CRIPPS, THE CARRIER
n y
R. D. BLACK MORE
Author of "LORN A DOONn," "ALICB L 0 R R A I N B,M ETC., ETC,
' W V W "V V W W w W W www w
CHAPTER I.
The little village of Hockley lies in
the quiet cmbrtico of old Htow Wood,
Well known to every Oxford innii. This
kood or forest spread In the old lino
kcross the nuiin lircndth of the high! aid
io the north of lloiidlngton, between the
dny Tuesday, the Ifith of December,
jSUy. For Zncchnry nlwnys linu to make
his rounds on n Wednesday nnd n Satur
day, nnd If he were to drive Ills poor old
Dobbin into Oxford on n Tuesday even
ing how could ho pet through his busi
ness to-morrow? For Dobbin insisted on
tilt. HUliUbt Wi M1III.U HUM MI.U UUUlU UlbW
things for "Aunt Exlc," and then bIjo net
off for n bold little run, until she wan
out of breath, and trembling nt the sound
of bor own light feet. For though all
the Crlppscs vcro known to be of a firm
nnd rcsoluto fiber, who could expect a
young mnid like this to tramp on like a
Uomnn sentinel?
And a lucky thing for her It was that
she tried nothing of the sort; but glided
nlong with her heart in her mouth, and
her short skirt tucked up round her.
Lucky also for her that the ground was
in that early stage of freezing, or of dry
ing to forestall frost, In which It dead
ened sound ns much ns the later stngo
enlivens It. Otherwise It Is doubtful
whether sho would hnve seen the Christmas-dressing
of the shops in Oxford.
For n little further on. she came,
without so much ns a cow in the road or
a slieep in the field for company, 10 n
alley of the Chcrwoll nnd the bogs of 11 dny in stable whenever he had been to dnrC( ,mn-ow place, where the way hung
Dtmoor. lieckloy Itnelf, though onco up
fcroaohnl by the Human road from Ai
Chester, must for ninny a century have
tursod its rural iiuictudc, lying In n tan
o of narrow tones lending only to one
Mother. Ueekley took that cheerful
Hew of life which enabled the fox to din
luin tho blandishments of tho vintage;,
Hid prid.' I itself on its hnppy seclusion
hid untui 1 rod honuMly. Hut ns nil son
pf Adam must have something or other
to say to tho rest, this little village ear
tied on Home oTrtnnierco with tho outer
world, anil did It through n cnrrlor.
Tho name of this excellent man wn
C'rlpps; and tho carrier's mantle, or wool
ley con I, had descended on this particu
lar Crlppn from nnny generations. And
Kor since roads were made, or rather
Iuuks began trying to make themselves,
ono great tradition hud continued the
dynasty of Orlppses. This wns that the
eldest sou should lauo the carrying busl-
ECfis; thc.Focond son should have the
akor's shop in Oxford over against old
Unlllol College; the third should have the
queer old swlno farm In tho heart of
Ktow Forostl the fourth should ho the
butcher of Hockley, nnd the fifth Its
thoonutkor. As for the girls, the cnrrler
being the iicnd of tho family, and holding
thw houso and tho stable and cart, was
bound to tnko tho maids, one by ono, to
nnd ro under his tilt twice 11 week, till
tho public fell in love with them.
Zncchnry Crlpps, the lieckloy carrier,
under the laws of time, wns crossing the
tldgo of manhood towards the western
eldo of forty, without providing the due
Juccessor to tho nncestral driving bonrd.
'ubllc opinion wns already beginning to
exclaim at him; and tho man who kept
tho chandler's shop, with a lnrgc-smnll
family to innlntnln, was threatening to
tnnko tho most of this, nnd set up his
own oldest son on tho rond; though "dot
and enrry ono" wns oil ho know nbout
tho business. Zncchnry was not a likely
man to bo nt nil upset by this; but rather
ono of n tarrying order, as his name
might indicate
Truly Intelligent families living round
nbout tho city of Oxford had, and even
to this dny have, n hnolt of nnmlng
their malo babies after tho books of the
Bible. So that Zncchnry should hnve
been "Goncsls," only his father hod suf
fered such pangs of mind nt being cut
flown, by tho over-strengthening curt
noiw of British diction, into "Jenny
Crlpps," tbnt ho laid ms thumb to the
New Testament when his first man-child
wns born to him, nnd finding n fnther In
llko case qulto reliovcd of responsibility,
took it for n good sign, and npplicd his
nnmo triumphantly.
