The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-06-05
EARLE THE SEVENTH.
T WAR AND wEpLocK wAsrErH TWO


81 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-
ated some month or so after Stephen
Harlow's pocket-book had been re-
turned.
1.-TWO hundred pounds? Why, I
don't owe you a stick nor straw"
THAT depends on the market price
Of sticks and straws. reckon. But a
man can't 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 tits 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 sanguine
man, who fancied that everything had
been settled in day.
eff ever catch hold of that Internal,
ungrateful villain, Stephen Harlow" he
burst out, crumpling the letter in his
hand.
80" said Enoch Marrish, quietly
but firmly, ''things are left just as they
were. You'd better have taken plain
mans etser az first, farmer, after all. !"
"Ay-I remember an uncommon
plain man offering to turn me out of
house and home"
"No, no"
"But yes, yes, say. But deserve
it. Once, for going begging to my own
father-in-law; and twice, for trusting to
drunken blackguard's Internal, I'M
grateful spawn. There, Marrish. Say
the word. When am l to goP"
"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 / was
after, if you rightly mind"
"What them" IS
Patience Blackthorn.
The two farmers sat and looked at
one another without speaking. And
yet there was bargain, the old bargain,
going on between them as surely as if
they were in full market chatter. That
Enoch, the miser. should want a wife in-
stead of the best farm in all the country
beat Tom Blackthorn. True. the wife
he wanted was Patience; but wife is
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"
y 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 a chap be in love, Tom
Blackthorn? 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 hurdle-post than on
YOU"
The day I marry Patience" said
Marrish, THAT mortgage goes into the
fire; ay, and FL let you have a thou
sand without interest, and no better Sc
curity 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, neighbor," 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.
'tYou 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 a
drunken blacksmith But 1 beg your
pardon, Marrish. 'Tisn't likely you'd
understand the B.ackthorn 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"
'.If she says ay-well, neighbor. all
my notions of womankind would be
turned upside down"
Tom Blackthorn was perfectly SIN
cere in believing himself to be sincere.
He did think that girl must have
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 heidi 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 a tumbler. ':Enoch Marrish has
been over"
.'Yes, father?" she asked. feigning
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 a bad fellow, Pa
tience. He's rough to look at, but he's
stanch and sound. And he's really an
uneommonly 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
no attempt to bias her. But
she only thought he was jesting; and
that was q good thing. for his tests had