Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-15

49,
Bank or Lawyer Lake. and see what
they sav of Enoch Marrish, of Welstead.
I'm not rich, but I'm warm enough for
two"
BLESS my soul alive! Does the girl
know?"
"a girl isn't blind to a chaps sweet
ness on her supposedly
why. you're old enough to be her
father, mani"
"No, no. Not so bad as that. A
mans as old as he feels. and I'm one of
the wiry ones that are old young, and
young old. Besides, it's bad for a lass
to be married 10 young tom fool that
don't know his own mind. know mine.
love Patience; and-you'd best keep
the land"
"Well, I'm
What he was, Farmer Blackthorn
failed to say. He certainly could not
help seeing that he was being asked to
sell Patience for Legs Croft But then
that hard and grasping man like
Enoch Marrish should find Patience
Blackthorn worth buying at such a
price was very wonderful. nay, very
flattering thing. He loved his daughter;
he did not like Marrish-who can like
q creditor that appeals to the lawp But
the land-the land! If ne loved Pa
tience with all his heart, he loved the
land with all his soul. 1t was his relig-
ion; though the land might ruin him he
loved it, not merely as one loves good
and dutiful daughter, but as mother
loves scapegrace son.
And suppose Patience did or could
like Marrish well enough to be his wife,
would it not be best all round? The
Blackthorns had always held their
heads high, and Marrish was-well,
certainly not Blackthorn. Enoch was
the first of the family who had held land
of his own, while ancient deeds showed
that there were Blackthorns, of Leys
Croft, farming their own fields before
the time of the Tudors. But still,
Farmer Marrish was sound mana
safe man, nay, a rich man, though he
did not call himself so. He contrived
to raise good crops, somehow, in the
worst years, and, what was more, he
made not only wheat but money breed.
Why should not Patience Blackthorn
become Mrs. Marrish. if she pleased !?
| And then the land-was it not her
| duty, as q Blackthorn, to save the land?
And there was, indeed, no other way;
for the owner of Legs Croft had raised
every penny he could find, owed more
than he had spent, and had spent every
penny he could raise.
ut all depends on the lass-all on
the lass" said he, after a long pause,
and battle with himself that could
have only one end. She'll be some
where about the place; well see what
she'll say to it, poor thing"
"Poor thing?"
"You mustn't mind what say, neigh
Dor. What with one thing and another
what with the shame of being kicked
by the old man in London for a beggar,
and what with your talk of losing Legs
Croft, and what with your wanting Pa
tience, my heads all of twirl.
you'll let me have her, then?"
"Ay."
1t was not second between Stephen
Harlow's "Oh!" and his appearance in
the shed, where he found Patience no
longer at the window, but pushing at
her saw, which, wearied out at last with
such usage, utterly refused to move.
Patience! What are you doing?'
cried he.
"Oh, it is your said she. "But
don't hinder me. for goodness sake.
I'm at work, you see. p"
"Come, Patience" he said, taking
her hand in spite of its occupation. and
holding it too. THAT isn't the way to
welcome an old friend-and l haven't
seen you for years.
| "Only one! What ought l to do?'
"Why, you ought ought" He
looked as if he knew very well what
ought to be done; but he refrained.
What are you doing with that saw?"
Making new gate-post Ours is
broke, across the Home Croft, and we
don't want to pasture other folks
| cows"
"You-making gate-postP Where's
Giles2"
"Oh, Giles! He's left US weeks ago.
There, Stephen-do let 60 my hand;
| sha'n't have done by bedtims-"
THAT you won't III 60 after one
of the men"
"No. Don't do that Father
wouldn't ha pleased"
"Stuff and nonsense, Patiencer'
"Oh, please don't" prayed she.
"The truth il, there's no men to find. "
"No men 70 find!'
"No. We've given up keeping
men,-and a good thing, too. 'Twcnld
be shame, Indeed, to keep q lot of
idle. useless men about q place when
fathers got grown-up girl-of course.
twas different when l was child"
"A farm-without hands! Patience
what does this mean? What has
happened while l have been away?
What have come back to find?"
"Why, Stephen, how scared you
look at onen' she said with a smile
and though have said she was not a
pretty girl, retract my words humbly,
seeing her with Stephen Harlow's eyes;
and all the more, since her voice was
as light and as sweet as a girls can be.
He had come two hundred miles to
hear that voice and to see that smile;
and now they made him afraid, she
looked so fragile, and yet so brave.
"You find-me, and you'll find father,
too"
He took the saw from her hand, and,
in minute, had done the rough work
that had taken her two wasted hours.
Now" said he, YOU'RE free to
talk. Don't tell me that you've got
rid of your men because there's no
need"
81 think-I think-we must have
| just one man--to saw. Oh; Stephen,
how did you do that so fast? Then,
there's use in those teeth after all?"
"Are you going on without maids,
| tOo?"
"Of course. When farmers got a
grown-up girl, what does he want with
parcel of maids? That Dould be a
chamar,