t ,
f
t
CRIPPS. TH
ti Y
R. D. BLACKMORE
AHtliorof "LORNA DOONE," "ALICE LORR AI N 13," ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER XXI.
Now being newly inspired by that
warm .licologlan-as Miss l'atch really
bullovod lit tit to bo Luke Sharp, the lady
felt oiipablo of n bold stroke, which her
conscience luul seemed to cry out ngalnst,
till loftier thoughts enlarged It. Shu
delivered to her (lour niece a letter, writ
ten in pale ink ninl upon strange pnpor,
which she drew from a tucker onefad
dressed to herself, and received "through
their buleher" from a postotflco. Won
dering who their butcher waH, , ln t de
listed to set her dear father's letter,
Grace ran away to devour it.
U wns dated from George Town, Eng
lish Oulana, and though full of affection,
shliwed 'touching traces of delicate health
and despondency. The poor girl wiped
her eyes at her father's tender loimitiK
to sco her once more, and bin en most
prayer for every blessing upon their In
valuable friend, Miss Patch. Then he
spbko of himself in n manner which
mudu It impossible for her to keep her
eyes wiped, so deep was his sadness, and
yet no heroically did he attempt to con
ceal It from her; ami then came a few
Hues, which surprised llier greatly. He
laid that a little bird had told him that
during her strict retirement from the
world, in accordunee with -his wishes, she
had learned to esteem a most worthy
young man, for whom he had always folt
warm regard, and, he might oven say,
nlTcctlon. lie doubted whether, at his
own time, of life, and with this strange
lu uglier creeping over him, he could ever
bear the voyage to England, unless his
little darling would come over to fetch
him, or at least to behold him once more
.nllvo; and If she would do so, she must
Indeed be quick. He need not say that
to dream of lier traveling so far all alone
was Impossible; but If, for the sake c
her father, she could dispense with some
old f rnuillties, and speedily carry out
their mutual choice, he might with his
whole heart appeal to her husband to
bring her out by the next packet.
Ilu said little more, except that ho had
learned by the. bitter teaching of ndver
'sity who were Ills true friends, and who
wer false. No one had shown any
truth and reality except Mr. Sharp of
Oxford; but he never could have dream
ed, till It came to the test, that even
tho lowest of the low would treat him
ob young Mr. Overshuto had done. That
subject was too painful, so he ended with
another adjuration to his daughter.
"Aunty, I have hnd tho most extraor
dinary letter," cried Grace, coming In
with her eyes quite dreadful; "It aston
ishes mo beyond everything. May I see
tho postmark of yours which it came in?
1 shall think 1 am dreaming till I see
tho postmark."
'"The stamp of tho otllce, do you mean,
my dear? O, yes, yon are welcome to
nee, Grace. Here it is, 'George Town,
Demerara.' The date is not quite- clear
Without my spectacles. Those foreign
dies are always cut so badly."
"Never mind tho date, aunt. I have
the date Inside, in my dear father's writ
ing. Hut I am quite astonished how my
-father can have heard "
"Something about you, sly little puss.
Ton need not blush so, for 1 long have
guessed it."
"But Indeed it la not true Indeed, it is
not. I may have been amused, but 1 nov
er, .never and oh, what he says then .of
somebody elsu such a thing I should
have thought impossible How can One
have auy faith In any ono?"
"My dear child, what you mean Is this:
How can one have any faith In worldly
people? With their mouths they speak
deceit; the poison of asps is under their
lips "
"Oh, no, to see him walk would show
you that; and if being good to the poor
sick people, and dashing into tho, middle
of tho whooping cough "
"How am 1 to know of whom you
speak? ' You appear to have acted In
n very forward way with some ono your
futher disapproves of."
"I ahsure you, I never did anything
of thu kind. It is not at all my manner.
1 thought you considered it wrong to
make unfounded accusations."
. ."Grace, what do you mean, if you
: iploase?"
!, . "I mean what I do not please. I mean
to that I have been here at least five
, mouths, as long as any fifty, and have
i put up with tbo miserablest things that
' I am to marry a boy with a red cord
down his legs, and a crystal in his whip,
nnd a pretty faco that seems to come
-from his mamma s watch pocket, and a
rery nice and gentle way of looking at a
-lady, as if he were quite capable, if he
had tho opportunity, of saying 'lio' to any
ooso on tho other side of the river."
