41
l ltll PS. THE CARRIER
KM
R. D. BLACKMORE
Author of "LORN A DOONE," "ALICE LORR AI N B," ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER XXII. (Continual.)
"So you inny, my dour boy, ami wol
come now. This will lift you altogether
beyond it. iota dear fntlicr may con
wider It IiIk duty to continue the office,
nnu ho on. Hut you will be a country
gentleman, Kit, witii horses, ami dogq,
tind Mnnton guns, and n puck of hounds,
nnu a long barouche, and hot-house
.grapes. And I will come and live Willi
you, my darling; or at least make our
country house of it, and show you liow
to manage tiling. For the wholo world
will bo trying to client you, Kit; you
nro too Kood-naturod, and grand in your
waj'Hl You must try to he a little sharp
er, darling, with that mint of money."
"Must IV Hut suppose that I won't
have itV"
. "Sometimes 1 believe you think it mall
ly to provoke your mother. The money
ought to have boon ours, Kit; mine by
heritage and Justice; at leust a year and
a half ago. Now I hope that you nee
niSjifn in their jiroper light."
"Well, I dare nay I do' he answered,
with a little turn of sulkiness such iih
Jjo often got when people could not un
derstand him; "mother, you will allow
mo to have my own opinion, aH you have
yours."
"You will behave, I trust, exactly as
your parentH wish. They have seen bo
much more of the world than you have,
they are far better judges of right, and
wrong; und their only desire is your high
est interest. You will break your poor
mother's heart, dear Kit, If you do any
thing foolish now."
Mr. Sharp did not como home to their
arly dinner at half-pnBt one o'clock; In
deed, his Wife did not expect Iilm much;
and his son was delighted not to nee him.
Kit sat heavily, but look his food as
usual. The condition of his mind might
bo very sad indeed; but bib body was
not to bo driven thereby to neglect the
duties of its own department. He helped
his dear mother to sonn? loin of mutton;
and when she only played with it, and
her knife and fork were trembling, ho
was angered, and his eyes sought hers;
and she tried to look at him and smile,
but made a wretched job of it. Chris
topher reserved his opinion about this;
but It did not help In any way to im
pair his resolution.'
"At seven o'clock all must be ready,"
!aId Mr. Sharp, towards the close of a
: hurried conversation with Miss Patch,
Grace Oglander being sent out of the
'way, according to established signal,
"there is no timo to lose, and no Indies'
tricks of unpunctuality, If you plense.
Wo must have daylight for these horrid
forest, roads, and time it so as to get into
the London road about half-past eight.
We must bo in London by two in the
morning; the horses and all that will be
forthcoming. Kit rides outside, and I
follow on horseback. lTannah, why do
j on hesitate?"
"Because I cannot I cannot go away,
without having seen that .Jesuit priest in
-tho pig-net wallowing. It is such a
grand providential work. Luke, 1 beg
,you, I implore you I can pack up ov-
erything in an hour do not rob me of a
sight like that."
"Hannah, are you mad? You have
mover been allowed to go near that, place,
and you never shall." ,
"Well, you know best; but it does seem
very cruel. But suppose that the child
hhould refuse to come witii us we have
no letters now, nor any other niinlstru
.tion." "We have no time now for such trum
pery; we must carry things now with a
much higher hand. Everything hangs
upon the next few hours; and by this
time to-morrow night all shall be safe;
Kit and the girl gone for their honey
moon, and you sitting under the most fu
rious dustman that over thumped a
cushion."
"Oil, Luke, how can you speak us if
you really had no reverence?"
"Because there is no time for such
stuff now. We have the strength, nnd
wo must use it. Just, go and get ready.
I must, ride to moot my people. The girl,
I Hiipposo, is with Kit by this time.
.What a pair they will bo!"
"I nm suro they will be a very pretty
paid so far as poor sinful exterior goes
and, what is of a thousandfold moro
Importance, their worldly means will bo
tho means of grace to hundred's of our
poor fellow creatures."
"Now, Hannah, no time for that. Get
ready. And mind that thero must bo no
femlnlnd weakness, if circumstances
should compel us to employ a little com
pulsion." ne went to thu place viere his horse
whh tied, nnd there he 'found a man
with a message for htm, which he just
stopped to hearken.
"As loovin as a pair o' toortlo doves."
