Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-02

and ash trees, dropping their rotting
leaves on the lush mold, with fat green
caterpillars spinning cocoons under
their roots, when the first Swedish set
tiers landed and began to dig their under
ground houses down there at Wicaco;
the rotted leaves lie just as then about
the ash and beech trees today, and the
butterflies crawl from the cocoons and
Zap their gold busted wings on the bark,
4Aas though one of the great cities of the
world had not sprung up between the
roots and Wicaco.
Nature gives up this old landmark
gTHdgingiy On one side of the lane the
country struggles to be town by means
of brick kilns and Sommergartens, while
next to them Is an old fashioned GENE
terry, where the tired dead townspeopIe
seem to have gone out to lie down and
dream that they were in the country.
Running along the whole of the other
side is a dilapidated fence, made in some
long ago generation. with faded notices
to treSpassers nailed on its green and
rotting rails. Within is the Fontaine
Place-a house gone to decay, and wood
land.
The homestead, of which you catch
glimpses through the trees, was twenty
years ago almost as much decayed as
now. A mellow afternoon sun, one
October day, lighted up its front Of duh
red brick and worm eaten porches, on
one of which two young men stood to-
Eether, coarsely dressed as -Iaborers.
They had been sauntering through the
woods for an hour or two. One of
thenl-a squat, square built fellow, with
his face deeply pittcd by smallpox
bad, boy like, stuffed out his pockets
With nuts and queer bits Of mica, and
was kneeling tying up bundle of mint
u his handkerchief, whistling as he did
It. The other held his hands folded
behind him, dangling a pair of worn
kid gloves, and looked dreamily down
the dusky wood aisles.
''In few years, joe" he said, 'sthe
city VIII have crppt out here; it will
bring up the value of this property to
the estate of a prince"
Likely; though it 'ud be pity to see
!, chimneys in place of them eln1s, Leon
-"
eonard glanced slightly down at him:
You don't feel this place your own as l
40. 1t is our Inheritance to me, in spite
o all the Fontaines alive. You don't
seem to understand that it was men of
our blood who took this ground from the
red man. The Heaths lived here before
the revolution like nobles; they had
place among men. And You and l, the
last of the Heaths, are thanking God to-
day for the chance of partnership in
blacksmith's shop!"
"Hibbin's offer is very fair, Len. as to
the shop-very fair, considerin' we never
learned the trade regularly" Joe got
up, adjusting his glazed cap. He showed
his white teeth and suffered little: it
often happened when he talked to Leon
ard, though this embarrassment was the
only painful way in which he showed
bis humility and sense Of inferiority to
his brother. ''As to this property, it's
done me good to see it even this once.
I'll respect myself moro for coming of
stock of men that was educated and fit
to rule. You're born more of their sort,
and it costs you more to lose their foot
Ing, ] suppose. But wish you'd see that
the shop
Don't talk OF the shop here, for Gods
saket' Leonard Redeemed to the roots Of
his hair, like girl. His face was not
unlike girls, with large, sparkling
eyes.
, very well"-good naturedly-"only
you were talking of place in the
world"
THAT a place, Work in SCOT and
sweat by day. and then to sleep like
log by night. It's the life of beast
more than a mans"
Don't let Winny hear you talk like
that, or she'll think you rue Why, it
was only last week you were arguing
how safe it was for her and you to mar
ry on the profits Hibbin promised.
Look here. Lea" him on the
arm, his tone growing gravel don't
relish SCOT or sweat any more than you
do. But black2Hnithing is a place. It's
footing. Now that I've got hammer
in NV hand. and Bess in that room for
nv wife, I'm u man among men. Do
you see? IT'D go hard with me if don't
make my place wider. don't mean TO
be blacksmith always hll so hard
with me if my children don't have the
edication lack-and home like this to
grow up in. p'r'aps. Who knows;'
Leonard parted Joe's broad back, look
inc. down adectionately at the set, bull
Z, Jaws and steady, small black eyes.
You start wrong. A man is a traitor
TO himself who takes up other work than
,ho best for which he Is fitted. If God
has created hin, poet he should starve
before he deg-ades his faculty il car
penter's shop. bis trst duty is to his
pest self.
But if circumstances is agin him,
Leonard? Now / don't really see any
opening for you but Hibbin's." Leonard
made no answer. There was one, too,
who worked, they say. in q carpenters
sho,, I'll us time was. come for His real
WORK. and it seems to me there's SER
mon in that 70 us that has to wait our
chance. as great as any He preached
afterward."
Leonard SMILED loftily. well. do you
30 hack to Hibbin's and wait, Joe III
help YOU. You'll waken out of that shop
into the inheritance Of noble, some
day. A noblc!'
IAN risht"-sxin&ins his. bundle over