Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-04-14
Q'6EnEVIEVEULNER:
CHAPTER L.
WRITE VIOLETS.


Maple Leaf Farm lay bathed in tho
golden sunlight OF q rare autumnal day.
They had named the place well those
sturdy old Forsythes who, for three gen.
,erations, had drawn from it's soil the rich
fruits OF an inexhaustible fertility, re-
deeming the broad acres from the will
dGrness, and building and improving UNI
til the square mile Of field, timber and
5rookside resemblcd some notable En-
gish grange.
Where the many gabled house stood,
fhe thrifty naples shut it in to nest
fioorcd with golden-h ued fallen leaves,
and famed by crimson beauties still
pendent to the mother stem, haunting
their gay tintings like vari- colorcd ban
ners.
It was now, when the glories Of the
harvest still fingered, when each field
looked like some swept lawn, and the
barn groaned with golden store, and NO.
furc, man and beast seemed resting for
u later battle with winter and storm,
that Maple Leaf Farm looked its best,
and it was now that stajwart, iron-knit
John Elliott, GnHing across the fenced
in paradise Of his hopes and ambitions,
thrilled proudly.
Ten years agOne he had brought his
mothcrless child, Ruth, to the farm, TO
be welcomed by old Godfrey Forsythe,
his dead wifc's bachelor brother.
Il wrote for YOU" the sad-facod re-
~cluso had said, because tho farm was
going to ruin, ard you have tho vigor
and the ambition to redeem it. | am
failing daily. l give you tho usc OF the
place as virtual owner while you live.
After that"--and he gazed Affect onately
at golden haired little Ruth-"she shall
ale my heiress, and her husband shall
carry on the work you begin"
And then Godfrey Forsythe had kissed
the wonder-eyed child who so rcsembled
his dead sister, had retired to the gloomy
stone residence he owned in the village
of Ridgeton, a mile distant, and dropped
out of their lives as fully as though ho
had gone to foreign parts.
A reclusc, an invalid, once Il year he
came to the farm, once n month Ruth
visited him in tho hermitage, where he
seemed to dwell only to brood over %
broken past.
They told of love episode in his
career that had left him In its wake only
heart wreck and sorrow. She had Tilted
aim, but he could not recognize the
,coquette in the fair being who seemed
an angel to his blinded, longing gaze.
She had welded another. They had
both died, leaving u son, Ralph, and
when John Elliott came to the farm old
Godfrey had said to him:
Il make but one restriction to your
exclusive control of everything. A sense
of duty impels me to keep her boy out
of the. poorhou5e. You arc to take
Ralph, make man Of him, and some
day, may be, he and Ruth"
Ggim John Elliott understood, and
Ralph had become a member of his fam
2iy, to all eyes, except the blind ones Of
Godfrey Forsythe and John Elliott, de-
veloping traits Of secrecy, cunning and
rudeness that carried out the defective
training OF deceitful mother and u
RECKLESS, unprincipled sire.
Since then the years had gone on, each
ono adding to the beauty and value Of
Maple Leaf Farm, and John Elliott might
we'll experience u flush Of JOY as he sur
veyed his goodly heritage that bright,
glowing afternoon.
1T took time to get the hang Of
things, he murmured, with self-gratula-
ton, but / managed it. There isn't u
farm in q days journey that equals this.
The last year has mended every broken
fence, propped up every crooked barn,
and the protts--I shall be rich before
die very rch!'
Farmer John spoke truly. The last
year had been II golden ono indeed. In
his stubborn pride he took all the credit
for it, but his was not the hand that had
wrought the change.
He half guessed 1t, as tall, manly
fellow OF about twenty-five came from
ono of the granaries.
MIR. Elliott, the wagons will be here
for the wheat tomorrow" he remarked.
Very we'll, you can attend to 1t. And,
say, Dalton, we had better cast up ac-
counts tonight"
The young man bowed with dignity
that told Of n past career considerably
above the level of farm culture Farmer
John turned and watched him with n cal
yculating eye as he strolled toward tho
road
r can't make him out, he muttered
| never could. | never will. He came
acre. quiet and gentlemanly, a year ago.
and asked for work-no friends, no ref
erences. He thrashed like a bound
hand, but I'll wager he never saw a fail
before Then put him in charge OF the
men. Then he began to help me out
with my accounts, and he's been a
Jewel, earning double his wages, saving
me four times as much, and always the
quiet gentlemanly, unassuming fellow
Great Gosheni it never struck me be-
fore. But suppose it is him him that's
at the bottom OF the new mischief I've
scented
Farmer John brought his sinewy fist
down on the fence till it quivered under
the force of Il new and overwhelming
idea.
Black as u thundercloud grew his
broad, bronzed face, so lately wreathed
with smiles of satisfaction.
Some one is at tho bottom of it.
Some ones robbing me Systematically.
It can't be him, but-who knows? He's
a stranger; he knows where the keys
arc. and--I'll watch
M1,tt,.t...x u, Il. Lr1a,xrnl ha e..