But though tho oldest born wns thus
transferred into tho Now cstnment, the
kocond son reverted to the proper dispen
tntlon; nnd the 0110 who went into the
niter's shop wns Exodus, n he ought
to bo. Tho children of the former Exo
flus were turned out testnmcntnrily, snve
those who wcro needed to carry the
bread out, till their cousin's boya should
be big enough
All of these doings were right enough,
ind everybody approved of them. Loviti
cub Crlpps wns tho lord of the swine,
and Numbers boro tho clenver, whib
Deuteronomy stuck to his last, when the
public houso could spnre him. There wns
only one moro brother of tho dominant
generation, whose name wns "Peiito
chook," nnd ho hnd been compendiously
kicked abroad to seek his own fortune
, right enrly
But ns for the daughters, for the mo
tnent It Is enough to say that all except
ono wero now forth and settled. Some
married f armors, some married trades
Oxford.
Zncchary Crlpps was n thoughtful
man, as well as n very kind-hearted one.
In the crown of his hat ho always car
ried n monthly calendar gummed on card
bnr."lt and opposlto almost every day ho
had dots, or round O's, or crosses. Each
of theso to his very steady mind meant
something not to bo neglected; nnd be
ing a pretty fair scholar, with the help of
over the verge of n stony iiouow, an
nnclent pit which hnd onco been worked
ns part of the quarries of Ileadlngton.
This hnd long been of bad reputo as a
haunted nnd ill-omened place; and oven
tho cnrrler himself, strong nnd rcsoluto
as he wns, felt no shame in whispering
when ho pnssed by In the moonlight. And
tho mync of the place was tho "Gipsy's
Grave." Therefore, as Esther Crlpps
hlo horso ho could mako out nearly every- npproaohed It, she was half inclined to
pht' o ho hod to call nt. So now ho look- Wljt nii i,,c )ierHCif in n bush or gap
od at the crumpet hoy, to receive nnd
rtbsorb his excitement, nnd then he tttrn-
ed to young Esther, nnd let her speak
first, n:i sho nlwnys liked to do.
"Oh, plensc to go back qulto as fast
ns you can," said Esther to the crumpey,
and .say that I shall be there beforo
you; or, at any rate, as soon as you arc.
And, Crumpey, there ought to be some
thing for you. Dear Zak, have you got
twopence?"
"Not I," snld tho cnrrler, "and if I
hnd It would do him n denl more harm
tlinu good. Huu nway down the hill, my
hid, nnd you conio to mo nt the Golden
Cross, perhaps as soon ns Saturday, and
I'll look In my bag for n halfpenny. Hun
nwny, hoy; run nwny, or tho bogles will
bo nfter you."
Tho bilker's boy felt thnt his luck wns
iiFkew upon this dny of bis existence, for
Comer Cripps was vexed much nt this
sudden ileum ml for his sister.
"Znk, what made you send tho boy
nwny?" Esthdr asked, when bIio enme
downstnlrs, with her bonnet nnd short
duck clonk on. "Of course, I am very
foolish, but he would have been sonic
littlo conipnny."
"There, now, I never thought of It!
I nm dolled, a' do bollcvo sometimes.
Tramp with you to tho Bur myscll, I
wull. Sarvo me right for a doiu' of It."
"Indeed, then, you won't," she answer
ed firmly. "There's a hard dny s work
for you, Znk, to-morrow, with nil the
Chrlstmns parcels, and your touch of
rheumntlcs so bad last week."
Why, bless tho chceld, I bo ns hearty
as over!"
"Of course you nre, Znk; of course you
arc, and think nought of a sack of po
tatoes. But If you declnro to come with
me one step, backwnrd is the only step
I tnkc."
Well, well," said the carrier, glad on
tho whole to escape n long walk nnd keep
conscience clenr; "when you sny a thing,
Etty, what good Is It? Hound these here
pnrts nouo would hnrm 'c. And none of
they furrlners bo nbout just now."
