The Winslow mail., 1897-11-27
sc r pom my word it's too bad!'
exclaimed Mr.. Mainwaring,
~ as having wished everybody

~ as having wished everybody
good d-morning he sat down to the break
fast table, and proceeded, before COM
mencing that meal, to glance through
his letters according to custom. 1t
really is too bad!' he repeated, Grim
soning with Indignation, and giving an
angry stamp Of his foot, in so doing
treading on the foot of Jumbo, his
wife's pet pug, and causing that much
pampered animal to give utterance to
a loud yell, and retreat further under
the table to the shelter of his mistress
petticoats.
MY DEAR" said Mrs. Mainwaring,
pausing in the act of pouring out the
squlre's coffee. what is the matter
now? Nothing wrong with Sunbeam's
little foal trust"
mo, thanks, my dear, not so bad as
that" answered her husband, "but
quite bad enough, in all conscience.
It's that dreadful fellow Wilder at the
Lea farm, again. l wish to goodness
he had never come near the place, with
all my heart"
'Horrid man." agreed Mrs, Mainwar-
ing. 81 can't bear the sight of him.
What has he done now, dear?"
"Donew exclaimed her husband.
"Why, stuck up barbed wire all over
his farm, to be sure, and refuses to re-
move it on any pretense whatever, so
Higgins writes me word.
Here we have the hounds coming
here on Thursday, and they find in
Nightingale wood, as they are perfect
ly certain to do, for l know for fact
there are two or three foxes there, they
are equally certain to run right across
his land, and a pretty kettle of fish
will be the result.
Half the hounds manned, and men
and horses tumbling about in every di-
rection."
"Ohi l can't bear the thoughts of it.'
Il shall simply have to ask Hartopp
not to draw there, and pretty fool |
shall look. l really don't know what
to do about it."
''Why not go and see the man your
self, and try and bring him to reason"
suggested his wife. Surely, my dear,
he would listen to you"
'Listen to me?" calculated the
squire. ''Not he. Besides, l know per-
fectly we'll what would be the result.
He would meet my arguments with
some of his republican sentiments, and
should lose my temper and make
fool of myself"
We'll" sighed his wife, ''it's a very
I'M I ayxy yie,h I
knew what was best to be done. But
never mind now, DEAR" she added,
soothingly, ''get on with your breakfast,
and then afterward you can speak to
Higgins again on the subject and per-
haps you will be able to devise some
plan between you for bringing this
horrid man Wilder to reason"
"And, pray, who may this horrid
man Wilder be?" inquired young and
very pretty girl, who at this juncture
entered the room and sat herself down
at the breakfast table, after kissing
both Mr.. Mainwaring and his wife low
lngly and wishing them "good-morn-
ing"
The squire looked affectionately into
the fair questioner's face ere he an
swered her.
Don't ask me, Gladys" said he
laughingly; don't ask If you love me.
He has already spoiled my breakfast
for me, and l feel perfectly certain
that were | to tell you all about him he
would spoil yours, and that would be
great pity, eh, my pretty niece?"
''It would, indeed" retorted the girl,
'for ] have such an appetite as never
was. Joking apart, though, am real
ly curious, Uncle William" she con-
tinued, 80 I will compromise with you
-eat my breakfast first and you shall
tell me afterward. Don't you think
that very fair arrangement, sir?"
The squire agreed at once to the
terms, as, indeed, he would have to
anything proposed by his favorite
niece.
The only child of his one sister, late
ly dead, Gladys Onslow had taken up
her permanent abode at Charlton Tow
ers only three weeks ago, during which
short period she had managed to con-
vert every individual member of the
establishment into being her devoted
slave, including her uncle and aunt,
who, childless as they were, quite look
ed upon her as their daughter.
AS for the squire, he was perfectly
helpless without her. and Miss Gladys
was his constant companion wherever
he went.
He declared she was a better Judge
of stock than his bailiff himself, and as
was there about the place who could
compete with her? And how she rode
too, Many and many a time, when ac
companying his niece in her rides, did
her unc.e regret that his salad days
were over, and that he was no longer
able to pilot her over this place and
that, instead of looking on from the
broad back of his favorite cob while
she larked about at her own free will,
for she was uncommonly fond of riding
over a country, was Miss Gladys.
AS her groom said, The fence was
never made yet that could stop his
young lady when the hounds were run
ming"
True to his promise, after breakfast
the squire unbosomed himself to his
niece with regard to his refractory ten
ant at the Lea farm-''the only farm.
by the way, my dear" he added, where
l have not introduced you, for the very
good reason why, because / have such