"MV dear, do you prefer bold rutllans,
then, like the?. vagabond you wero res
cued from?"
; " "T don't know at all what I do prefer,
Aunt I'ateh, unless it is Just to bo left to
uiy,elf, and have nothing to say to any
one, Somehow or other now I do not
mean to bo wicked, aunt but I don't
think my tnther ever wrote tlmt lette
,,, I , mean, at any rate, of his own free will,
Somebody must have stood over him I
feel as if I really saw them and made
him say this, and that, and things that
vlbe uever used to think of saying. Why,
T ho" hover Would hnre dreamed, when ho
' Was woll. of telling nio I was to marry
I KmIv TTn wnu un tn.nlniiM nf mo lin
could hardly bear any gentleman to dare
to smile: and ho used to make me prom
lso to begin to lot him know five years
before I thought of any one. Anil now
for him to tell mo to marry In n week
Juat as If ho was putting down a silver
ado to saltand to marry a boy that he
r .auk ru
---
scarcely ever heard of. nnd never even
introduced to me lie must have been, he
cannot but have been, either wonderful
ly affected by the climate, or shackled
down in a slave driver's dungeon, until
he had no idea what lie was about.
"Have you finished, Grace, now? Is
your violence over
'No; I have no violence; and it is not
half over. , Hut still, if you wish to say
anything, I will do nil I can to listen
to it."
"Vou hnve made my head i e sadly.
Leave your father's letter he - "
"Oh, no, If you please, let take it
with me. How can I think without it ?
Miss Patch was so sleepy that she
said, "Very well; let me see it again
when you have made the tea. V here-
upon (.race, having beaten up the cush-
oil in u.c koi m.i, i i, mint .......
aid her down softly, and kissed her fore-
head, stole her own chance for a little
quiet thought, in a shelter of the woods,
..... ..Ct ll.Hl. I. Hia num. I
",U1U m- ,,ul," "' ders, so that himself might bo still tin
nier was coming with a stride of light; S(,ent ,f conapioUf!ness Bhoul( rcUlrn soon,
and bashful corners, full of lateness, Hnck Georgc tuckwl tho foct ,1(pr i,iB
triiMl to ease it off with moss. ,., -.,, ., ,.. iin tuu
In a nook of this kind, far from any
path, nnd tenderly withdrawn into its
own green rest, the lonely and bewildered
girl stopped suddenly and began to
uimK. me neauuiui iiguc oi me gianc-
ing day turned corners, and came round
to her; the lovable Joy of the many, many
tlilngs which there is no time to notice,
spread itself silently upon the air, or told
itself only in fragrance; and the glossy
young blades of grass stood up, and
complacently measured their shadows.
Here lay Grace for a long sad hour,
taking no heed of tin- things around her,
liowever much they heeded her. I he
v.iiue wiiiu newer wun us (iroupui- ih-iim,
and the bluebell, and thu harebell, and
till IHlHdlll' ilnwoi' noricl ()f llll Klf!
I'miIh 1II;,.wImo flio .Ii.Hciitn MtitcliWDrl.
and tho breath of the lingering primrose,
and the white violet that outvies its sis-
tor in f rii prntir n,..i niu-lfv fitwl l.i.linp
for Its life, without, any one to seek, the
sensitive wood-sorrel; and, in and out,
and behind them all, the cups, and the
Hf-nntrH. nmi ih. lmiin rf num. mill tlm
shells and the combs of lichen in the
middle of the whole, this foolish mnid ugs mig it go on nil tne Hotter witn
luifl tint nno flmnt-li , tlirnu- tn tli..m. out him; it is likely enough that his
What she was thinkinir of she never
. ,.
could hfiv.. tnld! orP,Mit tlmt hIio lmd n
oiip oKnr nn hor InT, nnil ponl.1 not
' 1 I
brina- lior mind in IK And I... in the
iiiii.w ui..n .,,...,.4i. .m,.,.. r.f
the evening frlngeil with cloudlets, she
was fairer than any of the buds or flow-
ers, and over so much larger. Hut she
could not be allowed to bloom like them,
"Oh, I beg pardon," cried an unseen
stranger in a very clear, keen voice; "I
fear I am Intruding in some private
grounds. I wns making n short, cut,
which generally is a long one. if you
will just show me how to get out again,
I will get out with all speed, and thank
you.