"Good night, Znk, good night, near,"
cried Esther to shorten departure, for
Crlpps was n man of a slow turn of
mind, nnd might go on for nn hour or
two; "I shall sleep there to-night, of
course, nnd meet you nt tho Golden Cross
to-morrow. When had.I best bo there?"
"Well, you know better than I do. It
might bo one o'clock, or It might be two.
or it might be hnlf past three n'most. All
you linvo to do Is this to leave word nt
tho bar, with Snlly Brown."
"I shall do nothing of the sort," she
answered; "I don't like cars, and I don't
like Miss Brown. I shall look In the
jnrd for the cart, brother."
'You'll do pretty much ns you like.
That much n' may bo sure of." But be
fore he could finish his exposition of his
sister's clinrncter, she was out of sight:
and ho dropped his grumble, nnd doubt
ed his mind nbout letting her go.
As Esther turned tho comer from the
Buckley In no Into tho road, the broad
coach road to Oxford, she met n wind
that knew Its mind coming over the crest
uf Shotovor, n stern enst wind thnt whis
tled sadly overtlie brown and barren
until a cart or wagon should come down
the hill behind her, or nn honest dniry
nian whistling softly to renssuro his
shadow, or . oven a woman no braver
thnn hcrstclf.
But neither nny cart enmo near, nor
nny other kind of company, only tho vio
lence of tho wind. So thnt the girl mndo
up her mind to put the best foot fore
most, nnd run through her terrors nt such
n pace that nono of them could lny hold
of her.
Through ynrds of dnrkness she skim
med tho ground without looking forwnrd,
or over her shoulders, or unywhorc, when
she could help it. And now sho wns
rendy to Inugh nt herself nnd her Btupld
fears, as sue caught through the trees
a glimpse of tho lights of Oxford, down
In the low land, scarcely more thnn n
mile unci n hnlf nwny from her. In tho
joy of relief sho was ready to jump nnd
pant without fear of tho echoes, when
suddenly something caught her cars.
This was not n thing nt first to be at
all afraid of; but only just enough to
nrouse n littlo curiosity. It seemed to
be nothing more or less than the steady
stroke of n pickax. The sound enmo
from the further corner of tho deserted
quarry, where a crest of soft nnd shingly
rock overhung n brinry thicket. Any per
son working there would be quite out of
sight from tho road, by reason of the
bend of the hollow.
Tho blow of the tool enmo dull nnd
heavy on the dark and frosty wind; nnd
Esther almost made up her mind to run
on, nnd tuic no need or it. aim so sno
would hnvo done, no doubt, if she hnd
not been n Cripps girl. But In this fam
ily firm and settled opinions hud been
hnnded down, concerning the rights of
property, the rights thnt overcome nil
wrongs, nnd outlivo death. Tho brother
Leviticus of Stow Wood had sown a
piece of waste at the corner of tho
device, with winter carrots for Ills herd
of Bwinc. The Innd being none of his
thus fur, his right so to treat it was
not established, and therefore likely to
bo nttacked by any rnpneious oncroncher.
Esther felt all theso things keenly, nnd
resolved to find out what wns going on.
To tills Intent she gnthercd in tho
skirt of her frock nnd the fulling of her
cloak, and fendin
will resist tho work of a saw hn
boon patented by a Philadelphia in
ventor. It has a num,ber of lor-gittid
Inal boles mar tho surface, wbld
aro filkd with filass. This Is ver
spverorn the siw, and is likely to
discourage the sawyer.
'iho Imp rlatlons of pig tin las
year wcro 08 000 000 pounds, agalntt
7,000.000 m 1800.
Chintse women nqver think of t aV
lnij tho halrploB out of their bait
when they ro to bd.
Compulsory clonnllnes3 prevails In
he public schods of Copenhagsn
Throe Mines a wotk tho pupils have
to batho at tho schools, and while
they aro disporting themselves In
tho swimming baths their clothes
are purified In steam ovens.
I uotlco that a reat many bnchr
lois aro adverlfslng for wives In
borne of the eastern pa pets.
Yes. I suppose there has never
been a Hmo when so many bncheiors
could almost support themselves.
Cleveland Plain Dialer.
