Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1889-02-09
COLONEL
By 4. D HAaGARD.

Because didn't think that you wanted
me, sir. 1 saw that you hadn't finished your
letter"
swell, then, you ought to. You krow
very veil that my chest Is weak, and yet I
have to 60 hallooing oil over the place attszr
Jon. Now look here. have you got that fat
pony Of yours hereF"
"Yes, squire, the pony Is here; aud IL It 30
fat 1t bean't for. the ran of movement"
Every well. then, take this letter." and be
handed him an epistle sealed with q trenen.
dous seal take this letter to Nj. Quest at
Boisingham. and wait for an answer. And
look here, see you ore about the placeot II
o'clock, for expect Mr. Quest to see me
about the Moat farm"
"Yes. sir"
~ suppose chat you have heard nothing
more from Janter, have your
"No, squire. nothing. He means to get the
place at bis " price OF. chuck Il"
sand what Is bis pricer'.
"Five shillings an acre. You see, sir, its
this way. That army gent, Major Boston,
q Is agent for all the college lands down the
valley, he be a poor weak fool; aud when all
these tenants come to him and say that they
must either have the land at Eve ahillings an
acre or go, be gets scared, he dew, and down
goes the rent Of some Of the best meadow
land in the country from thirty-ave shillings
to I've. or course It don't signify to him not
. half penny-the college must pay him his sal.
airy all the same-and be don't know no moro
about farming. nor land, nor northing, than
my old mare yinder. Well, and what comes
Of 1T OF course every tenant on the place
hears that those college lands are going for
i've shillings on acre. and they prick up their
ears aud say they must have their land at
the same flgger; and its all owing to that
Boston varmint, who ought to be kicked
through every boil on the place and then
drowned to'dead in a dixie"
Yves, you're right there, George; that silly
man Is q public enemy, and ought to be-
treated as such; but the times are very bad,
with corn to twenty.nine-very bad. f."
I'm not saying that they amt bad, SQUIRE
said his retainer, his long facc lighting up;
they are bad. cruel bad, bad for everybody.
And I'm not denying that they are bad for
the tenants; but ii they are bad for the ten.
ants, they are wus for the landlord. It all
comes on his shoulders in the long run. II
men find that they. can get land at I've shil.
lings an acre that's worth twenty. why IL
isn't In human nature to pay twenty; and IL
they find that the landlord must 20 as they
drive him, Of course they'll lay on the whip.
Why, bless you, sir, when a tenant comes
and says that he is very sorry but he finds
he can't pay his rent in nine cases out of
ten, II you could just look at that mans bank
book you'd find that the bank was paid, the
tradesmen were paid, the doctors paid.
everybody's paid before he thinks about his
rent. Let tho landlord suffer because be
can't help himself; but, Lord bless you, il a
hundred pounds was overdue to the bank. It
would have the 'fnnards out Of him in no
tlme. and he knows it Now, as for that
yarntnt Janter to tell me that he can't pay
fifteen shillings an acre for the Moat farm Is
nonsense. only wish | had tho capital to
take 1t at the price,
well. George" said the squire, II think
that 1t 1t can be managed l shall borrow tho
money and take the farm in hand. am not
going to let Joater have 1t at fvo shiIlings
an acre."
Yah, sir, that's the best way. BAD rs
Times are, it would go hard If l can't mako
the interest and the rent ont Of it too. Be-
sides. squire. ii you give way about this
farm, all the others will come down on you.
I'm not saying a wordag'in your tenants, but
where there's money IT. DO made you can't
trust no man,
"Well, WELL" said tho squire, ".perhaps you
are right aud perhaps you amt. Right or
wrong, you always talk like Solomon in oil
bis glory. ANY way, be of with that note.
and let me have the answer az soon as Won
get back. Mind you don't 60 loaAng and
jawing about down in Boisinghar, because
want my answer.
$50 he means to borrow the money IL he
can get II" said Ida to herself as she sat, an In.
visible auditor, doing her hair by tho open
window. George can do more with him In
hve minutes than l can in a week, and I
know that he hates Janter. l believo that
Janter threw up the farm because Of his
quarreling with George. Well. | suppose
that We must take our c4ance.n
Meanwhile George had mounted his cart
and departed upon tho road to B%oisingham,
urging bis fat pony along as though he meant
70 be there In twenty minutes. But 20 soon
as no was we'll out Of the reach of the sources
shouts and sight Of tho castle gates, be delb.
erately turned up q By lane and logged along
Tor q mile or. moro to- farm where he had 8
long c~onfabulation with a mar about thatch.
ing some ricks. Thence he quietly made his
way to his own little place, where he pro
ceeded to comfortably get his breakfast, rur
marking to his wife that ho was of opinion
that there was no hurry about tho sources
letter. as 'laryers" wasn't in the habit Of
coming to Office at 8 In the morning.
Breakfast over, the philosophic George got
into his cart, tho tat pony having been tied
up outside, anu ieisurely drove into tho pict.
nresque old own which lay ct the head Of
tho valley. All along tho main street he met
many acquaintance, and with each he found
1t necessary to stop and have a talk, indeed,
/ with rum tA hoA n ~,@l~.kr L-pa.-..A T a =
length, however, his labor over, lie arrived at
MI: Quests Office. that. as oil the ~Bolsinghanl
world Knows, is just opposite the church, Of
which Mir. Quest is one Of the church war.
dens, aud which was but two years ago beau.
tltully restored, mainly owing to his efforts
aud generous contributions. Driving up 70
the small and quiet looking doorway Of a
very unpretentious building, George de.
scended and knocked, whereou q clerk
opened the door, and in answer to his in.
quiries Informed him that he believed MIR.
Quest bad just come over to the office.
In another minute ho was shown into an
inner. room Of the ordinary country ollce
stamp. aud there at the table sat MIR. Quest
himself.
Mr. Quest was a mar Of about 10 years Of
age. rather under than over, with a pale,
ascetic cast Of face. aud a quiet and pleasant,
though somewhat reserved, manner. His
features we're in no way remarkable, with
the exception Of his eyes. which seemed to
have been set in his head owing to some Gu
rious error Of nature. For whereas his gen
eral tone was dark. his hair in particular
beng jet black, these eyes were gray, and
Jared extraordinarily upon their companion
features For the rest. 10 was a man vi some
presence. and with the manners Of q gentle
man.
"Wsu, George" be said. what is 1t that
brings you to Boisinghalna A letter from,
the squirrel Thank you. Take a seat, will
you, while | look through It Umph! Wants