Grace looked around with sun.rlst. but
no fear. She knew that the voice was a
gentleman's: but until sbo cot un nnd
looked up the little hollow, she could
not see any one. "Please not 'to be
frightened," said the gentleman again; "I
deserve to bo punished, perhaps, but not
to thnt extent. I fancied that I knew
overy copse In the' county. I have proved,
and must suffer for my iirnorance."
An ho snoko hee nine forward mi n
little turfy ledge, about thirty feet above
her; and siio saw that he looked at her
with great surprise. She felt that she
had been crying very sadly, and this
might have made her eyes look strange.
Quite as if by accident, she let her hair
drop forward, for sho could not bear to
bo so observed; and nt that very moment
t hero owed n c ciim of suns i n., tlirmn-1.
it. She was the very painting of the pic-
turo In her father's room.
Snlnts in benvP,,!" nrlnd m.,,l.....
who ifever went further than this in
. ... ..... v..... IIIUI,IIW II J
amazement, "I have found Grace Og-
lander. Mop it you please I beseech
you, stop!
But Graco was so frightened, and so
pledge-bound, that no adjurdation stoo
ped her. If Hardenow had only been
less eager, there and then ho might have
made his bow, and introduced himself.
But Gracio thought of the rabbit man.
and her promise, and her loneliness, and
without looking back, sho was round the
corner, and not a ribon loft to trace her
by. And now again If Hardenow had
only been less eager, he might have
caught the fair fugitive by following in
her footsteps. Hut for such a simple
course as that he was much too cleveK
Instead of running down at once to tho
spot where she had vanished, and thence
giving chase, he must needs try a cross
out to intercept her.
Chances wero against him. Ho had an
exceedingly strong will of his own nnd
having had tho worst of this matter so
far, he was doubly resolved to go through
with It. witiiout n second thought, he
ran back to tho spot which he had left
so unadvisedly. There ho did what he "Woll, thoro Is a lump of smoke com
ought to lmve done ten minutes' or a lng from your kitchen windows and I
beou occupied by Grace. Then he took to
the track which she had taken: but she
had been much too quick for him; she
had oven snatciied up her letter, so that
he was none the wiser. He came to u
spot whero tho narrow and thickly woven
. m m . a - .
moment's doubt to mm, Then he seem-
ed to see Bonie glint of footsteps,' 'and
BWAon of soft snruva bv n ,ren tnwnr,i.
tho right; and making a dash through a
dark hole towards It, was straightway
I enveloped In a doublod rabbit net, cast
over his hat.
"Hold 'un tight, .fargo, now thou'st got
'un," criod out somebody whom he could
not see, "poachin' us'll poach 'un I"
"Poaching my good friends," cried
Hardenow, trying to lift his arms and
turn his head round, but all vainly; "ya
can Kcarcoly know the meaning of T t
word, or you never would think ot npp
lug it to nie. Lot me hco you, tha i
may explain. I have bean trespassing
I am afraid; but by tho purest ueeldcm
allow mo to turn round and rcaso"
quietly. I hnve the greatest objection l
violence; 1 never use, nor allow it to be
U'-od. if you are honest gamekeepers,
exceeding your duty through earnest zual,
I would bo tho hist to find fault with
you; want of earnestness Is the great
fault of this age. Hut you must not
allow yourselves to be misled, ion are
puling me! you are exceeding your duty!
Is the bucolic mind so deuuo.' Here I
am at your mercy Just show yourselves.
Y() n chok) lm, if ,1'(.( ,It tl0
.... ... ..,, V01l wIh ais0
be choked yourselves."