Black Georgo had been set to watch Kit
und Grncie, during their private inter
view, lest: any precaution should be over
looked. "IUghV. Hero's a guinea for you, my
num. Now you know what to do till I
come back to stay whoro you are, and
keep n sharp lookout. Cau the fool In
the net do without nny water? Very
well, after dark, give him some food,
'bandage his eyes, and wn?lk him to and
fro, and let him go In Banbury."
"All right, governor. A rare bait ho
holl hnve of it, with a little swim In
the canal, to clane 'un."
"No hardship, no cruelty!" cried Mr.
Bharp, with his finger to Ida forehead,
H8 he rodo away; '.'only a little whje dis
cipline) to lend him into closer attoutlou
to his own affairs,"
BJack Georgo looked after hlsj muster.
r ' ' ' -
BY
with a grin of admiration. "lie stlcketh
at nort," said George to himself, as he
began to fill a grimy pipe; "he sticketli
at nort, no more thnn I would. And
with all that house and lands to buck
'unl Most folk Willi money got no pluck
left, for thinking of others as ownelli
the mime." With these words lie snt
down to watch the house, according to
his orders.
(trace Oglander came down '' r wind
ing, wooded path, with her h-:;i pit-n-pattlng
nt every step, becati." she was
ordered to meet somebody. An idea of
Hint kind did not plense her. A prude,
or a prim, she would never wish to lie;
and a little bit of flirting had been a
great relief, and a pleasant change in
Iter loneliness. But to bring matters to
so Htern a point, and have to say what
she meant to say, In as few words as pos
sible, and then walk off these strong
measures were not to her liking, because
she was a most kind-hearted girl, and
had inuch good will towards Christopher.
Kit, on the other hand, came along
fast, with a resolute brow and firm,
heavy stride. He had made up his mind
to be wretched for life, if the heart upon
which he had set his own should refuse
to throb respoiisively. But whatever his
fate might be, ho would tread the high
est path of generosity, chivalry and
honor.
And now they met in a gentle place,
roofed with leaves, and tloored with
moss, and decorated with bluebells. The
chill of the earth was gone by and for
gotten, and the power of the aky come
back again; stately tree, and graceful
bush, and brown depths of tangled prick
llness everything having green life in
it was sprendlug its green, nnd proud
of it. I'ndcr this roof, and in these halls
of bright young verdure, the youth and
tlit maid came face to face botittlngly.
Grace, ub bright as a rose, and flushing
with true tint of wild rose, drew back
and bowed, and then perceiving serious
hurt of Christopher, kindly offered a
warm, wliito hand n delicious touch for
nny one. Kit laid hold of this and kept
It, though wjth constant fear of doing
more than was established, and trying to
look firm and overpowering, led the fair
young woman to a trunk of fallen oak.
Hero they both sat down; and Grace
was not so far as she could wish from
yielding to a little kind of trembling
which arose in her. She glanced at Kit
sideways whenever she felt that he could
not bo looking at her; and she kept her
wise eyes mainly downward whenever
they seemed to bo wanted not that she
could not, look. up and speak, only that
she would rather wait until there was
no other help for it; and, as for that, she
felt no fear, being sure that lie was
afraid of her. Kit, on the other hand,
was full of fear, and did nil he could
in the crnftiest manner to make his love
look up at him. He could not toll how
she might take his tale; but ho know
by Instinct that his eyes would help him
where his tongue might fail. At last
he said:
"No, will you promise faithfully not
to bo angry with me?"
"Oh, yes, oh, yes to be sure," said
Grace; "why should I be angry?"
"Because I can't help it I give you
my honor. I have tried very hard, but I
cannot help it."
"Then who could bo nngry with you,
unless it was something very wicked?"
"It is not very wicked, it is very good
too good for me, a great deal, I am
ufrnld."
"There cannot be many things too good
for you; you are simple and brave and
gentle."
"But this is too good for me, ever so
much, because it is your own dear self."
Grueo was afraid that this was com
ing; and now she lifted her soft blue
eyes and looked at him quite tenderly,
and yet so directly and clearly, that he
know in n moment what she had for him
pity, and tniBt, and liking; but of
heart's love not one atom.
"I know what you mean," ho whis
pered sadly, with his bright young fnco
cast down. "I cannot think what can
have made me such a fool. Only pleaso
to tell me one thing. Has thero been
any chap in front of mo?"
