Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-09-29
The New Agent.

our cnllQfen are DaQ enough Oh. L
tell you, 'tain't no use. / can't live
so. Sometimes when / get to think
in of it right up an down-in earn
est feel as though I'd rather go to
the work-house and have done with
it,
81 know it is hard, Malcolm, but
really, conldn't it be harder?"
.sHarder! Be harder? What can
you imagine harder'n what we have
to endure now?'
81 was thinking of the health of
our little ones, Malcolm, and of
our own health, too"
ssDang it all I didn't mean to
tell you, Susan, but / can't keep it
no longer. Carter says the squire's
goin' to make another raise on the
rent.
"No, no; Malcolm. You do not
mean it?''
"It's just as true as gospel. Five
shillin's a month. That's three
pounds year"
ooh, Malcolm, / don't believe the
squire's got anything to do with the
business. It's Carters own doin' ,
now you depend upon it,
"I've thought O that myself, Su-
san; but look; The young blood is
away on the continent-in Paris, |
believe, where he's been ever since
he came from Cambridge, an he's
spendin' money fast. l tell you,
look to see the whole grand estate,
hall, abbey, and all, put up to the
highest bidder, one O these days.
An 'tain't as twas when young Phil
ip's father was livin' We wern't
ground down then. He lived on his
place and looked out for it hisself
an now you see where the moneys
goin' at he laid up-thousands upon
thousands of pounds Eth who's
that, / wonder?''
1t was a rap on the outer door
Malcolm got up and took a candle
and went to answer the summons.
He found on the broad stone steI
a young man, tall and strong, clad il
rough forest garb such as game
keepers and foresters were wont tt
wear-leather breeches and leather
jacket, with strong leather CATERS
and upon his head highland bon
net. He carried in his hand a fowl
ing-piece, with shot pouch and pow
der horn at his side.
''Ah, stranger, got caught in +:
shower-eh? Come right in. We'v,
room, sir, and bit O. fire to boot"
The stranger spoke pleasantly ant
cheerfully, and in a laughing wa.
described his mishap.
After he had partially dried hi
garments, the good wife asked hin
if he would take sup and bite, i
she would set it before him.
With a genial smile he answere'
that he was hungry. He would no
put her to the trouble-but if
Malcolm stopped him abruptly.
"Don't talk of putting us to troub
lie, sir. What are we good for, if W
can't help one another in times O
trouble and want? We hain't 90
much, and what we have got's plai
an homely, but it's good, and it
honestly come by"
And thereupon Susan set out
small table, and prepared substan
tial meal.
When the meal was ready th
stranger ate and drank with relish
, and when he had concluded he gladl
accepted pipe, and as he smoked
he began to question his host abou
himself and his affairs. He said b
) was almost stranger in those part
and knew but little of it.
"What," he exclaimed in surprise
when Malcolm had told him who hi
landlord was, "does this farm belon
to the Maxwell estate? / had no ide
, his territory extended so far
eyes, SIR responded the farmer
"Young Philip Maxwell owns a bi
estate, and it's pity he don't tax
) care of it. If all | hear is true, he
runnin' through it pretty FAST
''Is that so? What makes yo
think it?" asked the stranger.
"What makes me think it ?" echoe
Malcolm, elevating his brows, an
blowing out an extra cloud of smoke
"Would young man like him, witt
out family-leastwise / never hear
.. of his bein' married-would he, owr
In such grand estate as this, crow
down on a poor man like me unit
i. he'd got almost his last shillin', an
a then, on top O. that, jam an crow
S harder still, if he wasn't goin' it pre-
ty fast?"
Eyes, sir" he went on, ssTve bee
e payin' a rent for this farm that 4
man ever ought to pay-a rent th'
has robbed me, and my good wifi,
: and the little ones, of things that "
really needed-and now it's to /
r raised again. Susan = that's n
It wife, sir-her father rented th
II farm, and she was born here, whicl
you'll understand, kind O. 'taches b.
o. to the place. Well, her father pa
ten pounds a year, and paid once
six months. My first years rent W.
ot twelve pounds, then it went up ar
up, and for three years last past T.
paid two pounds a month: and no,