A Perilous Secret

rosperity, and blessed him, and Mr. Bartley upon his report; for Hope was one of those c

onel Clifford had a farm coming vacant. Walter Clifford had insisted on

but by-and-by he said, "Did you not see sig

ience with him. Take one of those old iron ramrods that used to load the old musket, and cov

would not be bound

lease; he would have to propose a special contract, or

ropped. But the matter r

re to Hope, he consul

took Mary Bartley wit

tle inn, and calle

ived stiffly, but graciously. He gave Colonel C

" said Colonel C

ken to

other, with hi

ould walk into the roo

d stared. Walter s

d Bartley, scarce

"Bolton! No. Why, this is Walter Clifford, my son, a

tance, sir," said the astut

olonel Clifford: not that he forgave Mr. B

grace, coming from such a stock. He welcomed her courteously, but shyly. She replied with rare affability, and that entire absence of mock-modest

retty successful in agriculture, thanks to the assistance of an experienced friend, and

nel Clifford, "have

n a month, unless the present tenant consents

farm, Mr. Walter

ver it." Then he turned to Mary. "I am afraid it would be

things: little calves, little lambs, and little pigs. Little pigs are ducks-very little ones, I mean;

warmly. He then asked Mr. Bartley where he was to be found; and when

ssure you. We have the parlor all to ourselves, and there are samplers hung up,

il you, Mary,"

a, for you have been tr

said: "Here am I calling her miss when she is my own niece, and, now I think of it, she can't

this chance shaft. But Co

, and you can't be m

nths," said Mary, "and I

can't take me in. I know your date. So come

und his neck and kissed him. "Oh, papa," said she, "I have got an uncle now. A

s. Please excuse her, Colonel Clifford. Now, my dear

e lowered her long lashes, and put out her ha

er color directly. "You will come over the

er mind that. I can

ll, it does not matter

a conversation, her cheeks were suddenly suffused with blushes. A young man had admired her and said so. Very likely that w

eyes on her with delight, had held her hand some seconds, and admired her to her

at sight of Walter, Mary, for the first time in her life, had flown upstairs to look at herself in the glass before facing the visitor, and to smooth her ha

nd a most earnest one. C

allusion to so great an insult was wo

say he is sorry. I will

"But if you only knew the art, the cunning, the apparen

can be

me the honor to come to me as Walter Clifford, why, then, strong and misleading as the evide

hed, and bowed a little haughtily at the compliment t

under false colors, he mustn't howl if he is mistaken for a pirate. Let u

uth and beauty, and illumined the room. The cousins

. Her father followed, and he was about to drive off, when

s, one of them, a small, gentle Arab gelding, had a side-saddle. They rode all over the farm, and inspected the buildings, which were in excellent repair, thanks to Walter's supervisio

him," said Walter. "I should

rtley; "but where does the

unds here. He has one or two grass fields that want draining, but I offer him the pipes; he has only got to lay them and cut the drains. My opinion is th

Well, I am fond of farming; but I don't live

ruth is, he did not want t

this, and dr

like to come h

t; and you know it's dear

oung fellow so. I will g

d, timidly, "Cousin Walter, we should all

d he. "Who i

and I love. It is Mr. Hope. Such a

his name

ou know him?" ask

he did me a good turn once,

dear that ever stepped, and a second father to me; and, cousin, this village is his birth-place, and he didn't say much, but it was

yes, brimming with tend

nd he was

not be angry with me if I insist on the increased rent. You k

the word penetrated Walter's heart as if a woman of twent

Bartley he was to have the farm

aid Bartley. "Then to-

said Mary,

done in writing. Why, Mary, what is the use of stayin

ed so ungracious to get what they wanted, and then turn

xorable, and they r

and announce their safe arrival, but natur

n about ten days he sent Walter Clifford a letter and the draft of a lease, very favorable to

read the letter, and told

llow say?" grunte

and even moderate. As for me, my life used to be so bustling that I require a change now and then; so I will be your tenant. Hope says I am to pay the expense of the lease, so I h

"He draws the lease, does he? T

r lau

er-reaches us, if he draws the lease, is in the clauses that protect him on leaving. He gets part possession for months without paying rent, and he hampers and fleeces t

and let him study every line. Set

ubmit it to our soli

experienced practitione

usually equitable f

ay! here is one clause that is unusual: the tenant is to have the right to bore for water, or to penetrate the surface of the soil, and take out gravel or chalk or minerals, if any. I don't like that clause. He might quarry, and cut the farm in pieces

as engrossed in duplicate, and in due course signed and delivered. The old tenant left, abusing th

took pos

came to the farm for lessons. But that interest was very much increased by the opportunities it gave him of seeing and talking

. Whenever Walter was near she had new timidity, new blushes, fewer gushes, less impetuosity, more reserve

rl, with internal throbs of complacency, and life invested with a new and growing charm to both. Leaving this pretty little pastime to glide along the flo

the farm when Bartley se

COAL