Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-22

1udl NdS easily managed. ana then
Mary said. tinlidly, cousin Walter. we
should all three be so glad if we might
have the farm
"Oh. somebody that everybody likes
and / love. 1t is Mr. Hope. Such a
ducki / am sure you would like him."
Hope! Is his name William"
Yes, it is. Do you know him?" ask
ed Mary, eagerly.
L have reason to know him; he did
me good turn once, and / shall never
forget it."
Just like himl" cried Mary. @He is
always doing people good turns. He is
the best, the truest, the cleverest, the
dearest darling dear that ever stepped,
and second father to me; and, cousin,
this village is his birthplace, and he
didn't say much, but it was he who told
Us of this farm, and he would be so
pleased if | could write and say, We
are to have the farm-Cousin Walter
SAYS So.
She turned her lovely eyes, trimming
with tenderness, toward her cousin
Walter, and he was done for.
"Of course you shall have it." he said,
warmly. Only you will not be angry
with me if l insist on the increased rent.
L ON1 hlAtN GOUS1Il. L nave Il idlIltI. 100.
and | must be just to him."
10 be sure, you must, dear" said
Mary, incautiouSly; and the word pene-
trated Walters heart as if a woman of
twenty-five had said it all of sudden
and for the first time.
When they got home, Mary told Mr.
Barley he was to have the farm if he
would pay the increased rent.
THAT is alright" said BARLEY. "To-
morrow we can go home"
so soOn!" said Mary, sorrowfully.
Yes" said BARLEY, firmly; "the rest
had better be done in writing. Why,
Mary, what is the use of staying on
now? We are going to live here in a
month or two"
Il forgot that" said Mary, with lit
tie sigh. 1t seemed so ungracious to
get what they wanted, and then turn
their backs directly. She limited as
much, very timidly.
But Barley was memorable, and
they reached home next day.
Mary would have liked to write to
Walter, and announce their safe arrival,
child no longer.
Barley went to the sharp solicitor,
and had a long interview with him. The
result was that in about ten days he
sent Walter Clifford a letter and the
draft of a lease, very favorable to the
landlord on the whole, but cannily in
sorting one unusual clause that looked
inoffensive.
1t came by post, and Walter read the
letter, and told his father whom it was
from.
What does the fellow say?" grunted
Colonel Clifford.
HE says: we are doing very well
here, but Hope says a bailiff can now
carry out our system; and he is evident
ly sweet on his native place, and thinks
the proposed rent is fair. and even mod
crate. AS for me, my life used to be so
busting that | require change now
and then; so / will be your tenant. Hope
says | am to pay the expenses of the
lease, SO | have requested ArroWsmith
s. Cox to draw it. | have no experience
in leases. They have drawn hundreds.
[ told them to make it fair. IF they
have not, send it back with objections. ,"
ooh! OH" said Colonel Clifford. "He
draws the lease, does he? Then look at
1t with microscope"
Walter laughed.
81 should not like to encounter him
on his own ground. But here he is a
fish out OF water; he must be. However,
[ will pass my eye over it. Where the
farmer generally overTeaches us, if he
draws the lease, is i'll the clauses that
protect him on leaving. He gets part
possession for months without paying
rent, and he hampers and fleeceS the in
coming tenant, SO that you lose years
rent OF have to buy him out. Now, let
me see, that will be at the end of the
dOcument-No; it is exceedingly fair,
this one"
SHOW it to our man of business, and
let him study every line. Set an attor-
ney to catch an attorney"
"Of course / shall submit it to our
solicitor" said Walter.
This was done, and the experienced
practitioner read it very carefully. He
pronounced it unusually equitable for a
farmers lease.
However" said he, "we might sug-
gest that he does all the repairs and
draining, and that you find the materials;
and also that he insureS all the farm
buildings. But you can hardly stand
out for the insurance if be objects.
There's no harm trying. Stay! here is
one clause that is unusual; the tenants
to have the right to bore for water, or
to penetrate the surface of the soil, and
take out gravel or chalk or minerals, if
any. [ don't like that clause. He might
quarry, and cut the farm in pieces. All,
there's a prOviSo, that any damage to
the surface or the agricultural value
shall be fully compensated, the amount
of such injury to be settled by the land
lords galuer or surveyor. Oh, come, if
you can charge your own price, that
can't kill YOU"
In short, the draft was approved, SUBJ
ject to certain corrections. These were
accepted. The lease was engrOssed in
and in due course signed and
the CIitfOrdS, and saying that it was I'M
fair to bring III stranger, for he would
have given all the money,
Ban tley took possession.
Walter welcomed Hope very warmly,
and often came to see him. He took a
great interest in Hopes theories of
farming, and often came to the farm
for lessons. But that interest was very
much increased by the opportunities it
gave him of seeing and talking to sweet
Mary BARLEY. Not that he was for
ward or indiscreet. She was not vet
sixteen, and he tried to remember she
was child.
Unfortunately for that theory she
looked a ripe woman, and this very
Walter made her more and more Wo-
manly. Whenever Walter was near she
had new timidity, new bushes, fewer
gushes, less impetuosity, more reserve.
Sweet innocent. She was set by Nature
to catch the man by the surest way,
though she had no such design.
Hope had hardly started the farm
when BARLEY sent him off to Belgium
to study coal mines.
CHAPTER VII
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE.
Mr.. Hope left his powerful opera