The Washington herald., 1907-11-03
CHAPTER ".
A Man at War with his Maker

We the senior gardener AT tEoIlI G1ouSc.
Mr. Romer refused TO have head gar
dener, or, indeed. a head" anything
Il am head gardener" he would say;
head cook, head bottlewasher. head
everything! There is no head at CORN
House or in the Kirktown pits but Jacob
Romer. So mind you that"
Still. Abraham was the man with the
best pay. the longest service. the most
privileges, ard the only man about the
place wLo at times dared to speak his
mind to his master. Jacob Romer knew
sincerity when he saw il. For instance.
he was as we'll aware that James Kahn
was busily feathering his nest as that
Abraham Fyfe was serving him like
leal man and no hireling. But then his
business was such that James Kahn was
more useful 10 him. Any man may be
a good man, bat II takes a clever man
to be i serviceable rascal Besides.
man of conscience and scruples is just so
much more hampered.
But still Abraham had a tolerance and a
respect from the ironmaster which were
Withheld from his cleverer tool The lat
ter was Kahn" always 10 his master
But the gardener was always Abraham"
and the fierce masterN of CORN House
would sometimes end discussion as to
horticultural subjects with the admission
that After all, Abraham, perhaps you
may know more than myself-about sha-
lots"
Vida liked well enough 10 see Abra-
ham slip doom, as he said "frae the
HrT~ 20
II made her feel less lonesome down by
the little gate cottage at the glebe end.
This was not the main lodge Of Corn
House, but one Of which the gate always
stood open. whicn led, by "a narrower
longer. and more sequestered avenue
under "a gloomy. almost secret archway
Of green, with a couch of pine-needles
restful and elastic underfoot, 10 the stable
entrance. But still Jacob Rorner passed
out much more frequently by the open
glebe end gate than by that guarded by
the huge tortured saurians which repre-
scented the heraldic supporters of his
uncle's family.
See TO that moo, He never so muckle
As looks the road we are on. my BONNET"
said old Abraham, who had his privileges
with Vida. as he pointed after the smok-
ing wheels of his masters carriage. ma.
ma, His heart IS over hard. even rs the
neither mulStane. There is aye something
for the grace O. God to work on. in a
sinner wha errs through the glamour O. q
weel-faured face. There was King
David himself, We ken. But Jacob
Romer. nerer-I haze kenned him-ay. for
forty year. and save for self and siller.
that heart in his breast has never donted
the faster"
Vida turned pale as she stood listening.
Perhaps she was destined to hear from
this stranger that which her mother had
so carefully hidden.
Did he never love any woman" said
Vida. TREMENDOUSLY. slowly crumbling the
leaves of a blond tea-rose between her
fingers.
Save us. Lass cried the old man,
snatching the branch from her, "dinna
gang sponin' the best bloom O. the Pride
O. Burgundy that my ain hands planted
for ye-ay-they did sO-grafted on Ayr
shire White il was. an dug ABBOTT an
watered-but what was Il We were sayin' ?
Ow. say. ABBOTT the Master Was he ever
In love? Love-Iove-heaT to ye, Is there
naething else + the heads o. you young
fOlk-but havers ABBOTT love2'
But. Mr.. Romer-you We're going 20
tell me"
WAS I? I hadna mind that ! men
toned it. Howsomever-ye viii maybe
no haze heard tell that the master was
marTiet-When he WAS younger man. II
was doom Northumberland way. where
there are bOnny bits O. lasses-white an
delicate as bakers biscuits WI pink
sugar on the tap. Ay, I served wi the
auld man then-the first Master Jacob
CORN. We VIII hae heard tell O. him. He
was a great man in ThOrsby, what they
caa' chairman o the docks an owner o.
heaps o. ships Him it was that sunk the
first o thae Incubus pits and set up the
Company. 1t was coal he was seekin' .
but Jacob Romer fand the iron as weei-
that has been the maxim o this country
side in ae way O. looking at it. an maybe
the perditiOn o. it in anitheT.
But the young maister-oh, he took a
strange notion into his head ae day.
Abraham he saws TO me, I am to be
married. 4 man never works with both
hands and his head except when he has a
wife and family to support. So they say.
/ am going to try it"
Good luck to you and your bonnie
lady, sirT says 7
But mind, nothing must be said about
Il To- and he cooked his thumb over
his shoulder IN the direction Of his uncle
] nodded. to let him ken that / was a
there, as the sayin' is, an that he medina
be feared o. Abraham Fyfe opening his
mouth when he had need to keep it shut,
Weel, I saw the lass married. for I gaed
r--s- i'll
in England-naebOdy but themselves two
an the beadle-craitur to gle the puir
young thing AVA Me- I was safe hid
in the gallery. Naebody kenned that I
was there TO see. But somehow the mar
rage didna answer. Never did Jacob RO-
mer daur to whisper a word TO his uncle
for fear that the old bachelor thief wad
disinherit him. An after that Jacob
CORN was in his grave, il was not a whit
better. The wife gaed wrang & the mind,
or deed or something. An sac It may
be VII reason that Jacob Romer gangs
by the glebe yeti wi his horses aye at
speed an a face on him like death an
he'll following after."
Yes, perhaps he has need"' said Vida,
in q low voice.
The old gardener, VINO had been busily
manipulating his pruning knife ali the
time turned sharply upon her, measuring
her with his eye.
''Naybe-maybe" he said, "aiblns the
sins O. some gang before them into judg-
ment, as il is written. And I. sinner
though ] be- would rather hae the con-
science O. puir Abraham. the gardener. TO
tax WI me 10 bed, than that Of Jacob
Corn ROmeT, the master O. thousands
ays an tens O. thousands, I judge he's
eye an lonely whiles-juist him an his
Maker! Ech ay him and his Maker
Vida would have liked to ask other
questions, but fear Of appearing over
inqusitive withheld her. However. the