The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-05-13

1
the wisdom of the serpent to appear toe
soon or too suddenly upon the scene.
He was not man Of tact; but he had
what can dispense with tact, and is bet
ter than all the tact in the world for
Winnings straight line between him
self and single end, and feet to follow
it, whether they led him through foul
marsh or open plain. He had not even
the weakness, on which somo men
split, Of preferring crooked ways to
straight ones. But if the crooked were
the surest and quickest, then they were
the ones to use. As for turning back,
it was not in him. He had seen other
people do it, and had only wondered
how ii was done.
Enoch fully understood, as if It had
been signed and sealed, that if he could
get the daughters ay he need not fear
the fathers nay. So, having found out
that maidens are queer cattle, he went
to work warily. Not word did he say
thenceforth to Tom or Patience about
the hold he had over Leys Croft (of
which, indeed, Patience otherwise knew
nothing). Not even by hint did he
disparage her lost lover, though he
hated him as we can hate those alone
to whom we have done wrong. But,
to show how much in earnest he was,
he spent time, which to him meant its
full weight in money. He even let his
own affairs slide bit (though never
past being able to pull them up again)
in order to attend to Legs Croft end
tighten Tom Blackthorn's shoulders.
He did not make love in any common
place way, because he did not know
how, and, indeed, it would have been
ridiculous in so elderly lover. But he
made Patience feel grateful to him for
her fathers sake, and even a little for
her own-though that was the same
thing.
She had an unconquerable dislike to
enter the village, or even to go on the
rarest errands to less familiar Hun
chester. And, whether he perceived
this dislike or not, Enoch never went
anywhere without undertaking her
business as well as his own. Then her
father was beginning to want more
company, now that he worked
less than ever. il that could be; and
Enoch, after such expeditions, or in the
long Sunday afternoons, would drop in
and listen while her father dilated on
the glories of the house of Blackthorn.
And never quick or impatient word,
though often he had to put up with
one, did he say. For il creditor chose
to forget, or seem to forget, a debt,
Tom Blackthorn was not the man to
keep it in his memory,
But at last, when this sort OF thing
had gone on for what Enoch regarded
as reasonable time, he made jour
ney to London, with the result that he
was missed. and was welcome back
again. And this time he did not make
his original mistake of seeing the father
first and the girl second. 1t was no
doubt more by good luck than by good
management that he found her alone in
the best parlor, where she sat seldom;
but then fortune has two fayorites-
thoss who trust her altogether and
those who trust her never at all. Enoch
Marrish was one Of the latter kind.
"Miss Patience" said he, 1--WE heard
some i'll news"
She could not help her heart beating;
absurd as it was TO think she would
ever hear news, good or i'll, of Stephen
again.
"You know your father is in money
trouble' NoP is, then. Don't you
remember that debt which was TO have
been paid offP Well"
THAT was settled!'
"Ah-I wish it were. 1t wasn't, you
see. And the mortgagee, he's going to
foreclose."
She shook her head, but looked
alarmed. "Foreclose?"
lTo BE CONTINUED