COULDN'T LIFT' TEN"
VoUNDif
I)oan's Kidney Pill Ilronght Strent
mid Health to the SulTcrcr, Mnkin
Mm Feel Twenty-live Year YonniierJ
J. B. Corton,
fnrmer and lura
bermnn, of Dop
pe, N. C. sityi
"I Buffered for
years with my
bnck. It wns so
bnd that I could
not walk any dls-
tnnce nor even
ride In an easy)
buggy. I do not
believe I could)
have rnlsed ten!
j. b. cokton. pounds of weight
from the ground, the pain wns so se-'
vere. This was my condition when I
began using Doan's Kidney Pills, luey
quickly relieved me, nnd now I amj
nnvor trnnhtfwl nn T wns. M.V buck Isl
strong nnd I can walk or ride a lonrf
distance nnd feel hist ns strong ns D
illrl fwnntv-flvn vent's niro. I think SOI
much of Donn's Kidney Pills tbnt D
bave given u supply of the remedy toj
some of my neighbors, nnd they nav
also found good results. If you can
sift anything from this rambling notd
that will be of nny service to you, or.
Mcro tailent, to a literary roan to nny one suffering from kidney trou-
. 1.1- L. 111. i nn
Isn't worth more than buff a 7. muto
iiz lively impudense; no man oiU'ht
to rhain himself to a pon and Ink
stand unless ho haz yot genius.
Yu kan learn vlrtow oun ov the
Kiitcklsm, but to understand vlco vu
lav to mix in with It Just a little.
I (font- think that ennyone ha7.
ever roullzed the amount- ov hap
piness or misery ho anticipated.
In Sweden bricks ate laid in zero
weather by heating the sand for tho
mortar.
h1c Your Denier fnr Allen' Foot Knt.
A powder to shake Into your shot's. It
rests the feet. Cures Corns, Bunions,
Swollen, Sore, Llot, Cnllous, Achiug,
Sweating feet nud Ingrowing Nails.
Allen's Ftiot-Ease makes new or tight
shoes easy. Sold by all druggists and
lioe stores, 25c. Sample mallfd FHEE.
Address Allen S. Olmsted. Le Itojr. N. Y.
ble von nre nt liberty to do so.'
A THIAL FREE Address Foster
Mllburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. For aalal
by nil dealers. Price 00 cts.
Ur clo Josh You've beard of thorn
agricultural ci-lleizes, haven't you?
Uncle Silas Yes. but what do thoji
amount to? I read whero (no of
them graduatod lot of fellers tbq
other day and not one of them 14
wlllln'to tako up farmin' ns an od
cupatlon.
Dncle Josh Well, that kind ol
looks as if they'd learned a Rood dea!
rbont It Siircpss.
At tho burial of a South London
man his six dogs, draped in black,
followed tho cortege.
Tho density or relative population
of Uuba 's nearly the same as that Lf
tho United States.
Mrs. Wliihlow SOOTHING YKUP for 'hll
(Iron cthing, sottem tho gutns.reducea inflkJ
matin .nMayoimli' cure collo Price 2Ao bottle.
The sin plus of the Western UniorJ
Telegraph Company has risen, ai
shown by tho reports Just issued, tl
813, G19 000.
Tound Gold in Nebraska.
Investor In Nebraik i Roal Eitate will And
this true. Now Is tho time to get In on thl
ground Moor. Wo huvo sorao choice lntetttnonU,
Write us tor further Information.
Srhunncher Jame, Orleans, Nob
"I had Inflammatory Mieumt!sm bat lam well J p...i u.lHo j nnn
naw.ttiMikito Dp David Kennedy'. Karorlte Remedy. I Great Bl"lan Sponds $112,500,000
it's my hcit friend." Carrett Lunelns Troyi N.V. ; yoar On tile Support Of tbo pOOB
Sweden sent tbree-quartors of four 8 does not lncludo Pvate obaii
muion gruss ryxes of matches Ira- r u,cs
ported Into this country last year.
Salscr'M Home Ballfler Corn.
So named because 50 acres prouueed bo
heavily, thnt its proceeds built a lovely
home. See Salter's catalog. Yielded in.
Ind. 157 bu., Onio 1C0 bu., Tenn. 108 bu.,
nnd in Mich. 220 bu. per acre. You can
bent this record in 1005.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OP TIlESfO YIELDS?
