The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-12
A ROBBERY.

A nUDDEN1 /.
"Stay to dinner, Squire. The old lady's
got green peas and spring chickens and
strawberry shortcake today. You'll get d
hearty welcome" The gaunt, hungry
man of tape and legal cap took off his spec.
tacles and looked keenly at the rudy
farmer cased and pocketed the spectacles,
gave his trousers an upward and his vest a
downward jerk, went to the window and
shifted toward the cherry blooms or the
kitchen, came back and finished folding
and packing certain documents into the
smallest possible compass, then he nodded
his head to his expectant host and dropped
into a hide bottomed armchair.
Good" said the farmer. "rll go and
foot the horn for the hands. It's high
time"
Zeno Trappe, left alone, looked across
the prosperous Holcombe acres, and unused,
not sentimentally, but calculatingly. A
goodly heritage, indeed, was here Where
else were such corn lands as these sloping
down to the peaceful Tennessee? Where
such wheat fields, stretching out in fair
undulations TO the pale blue mountains
off yonder? Here, too, was a moving pros
pect of stream and forest, emerald downs,
white dotted with, their representatives of
so much wool profit; clover meadows, yield
ing their bounteos return in Jersey but
ter and Holstein cream; great orchards,
whose pink beauty and fragrance now
promised joyous abundance in due season
Moreover, Zeno Trappe had this morning,
with proper form, counted out to Farmer
Holcombe upon the dull red table there
1000 in United States currency bills,
which amount Mr.. David Landley had
seen fit to exchange for the title deeds to
certain mill property recently bequeathed
to Farmer Holcombe. That round little
sum would make a neat opening for a
bank book.
The prosperous farmer possessed besides
an unmentioned bit of non-taxable prop
erty that, if it did not greatly enhance the
value of all the rest, yet brought it within
the reach of Mr.. Trappe's longing finger
tips, at any rate, so it seemed to him as he
musingly gazed through the vine shaded
window and saw the dusty, tired laborers
gathering around the well in the deep
shadow of three great oak trees. Two fig
ures more interesting than the work worn
the little wicket that opened toward the
dahlias, and the hollyhocks, and the tiny
rose wreathed arbor, Mother Helcombes
especial pride, although nothing could
have induced her to sit down in it for five
minutes. AS the wicket latch clicked now,
so did Mr.. Trappe's sharp, yellow teeth.
Richard Forrest and Angeline might al
most have heard this ominous small sound,
Tor the white sanded path led just beneath
the window. But thunder peal could
hardly have disturbed their sweet Absorb
ton in each other at this moment The
cherry snow that a dallying south wind
flung over their two sunny heads was
Mays benson on young love. Even when
they had taken their places at the table
Angelina scarcely saw the ugly lawyer
"Aggie," said her father, you haven't
shook hands with the squire"
The pretty cheeks flushed a deeper rose,
and murmuring an apology, with some
thing abn3t having shaken hands with
him both yesterday and the day before, she
cssae around the table and gave him her
dimpled hand.
1.-The most precious thing his avaricious
old fingers ever closed over, f" thought Rich
ard, 'bUt | wish he would let loose. for /
know he is squeezing it. The middle aged
fool thinks she is biushing for him. too
heaven bless her roseleaf dimples, and her
divine eyes, and her angel heart, and''-
But Mr.. Holcombe was saving rather
Richard, Pve asked three times if
you'd be helped to chicken and gravy"
The young fellow reconstructed his
mental state with sudden effort. passed
everything TO everybody, talking energetic
ally all the while TO Mrs Holcombe about
the duck with broken wing and the old
hen that, with insistent depravity, would
Sit on one egg in the ask hopper instead Of
On fourteen in the cool, clean fowl house;
talking to Mr. Trappe about petty litiga-
ton and local politics; talking TO the host
aSout new reaper, about the feasibility /
o. government irrigation, about the sole |
ton of the labor problem; talking on still !
while Angelina and Mrs. Holcombe ad- l
mlred and Mr.. Trappe ate enough for three /
Of the brawny laborers.
1t was midafternoon when NJ. Holco1nbe |
hao finished his nap in the big chair. and /
bus good woman having dutifully flannel. |
nm throuShlt, had taken her knitting ont |
under the oaks 10 see the proper conclusion /
OF Aunt Judy's soap boiling, that Zeno
Irappe came out from the parlor where
Richard and Angelina were Ginning rich
baritone and silvery soprano.
y would like TO ride ever the farm with
you" said Mr.. Trappe, with modifica-
ton of his usual guinness.
Good" returned the farmer, and soon
they were on their way.
For an hour the oovetous eyed LAWYER
yloated silently over the gentle beauty of
the May fields and woods, the systematic
sbor OF man and beast, the pleasing re-
suits of natures largesse smiling on human
method. But as they were coming home.
be cleared up his throat, Strengthened his
Iank form, relaxed his thin lips into an m
gentle smile. and said:
Mr.. HoIcombe, you know have been
your legal adviser for several years. and IN
addition 10 becoming interested in your
business affairs i have become deeply in
in yourself personally aud in your
family. When Angelins was little girl /
became attracted 70 her by the promise of
noble womanhood that recognized IN her
scarcely admitting to myself power OF
attachment 20 one SO young. have yet, in
III TINS time, never once thought of max
ng any one else Mrs. Trappe. She is
ashteen this month, l think; her school
lays are over. l have waited long.
you'd ike to have your permission 20 offer
myself 10 her"
At his second sentence the farmers
irlole had dropped slack; at his last, the