Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-01-15
BETWEEN THE LEAVES
The win That Was Left by E.
centric Old John Leyden.
BY JENNIE E. SARGENT.

The good people of Leydenville were
wrought up to a fine pitch of righteous
Indignation. but If old Henry Leyden,
| three days in his grave. could have
heard the comments which followed
! the reading of his will he would prob
ably have chuckled just as he had
done in bygone days when his neigh.
bors had discussed his domestic or
business affairs.
The will was marvel of simplicity,
and Judge Barrow declared that no
court on earth would set 1t aside. New.
ertheless the women who loved Lucy
Leyden for her gentle disposition and
kindly heart openly grieved. The men
who had admired John Willoughby's
brave struggle against heavy odds
swore at the deceased roundly for a
stubborn meddler with fate. Even
Miss Polly Fowler, who had taught
them both at the little red schoolhouse,
had been heard to remark in a tone not
wholly devoid of fear at her own
"brashness," that. while she didn't
wish anybody bad luck. she shouldn't
shed tears If she heard Henry Leydep
had met his ''come-uppance" in the
next world.
But the fact remained that the dead
man had bequeathed his stock in the
Decatur and Leydenville road to his
nephew, Ben Morris; his stock in the
, Leydenville bank to a distant home for
cripples tHenry Leyden had been af.
flicted from birth with a clubfoot,,
and, after a few scattered requests to
distant relatives. to Lucy he had left
only the old homestead and all person.
al property found thereon at the time
of his death
This at least, assured Lucy and her
mother the same refuge that had been
open to them ten years before, when
George Leyden went the way of prod
igal sons. leaving the two women to
the mercies of his crochety but
wealthy brother. But the income that
had supported the homestead died with
its owner, and the question of how II
was to be kept up agitated all Leyden.
Vile
Lucy and John Willoughby had been
engaged for four years. but the girls
uncle had stood firmly against the mar.
riage. John had a mother and two
sisters dependent upon him. He could
not add to this burden and the shrewd
banker proposed to adopt no nephew.
in-law. howeveR worthy the young
man might be.
The two young people did not at.
tempt to veil their disappointment. but
they had more serious matters on
hand. The handsome house, tucked
in the rapidly growing business sec.
ton of the town. yielded not a cent of
income Mrs. Leyden was one of the
clinging. dependent sort of women. and
Lucy knew that she must face the
| problem alone.
John suggested that they sell the
place and. taking a small cottage, live
off the income of a safe, conservative
investment of the balance. But Lucy
protested against the sacrilege. She
knew that it was her uncle's wish that
she should continue TO occupy the old
house.
Lucy thought they might take room.
ers and boarders. but John pictured
the pert young clerks from the freight
offices or the dapper youths from the
Boston stoor' waited upon by his
Lucy, and the plan died a violent
death. 1t was Mrs. Leyden-limp,
phlegmatic Mrs. LeydeD-who finally
solved the problem.
"You amt thought of the library,
Lucy. You remember how your Uncle
Henry always talked about it. He had
been years collecting those old books.
Lots of them go as far back as the
Revolution. and some of the oldest
were printed in England before there
was any America. Don't you remem-
Der how he used to walk up and down
this room and shake his head at the
books. saying. Emmy. there's thou
sands in this room-thousandsY
know he paid ridiculous prices for
some of them. Maybe there's others
as daffy about old books as he was
Johns face frightened, and he took
both of Lucy's hands in his.
That's it. Lucy. Well have buyer
come up from the city and look them
over. There may be fortune In them.
and you-peed money more than those
musty old things
Lucy did not answer at once. There
was-a strong strain of sentiment In
her nature. and she loved especially
this old library where her uncle had
spent his last days.
Nevertheless that night she indfted
a letter to a noted collector in Boston
and two days later received a note
stating that Mr.. Henry Leyden's H.
brary was famous enough to warrant
his sending representative to Ley
denville. His buyer would arrive the
following morning.
And that night came the deluge.
Lucy was "sitting up with Mrs. Hen
derson's little boy, who had typhoid
fever. John was to call for her at II
when another neighbor would take up
the task.
! At 10 the fire bell rang. Something
told Lucy it was her home, and she
sprang to her feet. 1t was half
mile run. and when she reached there
breathless. the bucket brigade. enforc'
ed by the one engine the town could
boast, had done its worst. The parioI
was biackened and water soaked, the
dining room was charred. aud the
library? Lucy pushed past sympa
ihetic neighbors and stared wildly into
abe room. The shelves were bare!