The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-09

! something inscrutable, Captain Ireton. l
| make no doubt we are sufficiently thanktu
| or all your merces.
| why, as to that there may be two ways
# looking at it. AS a soldier, may justly
epine at fate which ties me here when
| ihould be in the field.
| well said, sir; brawly said; tbs the part
| II good soldier to be ay wanting TO DE IN
he thick o. the fighting. But now that yere
l man of substance. Captain Ireton. We will
De owing other debts to our country than
he one We can pay with hantle o steel
"'Our country, did you say, Mr. Stair"
asked feIsning f surprise y which irtb no one
And what for no? 'Tis the birthland or
| ome-yoursef for example, and the leal
and of adoption for others-your humble
| ervant, to-wit. I've taken the solemn oath
# allegiance to the Congress, I'd have we 10
! knOw.
At this must needs laugh outright.
"Have you taken it more time than
you have forsworn it, Mr.. Stair?"
Laugh and we will,',' he said, quite plac-
out O. me. 'Tis little enough an old man
can do. but the precious cause O. liberty
will never have to ask that little twice.
Since he would ever be on the winning
side, this foreshadowed good tdings, in
deed. So 1 would ask him straight what
Have they not told We? IT'S Draw news"
he chuckled. Whilst we were on your back,
General Greene led Lord CORVALLIS a fine
mean, crooking his finger at him and say
ing. Come on, we led-captain of a tyrant
King, and when I'm ready III turn and
rend ye.' And by the same token, that is
just what he did the other day at Guilford
Courthouse
"a victory?' would ask.
''Well, not precisely that, maybe; they're
calling it a drawn battle. But I'm thinking
tits Lord CORVALLIS that's drawn. He's OF
to Wilmington. they say. and I'm fam to
hope we've the last o. him and his
reaVing redCOatS In these parts.
His words set me in muse. l could never
make out what he would be at. telling me
all this. But he had an object well-defined,
and presently it showed its head.
"Ye're the laird o. the manor, now, Capt.
Ireton. with none to gainsay ye." he went
on. 80 I've come to give we an account o
my stewardship. made no doubt, all along,
yed come back to your own when ye'd had
your fling wi the old worldlies, and SO I've
kept tab O. the poor bit land for We"
'Oh you have?" said i. being far out
brazened as to be incapable of saying more.
Il have that-every plack and bawbee.
IT'S ten years come Michaelmas since l
took over the charge o. Appleby Hundred.
and I'm ready to account to we for every
seasons crop-when yell pay down the big
Truly" said I; "you are an honest man,
Mr.. Stair" Then. to humor him to the top
of his bent: ''Haphazarding a guess. now;
my favor, or in yours?
He gave me a look like that of a coster-
monger weighing and measuring the guilt
bility of his customer.
"Oh, aye; I'm no saying there might mt
be bit siller coming to me; few hundred
pounds, more or less-sterling, man, ster-
ling; not Scots.' he added hastily. And
then, as If 1t were best to leave this nail as
1t was driven. he changed the subject abb
ruptly. I've brought We that last will and
parchment. mo doubt you'll let it stand;
but when the BARNS come, yen want to be
adding a cOdicil or two
Leaving the matter Of the estate
thought high time to cut to the marrow of
the bigger bone. So 1 said: Let us be frank
with each other in this. Mr.. Stair. How
matter between us?'
"She's jade!'l he rasped, Iapsing for a
moment into his real self. But he recovered
a romantic bit lassie WI French blood in
her veins to be confidencing wi her old
dried-up wisp of father, now. would We?
She's no tellt me everything, 1 daresay."
Then will tell you the plain truth of it,
i said. This marriage was never anything
more than the form we all agreed it should
be at the time a makeshift to serve a pur-
pose. If you think would hold your daugh-
. ter to it,
about! Ye'll never cast the poor bit lassie
off that way! Ye Gamma, If we would her
church will have word to say to that"
For all his aping the manner of the ig-
nored father, l shrewdly suspected that he
knew more about the ms and outs of our
affair than he owned to. Nevertheless, 1 was
J forced to meet him on his own ground.
"There is casting Off about it, Mr.
Stair; and as to the church, there is good
ground for an appeal to Rome. The mar
riage as it stands is little more than for
, NAL betrothal, as you we'll know, sound
enough legally to make Mistress Margery
my heir-at-law, mayhap, but still lacking
I | everything Of"
He could not wait to let me finish
"Laeking. dye say" he raped out
blooded stick? Tell me this; did 1 no bundle
we, neck and heels into your own wife's
(. bedroom? And how do you thank
( me?' I'm to suppose We quarrel wi her like
; the dour-faeed imp o sawtan that we are
and presently we come raging out swearing
most shamefully at man old enough to be
| your father!'
Twas far enough in the retrospect now
that 1 could smile at it. Yet L would no,
!; | suffer him to buster me aside.
1T was an III thing for you to do, none
have known that Mistress ' MargeTyy Ss m faitr
! was plighted to Richard Jennifer long be-
fore ..e,; all , this came m e.. to pass"
:, legged jackanapes of Dickie Jennifar.
I Light o. love jade that she is she neye,
u cared the snap of finger for him.
You are talking far enough beside tn,
: | mark now" / retorted. Your daurhte,
d loves Richard Jennifer well and truly: anf
e with this ENHANCEMENT brushed aside sh,
' will marry him when he comes back from
'She will. We say? And what will becom,
l o. the Draw acres of Appleby that gait IL
daft Didn't l speir her giving him his omit
lance once for all that night when he rod.
. away after they had Pitten We to bed? sh,
5 telft him fiat she loved anither man."
: Another MANI" l echoed. "I-exnIai,
yourself. If You please. Mr.. Stair. VIVA
:. other man.
y He was at the door by this. and he hrol,,
out upon me in such blast of cursing as
e hope never TO hear from the lips of such al
2 old man again.
Eye cold-blooded. crusty deevilr' he ouav
!, cred, when all his breath was spent mo,
the bigger malisons. Has it never come in
II til your thick numbskul that the moor fuI
e lassie is sick wo' love for ye We dour- ia 20,
loom?
e And with that he let himself out an,
slammed the door behind him. and T hear,
e him go pottering down the corridor still
q cursing me by all the choice phrases n
II could lay tongue to. "
e CHAPTER LII.
IS WHICH BRINGS Us TO THE JOJrR
u NEY'S END.
l may confess to you my dears. that MY
lie Gilbert Stairs parting TRADE did not NOV
e me greatly, since ] would set down every
- thing he had said to the one account-tb
VI misers.
e Yet when / came to second thoughts mo
- this account balanced hrf