The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-04-02

tools. The tenants for themselves and
their heirs agreed to pay him q fixed
rent forever In stock and produce and.
further. to grind at the owners mill
and neither to hunt nor nsh.
Judge Westbrook, In whose ONCE !
worked. was counsel and collector for
the PATRONS, notably for the manors
of Livingston and Van Rensselaer,
two little Kingdoms in the heart Of the
great republic.
Mr.. Louis Latour Of Jefferson coun-
" whom had met In the company of
Mr.. Dunkelberg. came during my last
year there to study law In the Office of
the Judge. privilege for which he was
indebted to the influence Of Senator
Wright. / understood. He was a gay
Lothario. always Boosting Of his love
affairs. and i had little to do with him.
One day In May near the end Of my
two years In Cobleskill Judge West
brook gave me two writs to serve on
settlers In the neighborhood of Bald
win Heights for nonpayment Of rent.
He told me what I knew, that there
was bitter feeling against the PATRONS
In that vicinity and that might en-
counter opposition to the service of
the writs. If so was not to press the
matter, but bring them back and he
would give them to the sheriff.
II do not insist on your taking this
task upon you" he added. IL want q
man Of tact to 60 and talk with these
people and get their point Of view. II
you don't care to undertake 1t I'll send
another man."
II think I would enjoy the task"
said In ignorance Of that hornets nest
back In the hills.
'Take Purvis with you" he said
'He can take care of the horses, and
as those back-country folk are little
lawless 1t will be just as well to have
a witness with you. They tell me that
Purvis Is man Of nerve and vigor."
had drafted my letters for the day
and was about to close my desk and
start on my journey when Louis La
tour came in and announced that he
had brought the writs from the Judge
and was going with me.
II wouldn't miss 1t for a thousand
dollars" he remarked. by Jovel !
think Wen have bully time"
II don't object to your going but
you must remember that 1 am in COM
mand," said. little taken back, for
/ had no good opinion either of his
prudence or his company.
"The judge told me that I could 60
but that should be. under your or
ders," he answered. I'm not going to
be a fool. I'm trying to establish a
reputation for good sense myself"
We got our dinners and set out soon
after one o'clock. had read the
deeds of the men we were to visit.
They were brothers and lived on ad-
joining farms with leases which GOV.
cred three hundred and fifty acres of
land. Their great-grandfather had
agreed to pay yearly rent forever of
sixty-two bushels Of good, sweet. mer-
charitable, winter wheat, eight yearling
cattle and four -sheepfn good flesh and
sixteen fat hens, all to be delivered In
the city of Albany on the first day OF
January of each year. So, feeling that
/ was engaged In just cause, brave
ly determined to serve the writs II
possible.
I rode In silence, thinking Of Sally
and of those beautiful days now reced-
ing into the past and of my aunt and
uncle. had written a letter to them
every week and one or the other had
answered II. Between the lines / had
detected the note Of loneliness. They
had told me the small news Of the
countryside. How narrow and mo-
notonous Ii all seemed to me then !
Rodney Barnes had bought a new
farm; John Axtell had been hurt in o
runaway; my white. mare had got q
spavinl
Hello misterw
started out of my reveries with q
little jump of surprise. A big, rough