"How cau I toll what you mean?"
asked Grace; but her color showed that
she could guess.
"1 must not ask who it is, of courso."
"I think that I had better go. Only,
as I cannot ever meet you any more, I
must try to tell you that I like you very
much, and never hall forgot what I owe
you; and I hope you will very soon re
cover from this this little disappoint
ment; and my dear fnthcr, as soon us wo
return to Englnnd for I must go to
fetch him "
"Grace oh, let mo call you 'Grace'
once or twice, it can't matter hero in
the middle of tho wood Grace, I was so
taken up with myself, and full of my
miserable folly, which of courso I ought
to have known better "
"I must not stop to hear nuy more.
Thero is my hand yes, of courso you
may kiss it, after all that you have done
for me."
"1 am going to do a great deal more
for you," criod Kit, quite carried away
with tho yielding kindness of lovely flu
gors. "For your sake I nm going to in
jure und disgrace my own father. It is
my father who has kept you here; nnd to
.nlght he la going to enrry you off. MIhs
Patch is only a tool of his. Your own
father kuowH not a word about It. He
belleveB you to be dead and buried.
Your tombstone is sot up at Beckley, and
your futher goes nnd cries over It."
"But his letters his letters from Dc-
merara? Oh my head bwIuih round! Let
mo hold hy this treo for a moment!"
Kit threw his arm round her dollcatc
waist to save her from falling; and away
crept George, who had lurked behind a
young birch tree too far off to hear their
words.
"You must rouso up your courage,"
said Kit, with a yearning gaze nt hi
sweet burden, yet taking no advantage
of her. "Bouse up your courage, and
I will do my best to save you from my
self. It is very linrd It is cruelly cruol,
and nobody will thank me."
"Ilia letters from Dcmcrnra!" cried
Grace, having scarcely heard a word he
said. "How Could ho have written
tliem? You must be wrong."
"Of such letters 1 have never heard.
I suppose they iiuutt Jinve been forgeries.
1 give you my word that your father
has been the whole of the time at Beck
ley, and a great deal too ill to go from
homo."
"Too ill.'-my father? Yes, of course
of courso! How could he help being ill
without mo? And he thinks I am dead:
Oil! he thinks that I am dead! I won
der that he could dare to be alive. But
let me try to think a little."
She tottered back to the old stump of
the tree, and sat down there, and burst
forth into an extraordinary gush of
v. coping; more snd and pitiful tears had
never watered an innocent face before.
"Let me cry! let me cry!" was her
only answer, when the young man clum
sily tried to comfort.
Kit got up and strode about: his in
dignation nt her deep, low sobs, nnd her
brilliant cheeks like a river s bed. and
her rich hair dabbled like drifted corn,
and about all the violent pain which
made her lay both hands to her heart
and squeeze his wrath made him long
to knock down people entitled to his love
and reverence. He knew that her heart
was quite full of her father in all his
long desolation, and was making a row
of pictures of him in deepening tribula
tion; but a girl might go on like that for
ever; a man must take the lead of her.
"If you ploac, Miss Oglander," he
said, going up and lifting both her hands,
and making her look at him, "you have
scarcely fivo minutes to make up your
mind whether you wish to save your
father, or to be carried away from him."
Grace in confusion and fear looked up.
All about herself she had forgotten; she
had even forgotten that Kit was near;
she was only pondering slowly now as
the mind nt most critical moments does
some straw of a trifle that blew across.
"Do you care to havo your father's
life?" asked Kit, rather sternly, not see
ing in the least the condition of her mind,
but wondering at it. "If you do, you
must conic witii me, this moment, down
thu hill, down the hill, as fast as ever you
can. I know a place where they can
never find us. We must hide there till
dark, and then I will take you to Beck
ley." But the young lady's nerves would not
act at command. The shock and surprise
had been too severe. All she could do
was to gaze at Kit, with soft, imploring
eyes, that tried to beg pardon for her
helplessness.
"If we stay here another minute, you
nro lost!" cried Kit, as ho heard tho
sound of carriage wheels near the cot
tjige, on the rise above them. "Ono
question only will, you trust me?"
