The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-09-08

fsaAS71-ts&zsssssSl q tower.
1t was a cottage, one-storied, strag-
Cling and comfortable, with a semi
circular parlor in the front, which,
topped off with comical imitation of
wooden battlements, was half covered
with waving sprays of woodbine and
clinging sheets of ivy.
But ''The Tower" it had always been
entitled, and after that lawsuit came
up it acquired sort of celebrity under
the old, familiar name.
''Yes," said Miss Isidora Ives,
"The Tower is mine still, and 1 in
tend to keep it. Everything else they
have taken away from me, because
some loggerheaded old ancestor of
mine signed his name to deed John
B. Robinson instead of John c. Rob
inson. As if one letter of the alpha
bet could make any diGerencel I've
no patience with people The majesty
of the law, indeedl Pshaw!"
But if the rest of the property be-
longs to your Cousin Robinson, so
does The Tower" " suggested Mrs. Mil
roy.
81 can't help that, said Miss Isl
dora. Here L am and here L mean
to stay, law or no law"
Mrs. Milroy opened her weak eyes.
Feeble as kitten herself, she could
scarcely comprehend such valiant res
olution in another.
''But if they come here with the
sheriff, and posse comitatus, and a
writ of habeas corpus?" she faltered.
"rhen," said Miss Isidora, they'll
have TO clear out again. Common
sense is common sense. The house
is mine, and mean to keep it. I've
got new bolts and bars to all the doors,
and keep kettle of boiling water on
the stove night and day, and my
friend, Mr.. Jeiireys, who is clerk in
law office, has given me the hint never
to let in a man with bag"
"Why not?" breathlessly questioned
Mrs. Milroy.
Don't you see?" said Miss Isidora,
snapishly. Because it will be full of
law papers. Writs and summonses,
and all that sort of thing"
"Oh!" said Mrs. Milroy.
Thus, acting upon the hint, Miss
Isidora turned the plumbers man
away, and resolutely declined to have
anything to say to the book agent and
the tract-distributor. She considered
herself in a state of siege, took her
mornings milk into the window with
"a tin pail and chain, communicated
with the trades people from behind
two square inches of doorway, and
took everybody she did not know for
an enemy. The Tower was hers, and
The Tower she meant to keep. And
Rebecca, her little maid, was stricken
with breathless admiration for her
warlike qualities.
But, of course, ma'am, said Re
becca, "nobody can stand against the
law.
"I'll see whether they can or notr'
said Miss Isidora Ives. "Be sure you
keep the kettles well filled, Rebecca,
and don't let the fires go out, day or
night.
And whenever she received through
the mail letter with legal appear
ance, or an envelope crested with the
firm address of Messrs. Tape & String
ham, her Cousin Robinson's lawyers,
she invariably poked it between the
bars of the CRATE, and smiled vindic-
lively to see it blaze.
"What are we to do with such a
case as this?" said Mr.. Tape, when he
heard all this.
''Put in sheritf's officer at once, "
said Stringham. ''The woman is a
trespasser, and has been all her life. "
''No, no, mol" said Mr. Tape, bland
ly. "She's woman. No harsh meas
ures. II is Gideon Robinson's express
injunction that all courtesy be shown
to the defendant Wen try something
else before we proceed to extremities -
And one pleasant October afternoon,
when the air was all blue mist, and
the setting sun shone as if through a
medium of Opaque gold, the landlord
of the Toplady Arms came putting up
the hill with stout, pleasant-faced
gentleman, and rang the bell, which
echoed like double chime through
the tiny tower.
SEQ away!" said Miss Isidora, from
the window, spying the tops of two
hats.
"Oh, my, ma'amr' squeaked Re-
becca over her shoulder, shall 1 get
the gun?"
81 beg pardon, ma'am," said the
stranger, "but-"
go away, say" sternly repeated
Miss Isidora Ives. ''Rcbecoa, bring in
that kettlel I'll have you to under
stand that am not to be trifed with. '
But by this tine mine host Of the