Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-21
FABLE THE SEVENTH.


| FABLE THE SEVENTH.
| BUT WAR AND wEDLooK wANrETH TWO.
81 think, Tom Blackthorn, 'twere
about time you thought of settling that
there two hundred pound-or it'll be a
trifie over by now"
So had Farmer Marrish gently insinu-
ated some month or so after Stephen
Harlow's pocket-book had been re-
| turned.
Two hundred pounds? Why, /
don t owe you stick nor a straw
| ''That depends on the market price
of sticks and straws, 1 reckon. But a
man can't afford to stay out of stick,
these hard times"
"But Prestons of Millport-'
! "'Twas all humbug about Prestons
of 1illport, Tom Blackthorn-all flash
and CANNON, every word. I've writ
| ten to 'em myself; and it's because of
their answer Pm here to-day. And
there it is-just No Co."
| And certainly the letter Farmer Black
thorn read was curt enough that their
former clerk, Mr.. Harlow, had COM
municated with them on the subject.
| but that under the circumstances they
did not choose further to entertain the
matter. 1t was, in short, No Go.
1t was terrible blow to a sanguine
man, who fancied that everything had
| been settled in a day.
IF ever I catch hold of that Internal,
ungrateful villain, Stephen Harlow he
| burst out, crumpling the letter in his
hand.
$50" said Enoch Marrish, quietly
but firmly, "things are left just as they
were. You'd better have taken a plain
mans offer at first, farmer, after all. "
"Ay-I remember an uncommon
plain man offering to turn me out Of
house and home
mo, no
But yes. yes, 1 say. But I deserve
it. Once. for going begging to my own
fathcr-in-law: and twice, for trusting to
drunken blackguard's Internal, I'M
grateful spawn. There, Marrish. Say
the word. When am | to go?n
Come. don't be so hot, farmer.
There's no need to fly out at a man be-
cause he wants his own. Out of house
and home! 'Twasn't Legs Croft L was
after, if you rightly mind"
"What them"
Patience Blackthorn."
The two farmers sat and looked at
one another without speaking. And
yet there was a bargain, the old bargain,
going on between them as surely as if
they were in full market chatter. That
Enoch, the miser. should want Il wife in
stead of the best farm in all the country
beat Tom Blackthorn. True. the wife
he wanted was Patience; but a wife is Il
wife, and costs something for her keep,
whoever she may be.
You'll take my girl without pen
ny?' he asked, at last.
'.Ay; and have the best of the bar
gain"
NO doubt; if you was young man.
You'd look to come in for Legs Croft
after I'm gone; but I'm a ten times
heartier man than you ever WERE
''Mayn't chap be in love, Tom
Backbone Didn't such thing ever
happen to you?'
SAY. Such thing has happened to
me- Well-love does play tricks;
though I'd have thought he'd sooner
play tricks on a hurdle-post than on
YOU
The day 1 marry Patience" said
Marrish THAT mortgage goes into the
fire; ay, and I'll let you have a thou
sand without interest, and no better Sc
curitv than your own word
Harder and harder Farmer Black
thorn stared. But there sat the other
rugged and uncouth, indeed, but utter
ly in earnest-anybOdy with eyes and
ears could see that, though how much
in earnest none could have seen. But
something else tugged at Tom Black
thorn's heart-strings. She was not to
him what his only son would have
been: but she was his only girl. No.
no, neighbour" said he. You're kind
at the core, and I'm sorry if you care
for the lasS-but. no, no, it won't do
A glow came into Enoch's eyes.
"You don't mean to tell me she's still
fretting about that"
THAT Internal, ungrateful viper?
What do you mean? Patience Black
thorn fretting after the spawn of
drunken blacksmith? But | beg your
pardon, Marrish. 'Tisn't likely you' d
understand the Blackthorn pride"
No sting touched the man who had
but two ideas-what' he wanted and
how to get it, late or soon.
Then said he, IF Patience says
ay. you won't say nay?'
''Ah, but she won't say ay.'
''But if? Only it-that's ALP
eff she says ay-well, neighbor. all
my notions of womankind would be
turned upside down.
Tom Blackthorn was perfectly sim
cere in believing himself to be sincere
He did think that a girl must have a
pretty large throat before she could
contrive to swallow old Enoch Marrish,
even with all his money-bags to send
him down. But if she only could it
would be a great thing. For, thanks
Gas he held) to the treachery of Stephen
Harlow, ruin stared him full in the face
again.
Patience, said he, after supper,
when he usually chatted for half an
hour or so over the events of the day
and tumbler. ''Enoch Marrish has
been over"
Eyes, father?" she asked, feignino
more interest than she could feel. If |
he had said the Prince of Wales had |
been at Legs Croft it would have been
the same.
"Marrish isn't bad fellow, Pa
tience. He's rough to look at, but he's |
stanch and sound. And he's really an |
fine young man for his
age"
He thought he was leading up to
things with the most delicate tact in
the world; and he also thought he was