The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-11-28

VlI1eH LHo IhtucI 'hSuShs ~ oiA -AANA~SsN~
haid upon him for &c mo cau,e or other BY
hn inscrutable Providence
There are certain Spanish noblemsn who
lon account of the antiquity OF their familie
and services rendered, arc permitted Il
entor the royal presence with covered heads
| 1t WAS. perhaps, for somewhat similar rea
sons, a custom handed down from father u
son and established by time, that the tenan
of Watercress Farm paid his rent to tn
Landlord in person, not through the mo
dunn Of an agent. MIR. Her bert being al
important man in the west country, the
Leigh family valued this privilege as highly
as ever hi ial 20 valued the one above men
toned. Mr. Herbert, refined, intellectual
looking man of about So received the
farmer kindly, and, after the re,t, without
a word as TO abatement or reduction. had
been paid in notes Of tho county hank
DARK and greasy, but valued in this par
ticular district far above Bank OF England
promse,-landlord and tenant settlel down
TO few minutes conversaton on crops and
kindred subjects. Then the farmer unbur-
dened his mind.
"Tve come to ask the favor OF your advice,
sir, about my boy, jerry"
Yes said Mr.. Herbert, 81 know him, a
nice, good-looking boy. SEQ him at church
with you AM about y our place when pass.
What Of him@
well, you sea, eur" sail the farmer.
speaking with more Somerset dialect than
usual, "he'v va been at Bristol grammar
school till just now Masters all sends good
accounts Of him. / don't hold wi too much
learning. 70 thought 'twer time he come
home and helped me like. But not bit o
good he be on the warm; not bit, eur
Spends near all his time messing about wi
dirt
Doing whatr asked Mr.. Herbert, Us tom
ished.
-muddling and amessing with bits o
clay. Making little tiggers like, and tries to
bake 'em in the oven"
"Oh, l SO, what you mean. What sort
Of figuresf'
IAN sorts, sir. Little clay fggers OF
horses, dogs pigs-why. you'd scarce be-
ieve 1t, sir-last week found him making
tho fgger Of y NAKED 'oomani A naket
'ooman Why, the lad could never a seen
such thing
Abraham Leigh waited with open eyes
to hear Mr.. Herbert's opinion of such an
extraordinary, If not positively unusual
proceeding.
Mr. Herbert smiled
'Perhap, your son is youthful genius"
Genius or not l want to know, sir, what
to do wi him. How's the boy to make a
livingi A farmer he'll never be-"
you follow mo and l will show you
something."
Mr.. Herbert lei his guest TO his drawing
room-a room furnished with the taste of a
l,l A., b., 4 nj
splendor no directed his attention to the
four beautiful statues standing in the cor
ners Of the room.
~ gave the man who made those 200 fer
them, and could sell them tomorrow for
81 900 if choose. That's almost as good as
farming, isn't itT
His tenants eyes were wide With amaze
ment. "A THOUSAND pounds, sir!' he gasped.
why, you might have bought that four
teen acre field with that"
These give me more pleasure than land
replied Mr., herbert But about your
boy--when am riding by | will look in and
see what he can do; then give you my ad.
vice
The farmer thanked him and returned
home. As he logged along the road tc
Watercr,ss Farm he mutter,l at intervals:
swell, we'll, never did!
Mr. Herbert was man who kept prom.
ise whether made to high or low. Five
days after his interview with Abraham
Leigh he rode up to the door of the farm
He was not alone. BY his sids role a gay,
laughing, ligAt -hairel child of Is, who
rule an Indulgcnt father with rod of
iron. Mr.. Herbert had been wi lower for
some years, the girl and boy who was just
leaving Harrow for the university being his
only surviving children. Til, boy was per.
hapS all that Mr. Norbert might have
wished, but h. could see no fault in the pre-
cociouS, imperi6uS, spoiled little maid, who
was the sunshine of his life.
She trippei lightly after her father into
the farmhouse, laughing at the way in
which he was obliged to bend his head to
avoid damages from the low doorway; She
seated herself with becoming dignity ON the
chair which the widowed sister who kept
house for Abraham Leigh rendered her with
many courteses. pretty child, indeed,
and one who gave rare promise of growing
into a lovely woman.
The farmer was away somewhere on the
farm, but could be fetched in minute if
Mr.. Herbert would wait Mr.. Herbert
waited, and very soon his tenant male his
appearance anu thanked his visitor fov the
trouble he was taking on his behalf.
Now lot mo sea the boy" said Mr.. Her
lert, after dIsclaiming all sense of trouble.
Leigh went to the door of the room and
shouted out, Jerry, Jerry, come down.
You're wanel, my man.
In moment the door opened, oil the cause
of Mr.. L,igh'i discomfort came upon tn,
scene in the form of dark-eved, dark
haired, pale-facel boy. tall but slightly
built, not, SO lar As physique went, much
credit to the country side; yet in some re-
spectS II striking looking, if not handsome
lad. The dark, eloquent eyes and strongly
marked brow would arrest attention; but
the face was too thin, to- thoughtful for the
age AMI could scarcely be associated with
what commonly cons flutes good looking
lad Yet regularity Of feature was there,
and no one would dare to be sure that beauty
would not come with manhood
He was not seen at that moment under
advantageous circumstances. knowing
nothing about tn distinguished visitors, he
hal obeyci his fathers summons in hot
hast, consequently he entered the room In
his shrtslneves which were certainly not
very clean, and with hands covered with
rel clay. Mr.. Herbert looked amused
while the littl" princes turned up her nose
in great lis lain.
Poor Abraham Leigh was much mystitei
at thr unprrsaltabl, state in " hich his son
showed h.m,eE To make matters worse,