120 bu. Beardless Barley per acre.
310 hii. Rnlznr'n Nfw Nntionnl Oats Tier A.
tho twigs from her j BO bu. Sidzer Speltz and Macaroni Wheat.
men, ono took a miilcr'B eldest son, ono fields, and bitterly piped In the rondw
bad a gcntlemnn moro or less, but nil
with expectations. Only the youngest
wus still in tho tilt, n very pretty girl
tailed Esther.
All P.eckley dcclnred that Esther's
heart hnd been touched by n college Ind,
who camo Homo live yearn since to lodge
with Zncchnry for tho long vncation, nnd
wns wnlted on by this young girl, sup
posed to bo then unrlpo for dreaming
9t the tender sentiment That a girl
of only fifteen summers should allow her
thoughts to stray, contrary to all com
mon sense, nnd her duty to her betters,
cor no other renson tnnn that n young
rutin nto nnd drunk with lesa nolno than
tho Crinnsos, and went on nbout the
moonlight nnd tho stars, nnd the rubbishy
things In tho hedges thnt n child like
int should know no better than to mix
with a nentlemnn said with his Inner snow, nnd how sho longed to bo sittlnir
meaning put It right or left It showed with n cup of "Aunt Exie's" cnudlo In
Ifcat Boniothing was amlsa witn lier. uow- mo snug room noxc io mo oaKciiousc, or
nrer. tho women would sny no moro until how glnd bIio would be to get only as far
k was nulled out of them. To mix or us the first houso of St. Clement's, to see
ay.
To the chill of this blast the sere oak-
leaves shivered in the dusk, nnd rattled;
the gray nsh saplings bent their unked
length to get nwny from It; nnd the surly
stubs of the hedge went to and fro to
one nnother. Tho slimy dips of the path
began to rib themselves, liko the fronds
of fern, nnd to shrink Into wrinkles nud
nlnowy knobs; whilo the broader puddles.
though slurred by tho breeze, found the
network of Ice veiling over them. This,
as it crusted, began to bo capable of a
consistent quivering, with n frail infini
tude of splkelots, crossing, and yet enr
rying into ono nnother.
Esther Crlpps took littlo heed of these
things, or of nny other In tho mntter of
vtonthor, except to say to herself now
nnd then how bitter cold the wind was,
and that filie, foared It would turn to
eyes nnd bonnet, quietly slipped through
a gap in the Uqilge. rue heavy sound
of the pickax censed, ns she enme nenr
and nearer, and the muttering of rough
voices made her shrink into a nook nnd
listen.
"Tell 'e, I did see zununnt moving,"
said a man whom she could dimly mnko
out on the beetling ndgo nbove her, by
the light of the clenring eastern sky; "a
zummat moving down yonncr, 1 tell "e."
"No patience, I hain't no patience with
'o," answered n tnllor ninn coming for
ward, and speaking with n guttural
twang. "Skcary Jem Is your name nnd
ilalurf. Gio mo the pick if thee beest
aveared. Is this job to bo finished to
night, or not?"
In a short or n long time, ns she still
lay hid and dnred not show her faco
above the gorso tuft, n sound of sliding
nnd fnlling shnle hcnvlly shook her ref
uge. She drew herself closer nnd clnspod
her hands beforo her eyes, nnd cowered,
expecting to bo killed nt least. And then
she peeped forth, to know what it wns
about. She never had harmed any mor
tal body; why should oho be frightened
soV
In tin. catch "of the breath which comes
when sudden courngo makes gulp at un-
ceitulnty, she lifted herself by n stiff old
root, to know tho very worst of It. Better
almost to bo killed and bo done with
thnn bear tho heart pang of thin terri
ble fear. And there sho snw n thing thnt
struck her bo nback with amazement
that evry timid sense was mute.
Whother the sky had begun to shea n
hovering light, or the girl's own eyes
spread and bred n power of vision from
their nervous dllntlon at nny rnte. she
saw In tho dnrkness what sho had not
seen till now. It wan the body of a
young woman lying, only with white
things round it, in the Dlacli corner,
with gravel nnd earth nnd pieces of rock
rolling down on it. Thero wns nothing
I hay used Ploo'a Cure for Oonaumn
tlon with good results. It la all right.-!
