Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-20
The Light IN
the CLEARING
Bv IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-Merrin Co.

and buildings. / walked q few
blocks from the landing, takiny
careful note fmy way-mentaIIY
blazing a trial for fear OF eetting
lost-and looked wistfully IN
long street. There were manv
people, but no Sally.
The Judge received me kindly and
gave Purvis a job in his garden
was able to take his dictation in
sound-hand and spent most of nv
time in taking down contracts and
correspondence and drafting them
into proper form, which | had the
knack of doing rather neatly
was impressed by the immensItv
of certain towns in the neigbbor-
hood, and there were some temnta-
tions in my way. Many peonIA
and especially the prominent men
INDUCED In ardent spirits.
One of my young friends induced
me 10 go to dinner with him at
Van Brocklin's, the fashionable res
taurant of a near city. We had a
bottle of wine and some adventures
and | was sick for a week after II
Every day of that week / attended
a convention of my ancestors and
received much good advice. Toward
the end of it my friend came to see
me.
There's no use of my trying TO
be a gentleman" l said. ~ fear
that another effort would hang nv
pelt on the door. It's a disgrace
probably, but I've got to be good.
I'm driven to it,"
1.-The way l look at it is this
said he. We're young fellows and
making a good deal of money and
we can't tell when we'll die and
leave a lot that we'll never get any
good Of"
1t was a down-country, aristo-
cratic view Of the responsibilities Of
youth and quite new to me. Calig-
ula was worried in like manner,
believe. We had near US there a
little section of old world which.
was trying, in a half-hearted FASH
ion, to maintain itself in the midst
of democracy. 1t was the manor
ial life of the patroons-a relic Of
ancient feudalism which had its
beginning in 1929, when The West
Indies Company issued its charter
of Privileges and Exemptions The
charter offered to any member OF
the company who should, within
four years, bring 80 adults to the
New Netherlands and establish
them along the Hudson, a liberal
grant of land, to be called a manor,
of which the owner or PATRON
should be full proprietor and chief
magistrate. The settlers were 10
be exempt from taxation for ten
years, but under bond to stay IN
one place and develop it. In tbs
beginning the PATRON built houses
and barns and furnished cattle,
seed and tools. The tenants for
themselves and their heirs agreed
to pay him a fixed rent forever in
stock and produce and, further. TO
grind at the owners mill and neith-
er hunt nor fish.
Judge Westbrook, in whose oflcs
worked, was counsel and cOllec-
tor for the PATRONS, notably for
the panors of Livingston and Van
Renssaler-two little kingdoms IN
the heart of the great republic.
spent TWO years dJ lny NUIA
and studied in the office of the
learned Judge with an ever-present
but diminishing sense of homesick-
ness. l belonged to the bowling
and athletic club and had many
friends.
Mr.. Louis Latour OF Jefferson
county, whom l had met in the
company of DR.. Dunkelberg, came
during my last year there to study
law in the Office of the Judge,
privilege for which he was indebt-
ed to the influence of Senator
Wright, l understood. He was
gay Lothario, always Boosting Of
his love affairs, and l had little TO
do with him.
One day in May near the end OF
my two years in Cobleshll Judge
Westbrook gave me two writs 70
serve on settlers in the neighbor-
hood of Baldwin Heights, for no7-
payment OF rent. He told me what
l knew, that there was bitter feel
ing against the PATRONS IN the "
cinity and that 1 might encounter
opposition TO the service OF TIE
writs. If so l was not to press the
matter, but bring them back and Il
would give them to the sherin.