National Republican., 1884-09-13


Ss he settled % down for good with Peggy. It
,ha raiio,, W ~. 1,, ~ hiIis Nth tbo shoan
sn5 sy ,ho y, ir Jn nnoninn ho ,vas % nonr,ip .
PespvEsundsy Peg eScepted. when he and
abe sSyy.ll,od seyan noiies n cbnrcb IN che
og,orna oSo w"aN'u ;,h Je thran o. ronr o,har SnO
uo,t inb,b;tsnts NJ Falsnar tho yost of
tbsm stonninS at home from vear's and 10 h,
voaris and
Itw IN Sunday mornipg that Matthew
o,iloJ on T.ute ybo yaa shavina bv n
bit of vlasa hung in Che front window
which Matthew banvod AZ with his
wall, inc sticlr and cracked.
UIiya cnrno 60 zoo tLo n,osu said
Mattbcv 'v yyho wa. va an an autboripvs so, On n;as
Ipog,v falls mo you,ve bad nnita a bit of
n leeacv.S f'0
Hycs Nastor Mattbo,y T call a. ipcl,
mvseifh
"Your Unole Ribton and bave dono
many a stroke of business together. Luke
said the old man. ''and II he had lived
twonty.four hours longer / should have
had those pigs, and there'd been matter
of-well, G10 very likely, in his stocking
instead"
"Oh % said Luke, as no put away his
shaving tackle, "Tve heard they're worth
a lot moro than G10. But l Amt Judge
of pigs.n
"They'ro very uRly.n
"Thoy're uncommon ugly" asserted
Luke "but they're very healthy"
They'll cat you out of house and
home.n
"Yes, they do cat" said Luke, with q
sigh, but there's chance of getting their
| own living down tho valley. 1 let them
out every day"
you'll lose en-"
"Oh, they know their way back OF
supper" said Luke, with one Of his
laughs, "trust thom. But they're SO ag-
gravating, wish they wouldn't come
back sometimes"
"Why don't you sell 'em? You're not
able to keep 'em in ease and comfort as a
pig should be kept any more than you
have ever been able to keep yourself
though l say it as shouldn't p'raps-in
ease and comfort. But I'm plain
speaking man.
"You ara sirv
"Whv don;t Won se,, tho n;gs than p,
"R,ess vonr baart Pm goingT said Tr,re
"Eb-what? What's that Won aav ?V
"pm going IN seii them and ban,r tho
money before the winter comes on. AZ
least Pm go;n, 10 aaIi four of ,omU
"Well-well. then, what do you want
for the fourYj asked Matthew. "Tbat,s
what I've come all this beastly way for
and my legs 80 bad, toto ask If should
take 'em of your hands. The five,
mean-I want the lot What's the use of
keeping one pig?"
ii shall stick to tho blind one.n said
Luke, very firmly.
"WhyW
"Well, my old mother was blind tho last
two years Of her life, and the pig reminds
me of her worry much"
Matthew Brantwell sneered ut this touch
of sentiment but he said no more about
the blind pig just then.
Lets look at them," he said shortly.
They passed into the little space be-
hind the house, where were tho five ami
mails, all with their noses turned toward
the gate which shut them out Of the val
ley. Luke was right-they were uncom-
monty ugly. A mishappen, rhiuocerous
kind Of pig, four of them red-eyed as
though they had boon crying, and the
fifth with his eyes bunged up forever.
The sight of them excited the cupidity
Of Matthew Brantwell.
"Pll give you 920 for the lot. Say it's
bargain and don't be o fool, Luke" he
said.
"I can't drive bargain on Sunday,
Master Brautwell," answered Luke; "not
that I'm religious man, hard and fast
as 1 ought to be-but promised Peggy l
never would again"
"Peggy's always got some nonsense
in her head and q interfering about some.
thing"
"Peggy's always right, only she's bit
superstitious. Nothing ever came right
that was done on Sunday, I've heard
her say over and over again, bless her"
"Never mind about Peggy. We're
talking about pigs, amt we?"
"rd rather not talk about them any
more till Chipstoke comes to see them"
hipstoke-what, from Roundell
Pixies ?" exclaimed Matthew.
'rhat's the man."
"What do you want to sec him for?"
II don't know that want to see him."
replied Luke. "He sent me word last
night he e.. wanted 4 to seer see me. That's all.
Except that he said, Don't part with the
pigs till I've made you good bid"
Selfish beast" said Matthew, that's
like him know him OF old-and then
he'll offer you less than have. See If no
doesn't. He'll want them Tor mere
song, and then youll DO sorry you didn't
let me have then.
Il don't say won't sell them to you.
You're Peggys grandfather"
10 be sure am-peggy'S grand father.
exactly So"
And you shall have them for what he
offers me-there"
oh"
Matthew Brantwell seemed checkmated
for moment. What might not Chipstoke
offer if "dead.set" on these pigs, and
knowing what pigs they were? And what
might not Chipstoke make of them, bo-
ing an expert in pigs-a specialist-a pip
collector?
"Luke, if you don't let me have these
pigs now, I'll forbid you ever coming to
my house again" he splurted forth. "Pll
move out of Felspar and take Peggy with
me. I'll go and live in London; I'll be
.l,.l -