1T
was a comical idea that had struck him,
ssand Jest see what the health and robust
ness of them yoangkets is costin' me. L
sometimes think they'll eat US all up afore
they get their growth"
Susan laughed, for she knew how fondly
and tenderly her husband loved those same
'youngkets," and how much he would sac
rifice for their sakes.
She was afraid he would be finally giving
up the farm.
She was born on it, and she loved it dear
ly, and it would pull terribly upon her
heartstrings to leave it.
Her six children had been born beneath
that same sheltering roof, and, altogether,
her life had been a very pleasant and happy
one.
Yev she knew that they were paying an
exorbitant rent-altOgether too much-1nore
by far than the farm was worth. But 9TH
ers did the same, and he and she must bear
with them.
All this she said to her husband as he sat
by the fire filling his pipe. She spoke mod
estly, and kindly, and persuasively.
Malcolm lighted his pipe and smoked tor
a time in silence At length he brought his
foot down with crash and burst.
stDang it all! didn't mean to tell you,
Susan, but can't keep it no longer. Carter
says the squir's goin' to make another rise
on the rent"
'No, no, Malcolm. You do not mean it ?"
a month. That's three pounds a year."
,"Oh, Malcolm, I don't believe the squire's
got any hand in the business. It's Carter's
own doin', now you depend upon it."
s'I've thought o. that myself, Susan but
look: The young blood is away on the Con-
tinent-in Paris, believe, where he's been
ever since he came from Cambridge, and
he's spendin' money fast. / tell you l look
to see the whole grand estate, hall, abbey
and all, put up to the highest bidder one O.
these days All, 'taint as twas when young
Philips father was livin'. We weren't
ground down then. He lived on his place
and looked out for hisself, and now you see
where the moneys goin' at he laid up
thousands upon thousands of pounds !"
A further smoke in silence and he added:
eff anything should happen at Master
Philip should be obliged to sell, this farm
would be the very first bit O. property to go.
It's the farthest outlayin' farm of the estate.
Just think of it! We're nigh on to five
miles away from the Hall, and yet he owns
all the land atween here and there-every
rood of it. What shame it is 'at a young
man without any family, only his mother
and two sisters, should eat into such a grand
old heritage so outrageously! Halo l
declare it's rainin'."
"Why, it's been raining this half-hour,
Malcolm"
"Well, never noticedi it until now. Eth /!
who's that, l wonder?"
It was rap on the outer door, Malcolm
got UP and took candle and went to answer
the summons.
He found on the broad door-stonea young
man, tall and strong, clad in rough forest
garb, such as game keepers and fOresters
were wont to wear-leather breeches and
leather jacket, with strong leather CATERS,
and upon his head Highland bonnet He
carried in his hand fowling-piece, with
shot-pouch and powder-hOrn at his sides.
Malcolm Wansley was not the man to
keep Wayfarer at his door to tell his story
when the whole story could be read at a
glance"
"Ah, stranger! got caught in a shower,
eh? Come right in. We've room, sir, and
bit of fire to boot"
Come to bring him into the full light, they
Lol o1l lon1
taller than his host, and -prOportiOned !;
his blue eyes bright and clear, his face hand
some, with look of keen intelligence upon
it.
The stranger spoke pleasantly and cheer
fully, and in laughing way described his
mishap. ....... .'.
He said the gamekeeper of an adjoining
estate was a friend of his, who had given
him permission to run down deer if he
could but he hadn't done it, though he
had found a good wetting, which would
.help to fill out the story of the day.
the good wife asked him if he would take a
sup and bite, if she would set it before
him.
With genial smile, he answered that he
was hungry. He would not put her to trou-
BILE, but if
Malcolm stopped him abruptly.
''Don't talk of putting us to trouble, sir.
What are we good for, if we can't help one
another in times of trouble and want? We
hain't got much, and what we have got's
plain and homely, but it's good and honest
~ come BY"
And thereupon Susan set out a small table,
and prepared substantial meal.
Her three elder children came in from
the little kitchen, where they had been
parching corn, and seated themselves mod
estly by the fire with dish Of the snowy
corn before him.
The stranger begged few kernels, and
the eldest, a girl of twelve years, at once Of
fered him half of all they had, but he only
thanked her and accepted small quantity
and as he ate he told the little ones how he
had loved popped corn when he was child
like themselves.
When the meal was ready the stranger ate
and drank with relish, and when he had
concluded he gladly accepted a pipe, and as
he smoked he began to question the host
about himself and his affairs. He said he
was almost stranger in that region, and he
knew but little of it,
"What," said he, in surprise, after NAL
colin had told him who was his landlord,
''dces this farm belong to the Maxwell es-
tate? 1 had no idea that the territory ex-
tended so far"