A rare fine plucked one as ever I heo,
said r.ibbitlng George to Leviticus Cripps,
when Hardenow lay between them,
senseless from the pressure on his throat;
CI8e hlm off n b, ,nf( h(? nover
(,OIUl f) hnrm to ni(, a'hoy. lon-contol
pnrHUI1H is ft d oI(1 W01Ilcn. j,Iiy hold
r ht cn(J fomnos( zoon tls , h(ive 8top.
.,,. j,rncilinK. Di,j ever yo ee
HUoh Qut of ft bnrrow?
irnl,Tr....t,i mii,Ud ...n.i .... nnnr.
mt ,n,(1 h ,d f t, captlvo by ahoi.
thcso two lgnornnt bu,n,)kiK 8Wung the
. ,, Birila r ti,
vMng tQ (he h h
Thonwa nnnlenow was not the man
(0 ,)0 1(J illS(.IIsibIe. 13v0Py nber of
frnn,- .na .,. , ,nfr,- 1If., Uo
wn8 ., tjltroto usc n Hinng expros-
8, whc, , soinft wondrolw ccident,
ft liUo ,th ,n ithl ft,)0llt two n)iu.
utcs. mt a b,t of h,m wns nb3ent. (UU,
,10 Bhowed 5t by hllUBinB ni;0 lump upon
beiirrjl nH ,hnv f,.,,.!,,.,! i.iui to an
(,mpty hQ droppcl him anyhow,
,, Iocked ,lim jn. tll(,n ono of them
Jmnm an a mu, lorBO and galloped off
. . ()vford
CIIA1 IbU AAIl
fliennwmie, at (. ross uuck uouse,
wcro becoming, from hour to hour,
more crlticnl and threatening. If Mr,
Shnr could only have believed that his
son wnfl now 11 m". or nt lenst 8hou,.f)
bo treated as though he were; and if
nftcr that, the too active lawyer could
Yn mivo o"11 11 P"Binic nine somo
, , . , , I
kuuiw aim gaiiam. devices wouici mivo
8Iletl more easily.
TI..I T ..!.. til 1. 1 . .11.!..
"u- oimrp nao governed ins own
Httlo world so long tlint. he scarcely
Could Imngiue serious rebellion. And ho
c,ircu oc 10 "1('c 111S mrK conicmpt tor
thc Intel ect of Christopher, or the gnev-
ce wnicn lie had always lelt at being
tj10 .ftllt;r " u donkey, -md so, without
"irt ler probation or pledge, tie went
1Hriu 10 mKU ms own arrangements,
it'.ivniK j oniiK ivil hi iiim inoiiier a ennrge,
like a dummy, to be stroked down and
dressed.
If he hnd left Kit but an hour before,
for his mother to tell him everything, and
round the corners, and smooth the levels,
n,1(1 it nil up in delicious romance
flH women do so easily, with their power
f believing whatever they wish, the boy
'"M" lmve Jumped at the soft, sweet
bait; for he verily loved his sylvan maid,
llllt now 11 hIs v5rtue ,uuI courage, and
even temper, wore on the outlook; nnd
"ly 0110 thing more was needed to drlvo
h,m to n despcrute resolve,
A(1 that ono thing wns supplied in
the purest innocence by Mrs. Sharp
though the question would never have
Inm, if her son had been left to her
8010 "mulling.
"'Then, mother, I suppose," said Kit
nfi M'upiy as u ne. uau smeueii no rat
whatever, thoroughly as ho understood
t,,,lt rac! "I 1 s,10ld be fortunate
Plough to marry beautiful Miss Oglandor,
we sunn live on nrenu ami cneese, until
11 H,,1UI P'ensc u,c senior people to no
reconciled, and help us?"
. ?. V,ml "re 'ou tlkillR of,
child? Tho lady bus 20,0001. of her own
ud 1 50,0001. to follow, which nobody
can tako from her."
With n very heavy heart he turned
away. iNotning snore was required to
settle him. Ho saw tho wholo business
of tho plotting now; and tho young ro
mance was out of it. Ho went to tho
bow-window looking on the lane, and felt
himself akin to n little rngainuffln, who
was cheating all the other boys at mar
bles. Hard bitterness and keen misery
were battling in ins mind which should
bo the first to hnvo.lts way, and spenk.
