New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05

Mr.. LOngCrOft"-
AVE. said Joha Longcroft. grizzly. with his
Hahds clasped on the crook OF his stick.
Main bad and difficult they be- and what with
labor so scarce of late and air
Aye: said the old man again. gazing straight
at the oarrows on the down above.
We'll, 1 looked at It this way: Ny client be-
ING liberal gentleman. uncommon liberal he be-
and main set on this here notion ZEE might be
disposed TO come half ways to meet him like and
be all the better for it. eh?'
What do he want then? 7 amt heard tell o.
mat yet. the old man said. with look In his eye
that seemed 20 say he could make pretty fair
guess,
We'll. he be lookiu' for a nice bit of prop
erty ZEE do see. some sweet pretty spot he says
hne dry soil and ALL snd-weH there. Mr.. Long
croft l thought as how you might be willing to
sell him Whitelands."
The house agent mopped his face nervously and
watched his friend out OF the OF his eye.
The old man slowly turned and faced him
/ known thee nigh forty year. DanI Pgs. and
I never looked for thee TO come to and talk to
like that. Hark here-I were born at whitelands
and my father, and his father. and many more
before they, as thou dost know well enough; and
could just as soon sell Whitelands as sell they
DEAD men in their graves up on the down
He pointed his stick at the crest OF the great
chalk hill above them. where the nine barrows
stood dark against the fading October sky. \ long
stream OF rocks was passing high above, and their
far Off cawing came clearly through the stiffness
last. L didn't think 'eed do IT. no. didn't think
eed do it. that's sure. But We have our duties
to one and to tOther like sort O. dropped along
here to make certain O. what 1 should say"
Now 'ee do know right enough. and that's the
end on IT," said John Longcroft- well. here be
Mary and the missus come out TO ask ZEE In to
supper. DanL VIII zee stop and have bit?
There'u be a nice up In hours time for
zee going across the down.
But Daniel Ptgg preferred for once 70 get clear
Of Whitelands without further delay. He shambled
into his tax cart with dim sensation OF escaping
from the neighborhood of a volcano in lively prom
Use Of eruption, a volcano, too for which he him
self seemed IN some odd way TO be personally re-
sponsible. He could hardly have expected perhaps,
he thought that John Longcrott would take his
proposal altogether kindly. Still. his old mare
Jolted down In the twilight between the glimmer-
ing slopes Of the white chalky tallows. he felt
that circumstances had treated him rather I'M
fairly. Half the country knew well enough that
John Longcroft OF Whttelands like most OF the hill
farmers, was in main poor way or late. AND
when In his own line of business he had had the
opportunity OF putting him in the way OF selling
his freehold at price much above It's present
market value it seemed little queer that ne
should finish the interview feeling less like the
most substantial property agent IN Barndon Town
than tramp caught firing ricks
As rule. Daniel enjoyed nothing better than
gossip at meal times his visits to Whftelands
Farm and his early disappearancs and general air
Z
on the scent of trouble when coupled with the air
OF ;aciturn displeasure which her father kept up
for the rest of evening And OF late ali trouble hao
come TO be bound up so closely for Mary II the
ever present fear OF family ruin that II was not
very hard for her to guess the errand on which
Daniel Pigg had come. Her mother was woman
worn ont before her time and. though Mary was
barely twenty, for several years past the manage
ment OF the household had fallen naturally INTO
her strong and capable hands. She was true
daughter OF the southern downs with me oIue
Sax6a ewes and yellow hair that were handed down
from generation TO generation among the Long Long
3isboSitton when things we're going passa9y wen
as any you could find in all the country: bu{ me 4
LiCI - laf9 had hung over herself and her father
ak nea4 5o EVEN aVerv cod on WhitsIands Farm
was as near to him as his own nesh en0 , olOou,
For the threatened disaster meant to Mary a
partins not only from Whiteiands. but from her
The two were standing next morning among the
slInIit autumn beeches, where a great stretch OF
Pv ended narrow snse5 Taey Which held the
and overlooked the far Levels or Ihe Ndte tOWd4u
f6rFe Years age Tom Haygarth had come Keeper
10 the cottage that lay taT IN me WooG ailos ~.
he had earned right TO share IN al the snxeties
that were thickenng round the dausn{er OF N TIE
Trouble was forgotten. but this beautiful autumn
morning the black retriever. who was Toms regular
companion, very soon became aware that ihlEgs
were going wrong again with his master ana ms
tress. and that the occasion called Tor the pro
foundest melancholy Of dems2n0r ...,,ca NJ
We'll, lass said Tom Ray sartn, sILCo u.
Iorgcrott would have nowt to say 70 'un, what ,
there 70 worry about7 Twould be a sight dItereh'
II he'd closed wi 'ur. seems TO me-
.AhI but Tom father do feel IL so dreadful that
arv one should think of II all that's where 1t IS.
He hasn't said nothing OF II right rom the
beginning but I do know tu~ how 1t takes MN
more afore we can't help ourselves at all and be
forced to so. And then l maynt never see thee
s:Rb won't thee lass" said Tom. I've shifted
nv billet more than once for a sight less reason
than that and I count I can 60 It again Don't
' .T si,ln.t Tom. not really said Mary, smiling
moment through her tears, that the old retriever
wagged his tail IN encouraging appreciation But
rfsS Kin he ! think sometimes he be half heart
broke ALWAYS because OF Philip. you know
For Inc story Of how John LOngcroft years ago had
driven from home his only son. boy OF sixteen;
and had never set eyes on hlm again had passed
INTO the most popular legendary tragedy OF the
That were all because he were so set on White
lands too you see Tom. He thought there were
no such place anywhere. Just like he do now. and
go and see more OF the world II angered him. And
and see it, and never set foot on Whitelands no
more since he thought so little OF II Mother do
SeeIs n most 1 be sure. though you might think
he'd forgotten clean all about 1t ever since were
born, and longer
from one downcast face to the other Mary stroked
his glossy head. and brushed the falling beech
leaves from his thick black coat. n pheasant
called suddenly beside them In the cover, and
gray hght of wood pigeons came SWervlng over the
Ions; line Of the down. where the sunshine oathed
the slopes OF the nine great tumuH in its mellow
swell lass" said Tom Haygarth. at last. II
on it. But il so be as We be forced to shift, then
why shouldn't US all go up 10 the North, where
do come from? lis main dlrerent country from
all this here. and reckon Mr.. Longcroft mghtn't