Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-03
HOUSE OF SWEETHEART.
How the Steward Rescued It and
It's Master from Ruin.


to the roof
The house in question was the grand
old manor-house of Sweetheart, a gray,
lichen-covered building of the days of
the Plantagenets, and standing in its
half-neglected beauty among stately
old gardens full of perennial youth and
loneliness.
Right or wrang, it is my house up
to the roof
The speaker, an old, powerfully
built man. repeated the assertion in a
tone that might be only decisive, but
which young Tom Sweetheart took to
be extremely offensive.
You say so. Dykes. l only know
that, as steward of Sweetheart, you
have become rich man, and that your
master has just died, ruined and
brokenhearted.
HE would moider his money away
in daft-li9ze speculations- He would
not heed me. / wish he had"
And You say that he sold Sweet
heart to you for forty thousand pounds
sterling"
Forty thousand pounds and other
outlying debts
''Well. then, let Sweetheart go We
are a bad lot, it seems?'
with excerpts, Master Tom. Your
father was Il weak man. and capped
all for being shaftiing and stubborn,
but he was not to call bad-indeed, no;
and l liked him-loved him, l may
say"
Then l hope, Dydes, that you will
never love me-"
No saying: there is none to forbid
it
You are scoundrel. Dykes; but
ill-doing and ill-speaking force me to
deal with you. On what terms can l
have Sweetheart back again?''
I'll nivir refuse any sum that pays
me for my outlay. I'm no just daft for
Sweetheart; there are BONNER bits OF
England than it is"
You know, Dykes, you cannot buy
with any money the old Sweetheart
name and blood.
I'm not chaffering for them: an
other bargain would suit me better
Toms face grew dark as night but
there was something about Dykes
calm, solemn manner that seemed tC
make anger ridiculous. Tom re-
manned silent. until he could ask with
patience:
is there anything that once be
lonaed to Sweetheart that is still
mine?"
The twelve cottages in Whitehaver
called Lowther Row-they bring IL
about one hundred pound year.
'Anvthing else?"
That great ring on your finger
.sWhy did my father not give it away
with the lands? 1t came with them "
"
king Richard gave it to the frs
baron of Sweetheart on the field OF AS
Gallon. There was a Dykes, who saw
il eriyen. Lauucelot Sweetheart
knight, and Jasper Dykes, his squire
.'Oh, | know the old story. Bu
what is the ring worth?''
..Ererythfao. Master Tom; for whel
all is not lost. ali may be won bacl
again; but" and the old man bowed
his head sadly-''if honor is so far gon
that you will sell your fathers gage
then all is gone. indeed
Tom looked proudly at the great un
cut SapphireS, and said:
Not so: it is my gage to the oil
home. I'll win it back, if fair forum
comes to fair endeavor. Nay, soone
than sell it. L would let you have il
You are the first Dykes that eve
wronged a Sweetheart in six hundred
wears! The ring must finally go wit
the lands.
THAT is but fair. King Richar
gave it as their aries money; the
should go together"
And l have one hundred pounds
year. Well, that will start me in som
new country
What need to leave England? on
Uncle Peale will be proud enough c
YOU. He has two thousand splnnln
iennies. and d grand fortune they nav
made him
when land and money all are spent
Then trading is most excellent
Tom made no reply; the idea wa
new to him, and he was Impatient
end the interview. Dykes approache
him with strange, pathetic, yearnln
look and held out his hand. Tom shoe
his head.
Il can't do it, Dykes. 1 see you al
ashamed and sorry, but 1 can't do IT,
"Not even for old times sake, Ma
ter Tom?"
mo, by George! That makes a
worse. When I was lad we went
over the hills together, shooting an
fishing. and l told you all my scho'
and love scrapes and thought thel
never was such true. noble OLD 1e