"Tills comes oi being a lawyer's son!"
n? cr,BUJ. ,l tC . V? . 1(1
Kl J ll?,J T ?h?. "I1.1 that
"J? d,1 1 c,ed the ,aw 1 Aon t ,U"like' 1
he cried, turning round for ono bad
(To b continued.)
She Knew It.
"Madam,' said tho boy, ns the lady
of the 1,01180 nntfweml hls "S nt tho
front (loor "you kmnv Wlllt whoro
there Is smoke there must be somo Are,
don't you"
"Yes. hubby."
1 now meT0 1H' My nUHbI wm
u "lul went uway thJs morning
without kissing me and I hnve Just
knocked a barrel to piece nnd Bplit
up the mixing board and started a Are
to bring him back on tho ruu. Much
A 1 Vrf lit1 it
awu,
" I i T
When a young man begins, to call on
a Brl twlco week h,s mother feara
the worst.
Orchid Worth $5,000.
Tho Cjprlpcdlum Falrrloanum Is
ono of tho rarest orchids in the world.
It wns Introduced Into England some
fifty yenrs ngo, nnd nt ouo timo wns
comparatively woll known, but sub
sequently It died out nnd Is now to all
intents nnd purposes n thing of the
past. Ono tiny scrnp Is still known
to exist In Rnglnnd, ns well ns four
equally small pieces In Purls, but as
flowering plants nil specimens of th.
orchid hnve disappeared, nllko in the
collections of Europe and In tho Bo
tanic Gardens of C'ulcuttu, where also
they once flowered. For some yenrs a
a $5,000 oRcnm.
Arm of orchid growers In St. Albnns,
England, has had n standing offer of
n reward of 1,000 for a healthy speci
men of the orchid, and ns the plant
originally came from tho almost Inac
cessible wilds of Bhotan, among the
lofty Himalayas, these regions have
for many years been searched by ad
venturous spirits anxious to gain the
reward. It is now announced that the
search has been successful, and the
lucky finder, when ho lands his plants
In England In good condition, will ro
colvo the prize of 1,000.
For Hen and Chicks.
While there are several forms of
coops for tho old lien nud her chicks,
says the Indianapolis News, thc ono
built on the well-known lines, a full
span, Is generally considered the most
desirable, although there are several
ways of Improving this old affair. One
of the main troubles with the old coop
is thnt It was not always dry, a se
rious defect when ono considers how
harmful dampness is to young chicks.
This may be prevented ns well as pre
venting tho warping of tho boards If
the two strips placed across tho top
are lapped, as shown at Fig. 0 In tho
illustration.
Then ventilation may be supplied
by placing a number of fmall holes
In tho peak of the roof vrc tho back
'and in front, covering u similar place
with flno wire netting, doubled as
shown In the illustration nnd at thc
point B. This wlro will keep out ver
min ns well. The lower part of the
Jcoop Is so arranged that a small door
inny be readily opened when it la nec
essary to let tho old hen out, and yet
sho cannot get It loose herself; the
2 f''
OUEAP CU1CICEN COOP.
slats are placed far enough apart so
that tho chicks can go In and out at
will and they should be plnced wldo
apart so thnt no chango will need to
bo made as tho chicks grow. A little
moro lumber and brains put In the
making of coops for chickens would
mnko the old hen moro comfortable
and prevent many of tho chickens
from dying of roup.
Feedinit Slloce to Cowb,
Many cows will like allage the first
timo they tasto It; a fow will mlnco
at it for a few feeds, but for a few
feeds only. It Lb best not to feed too
heavily to a cow Just learning to eat
It. I have had cows eat greedily of it
tho first fow feeds and then become
turned against It, but a little bit In
their trough for a fow feeds and they
ro all. right again. For a cow, though,
which Is used to it, nothing under
eighteen or twenty pounds to a feed
will gorge her. Cor. Farmers' Guide.
Keep n Sheep Hog.
