The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-06-18

to the workkouse, whichever he may
prefer"
But. dear NE, said, has he nc
redress? Is there no law that can
touch the money-lender -
Wardrop shook his head.
None. The law can't touch hiIA
| What we do want badly is some new
legislation on this very point. The
press could do something towards Oh.
Waiting this crying evil if they would
decline to insert such skillfully word
ed advertisements as these, which are
nothing less than traps to catch the
unwary. Well, my friend,' he said,
turning TO the Old man. what DO you
want NE 10 do y
Ifyou could expose this scOundrel,' =
said the old man, lit MIGHT help
others. Naebody can help me now,
because l ain ruined. But it would be
some satisfaction to me if he could be
prevented from running others. I've
often heard OF you, sir, although you
dinna ken me, and | thought that in
your paper maybe you would draw
folks attention to sic iniquity as
this
Where did you say your place was,
Mr.. Glover" he asked, kindly. 81
should like very much to take a run
down and see it if might
'Ie will be welcome" replied the
! farmer, fervently. 1T is very easy
got at. Rayleigh is the station, and
| the place is not IL mile from it. Once
| could have offered to drive you up
in my own gig, but that'll never be
again. When will you Gomez
Saturday afternoon, ''said Wardrop
and meantime, if you will leave these
| papers with Inc, | will see Mr. Tomlin-
soE, as he calls himself. 1t is just
| possible that if take him III hand he
may get a fright"
I he gloom somewhat lightened on
| the worn and anxious face of the poor
! old man, who ut the close of a hard
working, self-denying life saw nothing
but ruin staring him in The face.
AS it happened, the next two days
were very full and busy, and Satur-
day came without Offering any oppor-
| tunity to Wardrop TO investigate the
case which has thus been laid before
him. He did not, however, forgot
his promise to 90 out to the farm, and
about four o clock on Saturday after
noon we left Fenchurch street togeth-
er.
1t was an exquisite April afternoon,
the sky dappled with the tender spring
clouds. AS we got beyond the pre-
cinctS of the city and came to the
level stretches of the Essex marshes,
we saw the greenness of the Fastening
summer upon the earth. 1t was the
time of hope and promise, and yet we
felt depressed, because the country
through which We sped seemed less
uplifted by the hopeful benson of
spring than any country we had ever
seen. More than once, looking out of
the carriage window, WardrOp shook
his head.
Its a dreich business, l doubt
farming here, David; and | wonder
that a man who had once tasted life
among the Lanark hills could suffer it
here"
But when we got beyond Grays and
Tilbury the prospect frightened, and
became more like the farming lands
to which we had been accustomed in
our youth. We found the village of
Ray leigh a picturesque and thriving
looking place, scattered on the slope
of pleasant Hill. We had TO pass
through it on our way to our destina-
ton, which reiOiced in the somewhat
pretentions designation of Appleton
Lodge. The house was built of red
brick, and, being surrounded by some
gCOdiy trees, presented rather a shell
tered and hOmelitc appearances; but
the surrounding land was wretched.
Nothing could redeem it. Aud Ward
rop kept shaking his head as he walk
ed IN the iil-nade and ill-kept road to
the house.
As we crossed the last paddock and
came within sight of the front door,
we saw II covered wagon standing be
fore it, into which they appeared to
be storing the furniture OF the house.
We're too late David, l doubt"
said Wardrop, somewhat eXcitedly.
I'm sure they have sold them up"
We hastened forward. and reached
the door just as two stalwart men car
ried through the porch a heavy ma
hogany bedStead such as one only
sees in old-fashioned houses. Just
within the door stood the old farmer,
looking more detected anG aged in his
working garb than he had done the
day we saw him in the office. His
face hardly frightened at the sight of
us.
Its too late sir" he said. They're
ta'en everything; there's not even
beast left upon the place. Wen have
to sleep On the bare floor this night if
we stop here, and the only refuge we
have in this earth now is the puir
hoose.n
Where is your wife, ask War
drop.
Il dinna KEN" answered the old
man. when they came with the
cart to take away the things, the
heart seemed to gang clean out of her,
and she just ran out of the house.
You see she likes the bit things; they're
what we've had all our days, what we
got when we married five and thirty
years syne in the auld hoose at hame."
CCan nothing be done to stay this
execution, sir?' | asked, hurriedly, for
the sight of the old mans hopeless an
guish was more than | could bear.
I've got some money. I'll give ever
penny of it cheerfully to help. At
least they must keep some of their
things"
Wardrop stepped across to man
who stood "a little aside from the cart
watching the operations, and appar-
emily experimenting the two who
were carrying out the things. Ibid
not hear what he said, but | could see
that the discussion was sharp and
caustic on both sides. However, what
he said'had some effect, for the men re-
ceived their orders to stay execution
and began, though with some reluct-
ance to carry the things back into the
house. When they were all restored,
Wardrop dismissed the bailitf's men
with scant courtesy, and we stepped
within the house. Before the empty
L. 81, 4, 4,
weary-looking woman came stealing,
almost like a haunted thing, down the
side of the sheltered trees, and crept in
the house, looking about her with sur
prise, scarcely able to believe the evil
dence of her own eyes at sight of her re-
stored household goods. To her War
drop spoke a few words OF kind sym
pathy, and she, unable to answer him,
sat down on the old nursing chair upon
which she had rocked all her babies,
and burst into helpless tears. | shall
never forget the pathoS OF the picture.
The poor old man and woman in their
dismantled house, without hope for
the present or for the future, was one
of the saddest sights | have ever seen.
Wardrop's prompt action relieved
them from immediate difficulties, but
theircase was beyond permanent help.
The Glovers were obliged 10 leave the
farm i'll which they had Jared so sadly.
Through Wardrop's influence he OBJ
tanned situation in the city at a
weekly wage sufficient to keep him
| ANA his wife in the necessaries aud a
few of the simpler comforts of life, but
neither of them lived long. 1t is diff
ficult to transplant the old, and it was
natural that, having been accustomed