Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-04-15

ne must have made dent In the floor
Talk about slayery-what do you think
of that? Mother says that we must
wait-that 1t would make father a
great deal of trouble If it were known
that l allowed you to write. guess
the soul Of old Grimshaw Is still fol-
lowing y0a. Well, we must stretch out
that lovely day as far as we can. On
the third of June, 1874, we shall both
be twenty -one-and I suppose that we
can do as we please then. The day
Is long way off, but / will agree to
meet you that day at eleven In the
morning under the old pine on the
river where I met you that day and
you told me that you loved me. II
either or both should die our souls will
know where to find~ each other. If
you will solemnly promise, write these
words and only these to my mother
Amour omnia vincit, but do not sign
your name.
SALLY"
What a serious matter 1t seemed to
me then! l remember that it gave
Time rather slow foot. / wrote the
words very neatly and plainly on a
sheet of paper and mailed it to Mrs.
Dunkelberg. 1 wondered If Sally would
stand firm, and longed to know the
secrets of the future. More than ever
was resolved to be the principal wit
ness In some great matter, as my
friend in Ashery lane had put It,
was eight months with Wright &
Baldwin when / was offered a clerk
ship in the Office of Judge Westbrook,
at Cobieskill, in Schoharie county, at
two hundred year and my board.
knew not then just how the offer had
come, but knew that the senator must
have recommended me. I know now
that he wanted a reliable witness of
the rent troubles which were growing
acute in Schoharie, Delaware and Co.
lumbia counties.
1t was a trial to go so far from
home, as Aunt Deel put 1t, bat both my
aunt and uncle agreed that it was 'for
the best"
How It wrung my heart, when Mr..
Purvis and got into the stage at Can
ton, to see my aunt and uncle standing
by the front wheel looking up at me.
How old and lonely and forlorn they
looked Aunt Deel had her purse in
her hand. l remember how she took a
dollar out of tt suppose T. was the
only dollar she had-and looked at it
moment and then handed 1t up to
me.
You better take it," she said. "Pm
fraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembled!
have always kept that dollar.
couldn't see them as we drove away.
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 my time in
taking down contracts and correspond
ence and drafting them into proper
form, which had the knack of doing
rather neatly. l was impressed by the
immensely of certain towns in the
neighborhoOd, and there were some
temptations in my way. Many people,
and especially the prominent men, in
dulged in ardent spirits.
We had near us there little section
of the old world which was trying, in a
half-hearted fashion, to maintain it.
self in the midst of a democracy. 1t
was the immortal life of the PATRONS
"a relic of ancient feudalism which
had its beginning in 1929, when the
West Indies company issued its char
ter Of privileges and exemptions. That
charter offered to any member of the
company who should, within four
years, bring fifty adults to the New
Netherlands and establish them along
the Hudson, liberal grant of land, to
be called manor, Of which the owner
or PATRON should be full proprietor
and chief magistrate. The settlers
were to be exempt from taxation for
ten years, but under bond to stay in
one place and develop it. In the be-
ginning the PATRON built houses and
barns and furnished cattle, seed and
tools. The tenants for themselves and
their heirs agreed to pay him fixed
rent forever in stock and produce and,
further, to grind at the owners mill
and neither to hunt nor fish.
Judge WeStbrook. in whose office I
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.
MIR. Louis Latour of Jefferson coun-
ty, 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 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 1 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.
81 do not insist on your taking this
task upon you," he added. 81 want a
man Of tact to go and talk with these
people and get their point Of view. If
you don't care to undertake 1t I'll send
another man."