Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-26
FABLE THE SEVENTH.
but WAR AND wEpLooK wASTEru TWO.

|
| nut WAR AND wEpLocK wASrEru TWO.
II think, Tom Blackthorn. 'twere
about time you thought of settling that
there two hundred pound-or it'll be a
trifle over by now.
So had Farmer Marrish gently insinu-
atcd some month or so after Stephen
| Harlow's pockct-book had been re-
turned.
1.-TWO hundred pounds9 Why. I
don't owe you stick nor a straw
That depends on the market price
of sticks and straws. l reckon. But
man cant afford to stay out of a stick,
| these hard times"
"But PrestonS of Millport-"
Twas all humbug about Prestons
Of Millport Tom Blackthorn-all flash
| and CANNON, every word. I've writ
ten to 'em myself; and It's because of
their answer I'm 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
mtnicated with them ON the subject.
bus that under the circumstances they
did not choose further to entertain the
matter. 1t was, in short. No Go.
1t was a terrible blow to n sanguine
man. who fancied that everything had
been settled in day.
If ever | catch hold of that Internal,
ungrateful villain, Stephen Harlow he
burst out, crumpling the letter in his
hand
so" said Enoch Marrish. quietly
but firmly, things are left just as they
were. You d better have taken plain
man offer at first farmer, after all"
"Ay-l remember an uncommon
plain man Offering to turn me out Of
house and home
mo, no.
"But yes. yes, say. But | deserve
it. Once for going begging to my own
father-in-law; and twice. for trusting to
grateful spawn. There. Marrish. Say
the word When am TO go?"
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 houss
and home. 'Twasnt Legs Croft was
after, if you rightly mind"
What them
Patience Blackthorn.'
Inc TWO farmers sat anu looked ~
one another without speaking. And
yet there was bargain. the old bargain.
going on between them a. surely as IL
they were in full market chatter. That
Enoch. the miser, should want wife in
stead of the best farm in all the country
beat Tom Blackthorn. True. the wife
he wanted was Patience; but wife is
Wifi /
whoever she may be.
you'll take my girl without pen
ny?" he asked, at last.
SAY; and have the best of the bar
gain
No doubt; if you was young man
You'd look to come in for Leys Croft
after I'm gone; but I'm ten times
heartier man than you ever were"
"Maynt a chap be in love- Tom
Blackthorn? Didn't such thing ever
happen to youp'
"Ay: Such a thing has happened to
me. Well-love does play tricks;
though I'd have thought he'd sooner
play tricks on hurdle-post than on
YOU
The day l 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. mo,
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.
'fou 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 I 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 y-that's alp"
''lf 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
pfriu 10, IL
even with all his money-bags to send
him down. But if she only could it
would be 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 a half an
hour or so over the events of the day
and tumbler. "Enoch Marrish has
been over
"Yes, father?" she asked, feipning
more interest than she could feel II
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
uncommonly 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
making no attempt to bias her But
she only thought he was jesting; and
that was good thing, for his jests had
of late been rare.
% Patience" he went on. 1--we been
thinking a good bit. and 'tis ahou,