She moved her pale lips to say "yes,"
and faintly lifted one hand to him. Kit
waited for no other sign, but caught her
In his sturdy arms nnd bore her down
tho hill as fast ns ho could go without
scratching her snow-white face, or tear
ing the arm which hung on his shoulder.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Meanwhile Mr. Sharp had his forces
ready, and was waiting for Grace and
Christopher. Cinnaminta's good Uncle
Kershoe (who spent halt of his useful
timo in stealing horses, nnd the other
half in disguising and disposing of tliem),
although ho might not have desired to
show himself so long before the moon
light, yet, true to lienor, hero he was,
blinking geneath a three-cornered hat,
liko a grandly respectable coachman. Tho
carriage was stopped in a shady place,
quite out of night from the windows. In
picturesque attitudes of tobacconizing
threo line fellows might now be seen, it
wit, Black George, Joe Smith and that
substantial householder, Tiekuss Cripps.
In tho chnlse sat a lady of comfortable
aspect, though fidgeting now with fat,
well-gloved hands. Mrs. Sharp had bog
ged not to have to stop at home and
wonder what might be doing with her
own Kit; nnd tho case being now one
of nock or nothing, her husband had let
her come, foreseeing that she might bo
of use with Grace Oglander.
Mr. Sharp rode back to the cottage.
Right well ho knew what a time Indies
take to put their clothes upon them; and
the more grow tho years of their practico
in tho art, tho longer grow tho hours
needful. Still ho thought Miss Patch had
been quito long enough. But what could
he say, when ho saw her at her window,
with tho looking glass sternly set back
upon the drawers, lifting her bunds In
short prayer, as genuine a prayer as was
ever tried. She was praying for a bless
ing on this now adventure, and that nil
might lend up to tho glory of tho King
dom; sho besought to bo relieved at las
from her wearying Instrumentality. Mr,
Sharp still had some little faith left, und
ho did not scoff at his sister's prayer, as
a man of low nature might have done.
Nevertheless he struck up with his
whip at the ivy round her bedroom win
dow, to impress tho need of brevity; and
the lady, though shocked nt the sugges
tion of curtailment, did curtail immedi
ately. In less thnn fivo minutes she
was busy at tho doorway, seeing to the
exit of everything; nnd presently, with
very pious precision, Blie gavo Mrs. Mar
gery Daw half a crown, and a tract
which Home friend should rend to her, af
ter rubbing her glands with a rind of
bacon nnd a worn-out pocket handker
chief. (To be continued.)
No woman knows tho Kecret of be
ing ublo to keep a secret.
CURIOUS DINNER PARTIES.
Kplctircft of Eccentricity Who Search
for iSoveltlCB.
Ordinary methods of dining do no
huU . i rybody, oven when tin; costli
er luxury Is employed. Epicures of
un oeoi'iittic turn of mind in search of
novel! V llllVo. rerniirso in trntiffn nr.
' rnngementH, according to the Toledo
ninoo.
During the recent soasou at Dinnrdl
:o Breton wnterinir nlnee. a very
I 1 !'vei dinner was given by two dlstin
ushed visitors, the vlcomto and vl
cemtcase do Snusslne. The Idea was
to make the dining room as much liko
ji real garden an possible, and. with
this object In view, real green turf
wns laid over tho whole of Hie Hoot
and daisies and other flowers wero
planted in it. In the center of the
"lawn" thero was a rookery, with a
fountain playing and a live rabbit was
gamboling near if. The guests at
tended in flowing draperies, wearing
garianus of rosea upon them, nnd thov
took their scats on cushions on the
grass while their food was served to
them on wooden dishes, which wero
laid on cninpatools In place of tables
Fruit and wlno were scattered In urn,
fusion on the grass and. In order in
obvlnto all dllllcultles of passing tho
suit ceimr around a huge loaf of bread,
hollowed out nnd filled with salt wn!
suspended from the ceiling and tills
was swung around from ono guest to
another ns required.
Somewhat similar in conception was
anouier very curious dinner party
given a few months ago in New York
by u well-known leader of American
society Mrs. Arthur B. Proal. This
wns a "farmyard" dinner. One of tho
largest rooms in u leading restaurant
was transformed for tho occasion into
something that looked very much in-
need liko n farmyard. Around tho
walls wero scones representing fields
and pastures and the floor wns strewn
with agricultural Implements of all
kinds, ns if tho farmhands had only
just loft the place.
