Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-06-06
BY
IRVING BACEELLER
Copyright, by Irving Bachellerl
CHAPTER XV-Continued.

GsA%%Ns@~aA&asosaHa
Copyright, by Irving Bachellerl
CHAPTER xV-continued.
IS
where We goin'?"
up to the Van Heusen place"
Where do ye hail from?"
"CObleskill."
On business for Judge Westbrook 2"
Eyes"
"Writs to server
eyes," l answered with no thought
of my imprudence
Say, young man, by hockey nettie
/ advise you to turn right around and
go back"
"Why?"
Cause if We try to serve any writs
yell git into trouble"
That's interesting" l answered ST
am not seeking a quarrel. but l do
want to see how the people feel about
the payment of their rents"
Say mister, look down into that val
ley there" the stranger began. "See
all them houses-they're the little
houses O. the poor. See how smooth
the land is? Who built them houses?
Who cleaned that land? Was it Mr..
Livingston? By hockey nettie l guess
not. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
got nOthin' elSe-nOt q dollar! It's all
gone to the landlord. | am for the
men who made every rod O. that land
an who own not a single rod of it.
Years an years ago a king gave it to
q man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay a rent o. so many
bushels O. wheat a year but the land is
nc good for wheat an amt been for
q hundred years. Why, We see, mis-
ter, good many things have happened
In three hundred years. The land was
willin' to give wheat then an O good
many folks was willin' to be slaves By
hokey nettie! they had got used TO it.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
didn't look so bad to 'em as they do
now. Our brains have changed-that's
what's the matter-same as the soil
has changed. We want to be free like
other folks in this country. America
has grOwed up around us but here we
are Twin back in old Holland three
hundred years ago. 1t don't set good
We see lots o. people that don't have
to be slaves. They own their land an
they amt worked any harder than we
have or been any more savin'. That's
why | say we can't pay the rents no
more an We mustn't try to make u.s.
BY hockey nettie! You'll have trouble
If We do"
The truth had flashed upon me out
Of the words of this simple nan. I'm
til then l had. heard only one side of
the case. If | were to be the servant
of Justice. as Mr.. Wright had advised
what was I to do? These tenants had
been Grimshawed and were being
Grimshawed out of the just fruits of
their toll by the feudal chief whose
remote ancestor had been a kings ia
vorite. For half a moment I watched
the wavering needle of my compass
and then:
'If what you say is true 1 think you
are right" / said.
81 don't agree with you" said young
Latour. 1.-THE PATRONS have a clear
title to this land. If the tenants don't
want to pay the rents they ought to
get out and make way for Others"
"Look here, young man, my name is
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger. 81
live in the first house on the right
hand side o. the road. You may tell
the judge that / won't pay rent no
nIore-not as long as l Hve-and |
won't git ont. either"
'Mr. Latour. you and Purvis may go
on slowly-rll overtake you soon," 1
said.
They went on and left me alone with
Curtis. He was getting excited and
wished to allay his fears.
"Don't let him try to serve no writs
or there1l be hell to pay in this val
ley" said Curtis.
"In that case shall not try to serve
the writs. I don't want to stir up the
neighborhood, but l want TO know the
facts. l shall try to see other tenants
and report what they say. Ii may lead
to a settlement"
We went on together to the top Of
the hill near which we had been stand
ing. Far ahead / saw cloud of dust
but no signs of Latour and Purvis
They must have spurred their horses
into run. The fear came to me that
Latour would try TO serve the writs in
epite of me. They were in his pocket
What a fool had been not to call for
them. My companion saw the look of
roncerr i'm my face
at dent like that young feller," said
s-urti. Giles in fer trouble"