Every farmor who has a flock of fit
ty or moro sheep ought to keep a gooi
shepherd dog. He Is worth a big prlcf
in tho first place, and will earn hit
cost every year In Bavlng sheep nn
lambs nnd In doing tho work of a man
Their intelligence Is almost human nnj
they will tako solo care of a llock o
sheep, spending every day and nigh)
with them If nllowed to do so. It ij
betler, however, to put the sheep In an
Inclosuro at night, and relievo the doj .
from tho care of watching them. In
tho morning he may bo sent out wtf.li
them, and he will herd them on nnj
Held of lnnd or keep them within nnj
bounds Indicated.
The fidelity of thc shepherd dog hlr
remarkable. In Colorado one night-1
last winter a herder brought his fiocki
and hurried to his cabin to cook him
self somo supper, for he wus moro than
usually hungry. But he missed tb
dog, which usuully followed hlm to tin
cabin of an evening to hnve her supi
per. Tho herder thought It ratnei
strange, but made no search for tin
dog that night. But when he went
down to tho corrals thc next mornln
ho found tho gate open nnd the falth
ful dog standing guard over tho flocka
Tho border In his haste tho night bo
fore hnd forgotten to close tho gatq
nnd tho dog, more faithful thnu hel
master, had remained nt her post all
night, though suffering from .hungci
and thirst.
On nnother occasion this same do
was left to watch a flock of sheep neai
the herder's cabin while the herdei
got his supper. After ho had eaten
his supper he went out to where tin
sheep wero and told the dog to pul
tho sheep In the corral. This she ro
fused to do, and, although she hnd
no supper, sho started off over tin
prairie as fast as she could go. Tin
herder put the sheep In the corral nnd
went to bed. About midnight ho wai
awakened by the loud barking of a doj
down by the corral. He got up,
dressed himself and went down to th
corral, and there found the dog wlti
a band of fifty sheep which hnd
strayed off tho previous day wlthoul
tho herder's knowledge; but the pool
dog knew it, nnd also knew that thej
ought to be corralcd, and she did It
A well-bred shepherd dog tin
Scotch collie, if bred from workini
stock, Is tho best will cost from $2!
to $50, but thoy aro worth it anj
timo.
Stock-Proof Open Gnte.
The drawing will give you an ldei
how much time nnd worry can bt
saved If you havo cattle or horses In
the pasture and through which man?
walkers paBs daily. It takes only oni
extra panel of fence. Simply place a
panel (0) ono nnd one-hnlf foot pas
Y
STOOK-rnooF oate.
first post In pnnel D and panel E tht
same distance, but letting 0 be on on
side, whllo E Is on tho other, and at
tho same time leave room enough
through which ono person may pasr
with ense. As panel D fits in betwees
0 and E, it becomes Impossible for i
horse or cow to pass. A shows the en
trance and B tho outlet. The mail
reasons why I sny it is better thnn i
gale aro as follows: 1. It Is alwayi
open to people and Is shut to horsei
and cows. 2. If you had a gate In lb
placo It would so often be loft open
by careless, Indifferent, thoughtlesi
people. 3. It Is much easier to raak
or keep in good shape than a gato.
Some may say that there Is no need
of either, but If you did not hnv
some handy opening through which
walkers could easily pass thoy would
climb over your fenco and then you
would soon have two or three planki
off, and probably broken. Farm Joun
nal.
Poultry Pickings.
It Is not always the fat hen that b
comes broody.
The scratching hen gives her chlcki
much exercise.
Pullets hatched now will come In foi
lato Bummer layers.
Give tho wholo wheat to thp hen an4
soft feed to the chicks.
Drlvo .the young under shelter dui
ing sudden showers of rain.
Try a camphor ball for lice. Plac
ono In each nest as you set the hen.
Wholo corn, grit and fresh water art
the best faro for tho sitting hen.
The fact that the hen Is laying Is ,5f
sign that sho wants to Icavo her younf?
Keep food constantly before the sib
ting hen so sho can help herself at
will.
Thirteen eggs In early spring and flf
teen during lato spring and summet
are largo enough slttfugs.
Whitewash the Interior of your coojty
and sprinkle carbolatcd lime on tin
floor. This disinfection drives awaj V
lice.
Covered runs aro a protection frow
hawks, cata or dogs. They should b
moved to fresk plots of grass eacl
weak.