The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-27
FACE TO FACE.
A Fact Related in Seven Well
Told Fables.
Dr r Il. FBaNcILLoN,
AUTHOR OLA GREAT HEIREss." "ou,rn
Al LAW" A REAL QUEEN" RAMS
DIVE" ETC, ETC.
Fable TIE fInof.-CoNrINuED.

a DidSAtnOTN- . lWOuluu De IN the
nature Of tkingsr' he exclaimed. still
half bewildered from such blow, but
with glow again in his eyes; the while
Marrish, the mortgagee, sat stern and
stolid, pressing his -brimmed
beaver between his knees. 'We've
owned and farmed Legs Croft, me and
my forebears, for hundreds of years
thousands, more like-and there isn't
one of 'em but would turn round and
curse me out of his grave 'Twould be
worse than being begyar to that old
curmudgeon up in London for me to
give up the land that goes down from
father to son. l say, 'twould be like
King George giving up England to
Boney, if / was TO give up Legs Croft to
any but Blackthorn of the straight
line. My grandfather was born in this
house, like his grandfather before him,
and so was l, and so was my-my girl
L know every clod in the fields since |
was that high: and to be told | must
give up the land! No.
His voice was prematurely old. but it
trembled rather from sense of supreme
outrage than from age. and, after al
most breaking down when it spoke of
the girl, it came down upon the mo"
startlingly round and full
''WelL Tom Blackthorn," said the
creditor, you've only got to raise the
money, and Legs Croft is yours as sure
as Welstead's mine"
"Welstead, indeed-thSt you bought
for money; as if money could make
thing mans own, like mines minen
I'D ike to see better title than
hard cash, though" said Marrish,
with something dstantly akin to a
smile. The question is-can YOU
raise hundred peund?"
.sNo."
"Ihen you must give up the land"
"No."
Then. Tom Blackthorn. you're an
obstinate old fool. And if twasn't
you, I'd call a man that won't take the
only way he's got to pay his good law
full debts long way worse name than
fool. Howsoever, the laws on nv
side; you ride over, or walk over to
Manchester, and ask Lawyer Lake. and
learn for six-and-eightpence. if you've
got it, what / tell YOU for nothing at
all. You are an unlucky devil. Tom
Blackthorn; but that's no call why the
piper's to be paid by me-"
''Ah, You've come to turn ME and
my girl out of house and home?'
I'm have to foreclose on Legs Croft.
That was the bond"
The broken-down woman. whose land
was the core of his heart, gulped down
a hard sob, took down his hat from a
peg and put it on. armed himself with
a tough walking-stick out of corner,
and then. from the depth of drawer, ,
fished up big key. which he handed to
his creditor. Goodbye, Enoch Mar
rish,'' said he, without looking him in
the face. Il can't shake hands, but"
He strobe towards the door.
Whats this for?'' asked Marrish,
lingering the key. Where are you off
to now?'
.sOff the land that isn't mine-that's
all. Tn going to fetch Patience; and
then Wen GO
''Gol Where?''
what that to you9"
''Of all the obstinate old fools! I've
got to foreclose vet; and if | hadn't.
there's no call to turn out as if the house
was afire-"
'.And do you think" said Blackthorn.
background and looking him full in the
face: I'm sleep another night on the
place I've sold for a mess of pottage?
I'll find the lee of haystack some
where off the land for my lass; and
but that's naught to YOU. If you was
Blackthorn, You'd understand. I'll put
you TO no expense nor trouble. I'll
carry away just my stick. and the
clothes | stand in, and the girl. She's
mine. But l won't carry off out of
Leys Croft so much as the muck on my
boots; I'll wipe them clean by the gate
on the Four-Acre; and"
Come, Tom-if you'd only hear a
man out, instead of being such an OBJ
lis true / can't afford to 90 without |
money or land: these war times are
cruel hard. can't; butt will.''
WHAT" cried Blackthorn, facing
round again.
Il will That's what say. FL take
Patience instead of both of EN-
there"
You'll take Patieneer' exclaimed |
the poor old fellow, amazed and bewil-
dered once more.
s.Ay-without a penny said Mar |
IRISH. And well he might say so, if he |
meant it, for without getting his full |
pennyworth Farmer Marrish, of We'll |
stead, had never been known to do . |
mortal thing. He had always been a |
model man of business; up before the |
bird. nav, even before the worm, and |
early to bed, only for the sake of saving |
candies in those hard times. He had |
played ant to Tom Blackthorn's grass
hopper. He had scraped together |
penny by penny, pound by pound, field |
bv field, until, as now, he could add |
farm to farm; and always in such wise
that he had earned the nickname of
..Miser Ma;rish'' at Manchester, the |
market town, where he was as well |
known on Thursdays as the parson on
Sundays. The idea of him saddling
himself, at his time of life, with a PEN
niless lass from boarding-school. who
came, to boot. from such a wastrei
stock as the Blackthorns. was incred-
ible. No wonder the girls own father
was bewlldered and amazed.
you'll take my Patiencer he ex-
claimed again, with open eyes.
look here, Tom Blackthorn. Per
haps it may look odd, but I'd sooner
have that lass to wife without a penny
than ever another with thousand
pound. 1t may seem like a fools
whim; but it's mine. I've watched
Patience grow up from her cradle, as
one may say; and ever since she last
came home from school said to my
self, that's the lass for me.