Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-12-18

YES said BARLEY, firmly; "the rest
had better be done in writing. Why
Mary, what is the use of staying or
now? we are going to live here in .
month or two"
Il forgot that" said Mary, with a lit
Tie sigh. 1t seemed so ungracious to
| get what they wanted, and then turD
their backs directly. She hinted as
much, very timidly.
=, But BARLEY was inexorable, and
they reached home next day.
Mary would have liked to write tc
Walter, and announce their safe arrival.
but nature withheld her. She was o
child no longer.
BARLEY went to the sharp solicitor
and had long interview with him. The
result was that in about ten DAYS he
sent Walter Clifford letter and the
draft of lease, very favorable to the
landlord on the whole, but cannily in.
sertlng one unusual clause that looked
inotfensive.
1t came by post, and Walter read the
letter, and told his father whom it was
from.
What does the fellow say?" grunted
Colonel Clifford.
"He, says: we are doing very well
here, but Hope says bailiff can now
carry out our system; and he is sevident
lly sweet on his native place, and thinks
the proposed rent is fair, and evenmod-
crate. AS for me, my life used to be so
bustling that l require change now
and then; so will be your tenant. Hope
says am to pay the expenses of the
lease, SO have requested Arrowsmith
q Cox to draw it. l haveno experience
IN leases. They have drawn hundreds
told them to make it fair. If they
! hon n1rx y, oh J,
"Oh! OH" said Colonel Clifford. He
draws the lease, does he? Then look at
1t with microscope"
Walter laughed.
Il should not like to encounter him
on his own ground. But here he is
fish out OF water; he must be. However,
| will pass my eye over it. Where the
farmer generally Overreaches us. if he
draws the lease, is in the clauses that
protect him on leaving. He gets part
possession for months without paving
rent, and he hampers and tleeces the in
coming tenant, so that you lose years
rent or have to buy him out. Now, let
me see, that will be at the end of the
document-No; it is exceedingly fair,
this one"
SHOW it to our man of business, and
let him study every line. Set an attor-
ney to catch an attorney"
""Of course l shall submit it to our
solicitor" said Walter.
This was done. and the experienced
practitioner read it very carefully. He
pronounced it unusually equitable for
farmers lease.
However" said he, eve might sug-
gest that he does all the repairs and
draining, and that you find the materials;
and also that he insures all the farm
buildings. But you can hardly stand
out for the insurance if he objects.
There's no harm trying. Stay! here is
one clause that is unusual; the tenants
to have the right to bore for water. or
to penetrate the surface of the soil and
take out gravel or chalk or minerals. if
any. | don't like that clause. He might
quarry, and cut the farm in pieces. All,
there's provisO, that any damage to
the surface or the agricultural value
shall be fully compensated, the amount
of such injury to be settled by the land
lords valuer or surveyor. Oh, come, if
you. can charge your own price, that
can't kill you"
In short, the draft was approved, sub
Ject to certain corrections. These were
accepted. The lease was engrossed in
duplicate, and in due course signed and
delivered. The old tenant left. abusing
S'', cAit Soy LIS tilttu IL Ntto I'LL
fair to bring in stranger, for he would
have given all the money,
BARLEY took possession.
Walter welcomed Hope very warmly,
and often came to see him. He took a
great interest in Hopes theories of
farming, and often came to the farm
for lessons. But that interest was very
much increased by the opportunities it
gave him of seeing and talking to sweet
Mary BARLEY. Not that he was for
ward or indiscreet. She was not vet
sixteen; and he tried to remember she
Unfortunately for that theory she
looked ripe woman, and this very
Walter made her more and more wo-
manly. Whenever Walter was near she
had new timidity, new bushes, fewer
gushes, less impetuosity, more reserve.
Sweet innocent! She was set by Nature
to catch the man by the surest way,
though she had no such design.
Hope had hardly started the farm
when BARLEY sent him Off to Belgium
to study coal mines.
CHAPTER VII