John W. Henry, Box 642, Foatoria, Ohla
Oct. 4, 1001.
The peat bogs of Ireland oou'd gl
an annual output cf 100,000 electrll
horsc-powor for toe next 1,250 years
TO CURE A COL.D IN ONK DAT
rak LaxMv6 Droroo Quinine Tablets. A
IruirtrtstH refund the money If ll fulls to aura
Y- W. Oroya's signature la on each twv. 25a
Warfare between the sexes exisb
in Kncxville, Tenn. A gamb'Ini
house there was recently raided anj
a number of well-known young mei
wero arrested. The cirls of the citj
j (iemtod that the p dice mako publi
cue names of the men, threatening
to cut the olTend rs' acquaintance.
The men have asked tho haiidresseri
of the town to publish the nanus oi
1.000 bu. Pedicrce Potatoes per acre
It tons of rich Billion Dollar Grass Hay.
C0.0C0 lbs. Victoria Rape for sheep per A.
100,000 lbs. Teosinte. tho fodder wonder.
5i,000 lbs. Sahcr's Superior Fodder Corn
rich, juicy ioddcr, per A.
Now such yields you can have in 1905,
if you will plant my seeds.
just bi:nd Tins notice: and lOo
in etamns to John A. Snlzer Seed Co., La
f1frto c-r nml rnnnivn 4lmii frrrnf Pfltn
log and lots of larmseed samples. IO. N. U.J till the. pl'N whn yyenr "gwi ehis.,l
There are Many Imitations of
aker's Cocoa
meddlo with tho Crlppsea was like put- tho lnmpa nnd tho lights In the shops, and to frighten n eenslblo person now that
fcing one's fingers Uio n steel trap. bo quit of this dreary loneliness. For
When nnother child was boru to hlin now It must bo threo market days since
Mr. Bxodus sent up the crumpet boy all tearful rumors .oegnn to stir In soveral
tJhe way from Brond street In Oxford to neighboring villages, which made even
Kooklev to bee nnd lmoloro Miss Esther strong men discontent with solitude to-
Orinns to come down. And the crumpet wards nightfall; and as for the women
bor. being short of brenth, became so just now poor Eather would rather not rs to dopnrt.
. -V . l 1.. I (l.L.lr ,vf f fliav .lnnlnt.n.1 T .11 TV
tho worst wns known perhaps. Every
body must bo burled nt somo time. Why
should she bo frightened so?
Ilowovor, Esther Cripps fell faint, nud
lay in that stato long onough for tons
of burying rock to fall, and secret bury-
fi1 of nowcr thnt the carrier scarcely think of what they declared. It was all
irtiw what to do In tlio teeth or so ur- very wen io preieuu io aount it, win a
cent a messnge. For ho had mndo qulto hanging tho clothes out, or turning the
. . . k . 1 . A
n pet or his youngest sister, nnu mo
twenty venrs ol ago uotwixt tnem mop-
rcd tho gap of rivalry. It was gottlng
... .a Mi
nnlto Into In the afternoon vrnon tho
crumpet boy knocked at tho carrlor's
d0T. It certainly was an Bulucky thing
mangle; but ns for laughing, out hero In
the dnrk, nnd n mllo nwny from tho near
est houso! How that white owl fright
ened horl
Being a sensible nnd bravo girl, sho
forced her mind nB well ns sho could into
brrt the 4f of tho week sfccvlJ be Tncs ntficr channel, aai lifted the cover of
(To bo continued.)
Most liikoly.
"It Is said," romarked tho man with
tho quotation habit, "that a king can
do no wrong."
"Thnt saying," roplied tho wise guy,
"probably originated with a man who
hold fonr aces." imgor Kovn
and
aker's Chocolate
Don't be misled by them!
every
Our trade-mark is on
package of genuine goods.
Under the decisions of several
United States Courts, no
other chocolate or cocoa than
Walter Baker fl? Co.'s is en
titled to be sold as "Baker's
uokfttiTadc.Maik Cocoa" or "Baker's Chocolate"
Our handsomely illustrated recipe book
sent free.
Walter Baker & Co. Ltd.
Established t70 Dorchester, Massachusetts
45 Highest Awards in Europe and America
1 a.V- .t- -t
