Show V A SQUIRES VISITOR by LA MARKER tha squire Is a terrible old mai cald the new parson shaking his efad 1 I pointed out to him that for his coachman to beat his wife causes a acan lal in the village and imp ored him to remonstrate and anat did he saya aked acini rusan oh he smiled politely and be ed to point out that he had ed be tweel a man and his wife more than once in his life and that iro ible had always come of it therefore he n tends to interfere no more it seems the man aels jels Is kind enough to his wife when he s sober the new parson looked at auni susan she too shook her fread remarking the squire Is incorrigible atlis very cc achman got drunk last e eckson day so the squire pulled him afi the box and put him inside the carriage then mounting the box he called out to the crowd there s always a crowd outside the kings arms on election day he a driven me home many times when I 1 ve been drunk so now drive him home and so he did that was kind answered a new voice a clear young olce aunt susan started why child I 1 did not know you were here run away dear I 1 don t want you just 1 now but mellor ignored her aunt and standing in front of the new parson beat the coachman then ex claimed triumphantly demanded Is the beaten wife much hurta and who beat her the squire or the coachman 9 the coachman my dear since jk you a heard so much but it s not a pleasant subject for little girls looked at the pirson bome scorn then slowly and with dig anity lett the room aart susan gave a sigh of relief as the door closed she is my nephew s only child and lost her mother two years ago she is always with him and terribly spoilt bhea they changed the subject and both and the squire were tor gotten how ever dian didn t forget ful ly conscious of her influence in her own sphere here she ruled dad and the f lends who frequented the big with a rod of iron she decided to go herself to remonstrate with the teach him it s horrid to beat v h es anybody s wife she said to herself and she trotted down the road the squires big gates stood open and she turned down the drive which seemed very long but present ly she came in full view of the great square house on the lawn under the shade of an immense tulip tree sat an old gentleman feeling sure it was the squire walked slowly across the grass towards him her sun bonnet had fallen back masses of brown curls clustered round the hot pink cheeks and her brown eyes were shining A big deer hound lying at the squire s feet rose as she ap preached and sniffed at her laying a little brown hand confidingly on its collar bhe and the dog faced the squire together what is your abruptly de banded the squire oh my name Is you don t look very wicked she added quickly the squire sat up in his chair what made a good little girl to see auch a wicked old man eh eha corn to see such a wicked old oti es because you are you 1 now a tol I 1 ou I 1 am wicked 1 well people seem to so ano do 1 it ou approve of wi e what almost shouted the but lei ory was not in the least alarmed calmly seating her elf his knee sh continued tou enczur u your coach iian to beat his wife I 1 wis i ou t it isn t nice real ly so what they say Is ita laughed the squire and his olce wa not quite so p basant this time he pul his a m round mello ing IV you if 1001 ed into his face and then she said decidedly no I 1 don L you are more like a knight than a squire a right worshipful knight she ended softly the squire hook his head and his face grew sad as he said alas no I 1 m not that I 1 might have been once what made you come to see such a wicked old man eha I 1 m not good here I 1 am at home but ai nt susan s goodness is different somehow and I 1 can t do it perhaps you cn t be good here eithern she suggested the squire mu something and then stopped there was silence for a minute till asked do you love bour coachman very mucha wa no I 1 can t say I 1 love him he s been a good servant to me tell him he austn t beat his wife he would pay attention to sou do you always pay attention to what ou are tolda well no said rather slowly but I 1 don t beat people do I 1 said the squire though I 1 should often like to bat the coachman then ex claimed triumphantly then he d banow what its like egad said the squire slapping his unoccupied knee its an excellent idea I 1 will put up her face and the compact was ratified by kisses on both cheeks then she got off his knee sayin I 1 m glad I 1 came I 1 don t be lieve ou are a bit wicked really he looked very sad as he answered try and believe the best of people always my dear then you will grow up as good as you are pretty and as happy as you are both did not understand exactly what be meant but she realized that he was not very happy so she said again I 1 m glad I 1 came we shall al ways be friends I 1 wonder mused the squire he balked with her to her aunts gate ind as he waved his hat on leav ing her she called after him you look i right worshipful knight any how he stood in the middle of the road to wave his hat once more and to look back at the little figure standing in the sunshine then he turned into his own great gates where the drive lay all in shade like his heart copyright 1906 by joseph bowles |