Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-06-17
CHAPTER XIX

The early train on Thursday morning
saw Grenville Rose, accompanied by Mr..
Nightjar, solicitor, junior partner of the
firm of Hawk, Sparrowbill and Co., on
his way to SlantOver, the nearest railway
station to Mannersley, from which it was
distant about four miles. Having .arriv-
ed at the latter place, and ascertained
that Pearman was at home, Grenville sent
In his card, and request to see that gen
tleman for few minutes, on business of
Importance. Now, it so happened, that
though Rose had thorough knowledge
OF Sam Pearman, the other knew nothing
whatever of him. He had never encoun-
tered him personally, except to exchange
that sentence or two after the Xminster
ball. | don't know whether even then
he had identified him; but of surety
that scene had pretty well faded from
his memory, especially as regarded the
personality of the. other actor therein. 1t
was as an entire stranger that he receiv-
ed the young barrister.
i must apologize for troubling you, Mr..
Pearman but am here as the represen-
tative of Mr.. Harold Denison."
You could not have come with better
credentials, Mr.. Rose. Charmed to see
both you and your friend :" he glanced at
the cards in his hands. "Mr. Nightjar,
think? Will you take some lunch now,
or after we have had our little palaver?"
Nothing, thanks; our time is pre-
cious, and we will detain you as briefly
as maybe. You are, Of course, aware
that there is death fine on Mannersley ::
or to speak more intelligibly, that the
owner of Glinn has right of heriot over
your manor on the death of any holder
thereof?"
a right Of heriot !" muttered Pear
man. mo, | never heard Of such claim !;
and l think my father died in complete
ignorance Of any such right"
Though far from suspecting what was
about to take place, Sam Pearman knew
enough OF law to understand this express
sion.
You had better read that deed, Night
jar. such right exists, and has been al
ways exercised; generally compromised as
hne-a course we propose to adopt In
the present instance"
Ihe solicitor laughed, and opened, first
somewhat musty parchment, and then
document consisting Of some two or
laree sheets of foolscap. II will be as
snort as l can, Mr.. Pearman, but the
story Is a little intricate to follow. /
must premise that Mannersley was by no
means originally part Of the Glinn proper
y. II seems to have been granted by the
noDot OF Aminster to one Hugh Wilson,
yeoman, for service rendered, conditional
upon his bearing arms for the abbey, and
peing ever ready to do service under the
oahner OF Sir James Denison Of GlInn,
ne then lay lord and champion of the
aooey He further lay under the right
oi neriot; in the first place, to the monks
VI AIinster, who were entitled to claim
uiree beasts upon the death Of Hugh Will
son' or any one of his descendants hold
.ng Mannersley, as an acknowledgment of
.ae fealty they owed to the abbey. in
80 e sec second place, Of one beast to the lords
=. Hhhn, as a similar acknowledgment
Tue secular representative of the abb
But the monks Of Xminster were
Up away In the Reformation under
10y h..y VIII, and of course that right Of
G,;r c1,lot disappeared. Still the masters of
nnn u,,nn continued to exercise their claim
OI every occasion FOR rather over two
III" eu years, at the expiration of which
WIZ IN consequence of the decay of the
ch. hon iamily, Mannersley fell, by pur-
~ ~, INTO their hands, where 1t remain
WI sold to Mr.. Pearman twelve years
49,; Inc curious thing is, this right Of
~''i Arista: the owner Of Glinn Is