Pigs and lambs were roaming about,
rabbits stopped munching enrrots to
skip away frightened ns the guests
entered the hall nnd nt the same mo
ment u represciitntlon of a rising sun
appeared on the horizon, a roontor
standing on a wooden box snlufpll ib
(n his usual manner. Chickens, 'ducks
and geese Immediately began to
straighten their feathers and run
tibout. A
Dinner was served in iU inside of
a huge egg, which was placed in tho
center of tho landscape, reaching from
the floor almost to the'.cclling, and
which had been most skillfully fash
ioned by a decorative carpenter. Thu
fable inside was a perfect oval. It
was hollowed In the .center and with
in tho hollow part vere floral decora
tions which .represented the white and
yellow parts of .the egg. Tho yolk
was made of daffodils and jonquils
and tho oute1r..jlringe of white was
made upyrdfNitreVS,nnd candytuft and
such flowers ns one might sec on a
country hedge.
Thjj dinner was really arranged us
a sort of rival In eccentricity to ono
which was given tit the same time by
another famous New York hostess
Mrs. C. K. G. Billings, which came Id
lie known ns the "horsebnek" dinner.
All the guests were bidden to attend
on horseback and they trotted into
the dining room without dismounting
and there took dinner from tabled
which wore just saddle high. While
tho guests partook of their soups and
putrecs tho horses munched oats at
tho mangers which hnd been provided
for them. All the guests on this occa
sion, numbering thirty-five, wero In
dies. Hons' Rights.
There la a story of an old Now
Ilampshlro doctor who, on tuklng out
a Avagon that had not been used foi
some time, found that a hen was sit
ting in It. He merely "harnessed up'!
without disturbing her, and ho nnd
biddy made a series of calls. Thi
Boston Herald offers this true story
of tho town of Amesbury, which
owns a small flro appartus:
Outsldo the flro limits Is a small
community that, on petition, received
nn appropriation for the purchase of a
"hand-tub." It wns Installed In nn
abandoned blacksmith shop, whoro It
remained for two years, used only for
decorative purposes In street parades,
Last summer a stroko of lightning
started a small flro in a farmhouse
near by. The volunteer department
milled at once, but when the arrived
at tho engine-house, tho foreman
stood at the door
"Don't touch her, boys!" cried ha
"I've got two hens settln' in the box.
Let's uso buckets,"
They agreed, and tho lions were al
lowed to pursuo their Incubating
ways.
Hopolesa.
"Hair needs trimming badly, sir."
"Yes, thnt's about tho way you'd
trim it."
"Better let me cut it?"
"No, it's all right."
"Conies down over your coat collar."
"Yes, I'm going to havo tho coat col
lar cut down." Cleveland Leader,
When you give a compliment,
ou giv It grudgingly?
J SIMPLER FOOD NOWADAYS.
A. Mitlor Tel! of the Clianeen In Ui
American Table.
"I believe people's tastes in foods
are becoming moro simple," said J. T.
Mueller, secretary of the Fraternity oi
Oporatlvo Millers' Association, to the
Kansas City Star. "They don't load
up with beefsteak and hot cakes now
adays at breakfast, as they formerly
did. Even tho worklngmen manual
labor, I mean havo learned to get
along on lighter foods, from which
they obtain just as much nourish
ment Diets nro simpler now. Of
courso the popularity of those foods,
'chop feed,' some people call them, and
the large number put on the market,
has resulted In the production of somo
that are dark in color, which gives oflf
portunity for ndultoratlon. A bnd qua?
Ity of wheat Is used In these dark
stuffs.
"You don't see much genuine buck
wheat nowadays. Did you ever think
of that? This is because it is grown
In so few sections of tho country; tho
supply is so small that it is necessarily
mixed with wheat flour. This doesn't
injure it, however, If the addition is
pure nnd good. Tho bleaching of flour
doesn't Improve It. Tho tests show,
too, that It doesn't injure it The new
process dries tho flour ns age would not
do, but does it in less time. Flour
two or threo months old is whiter than
when you first grind It.
"There nro many kinds of flour now,
standard grades, patents, bakers' wholo
wheat flour, gluten flour. Master bak
ers are taught in these times to under
stand their work. They go to labora
tories and schools Instead of learning
by an apprenticeship. They learn
nil there Is to know nbout flour and
baking, with iho result that they can
produce a loaf of bread so cheaply that
no housewife can compete with them.
If a woman values her time, her health,
her looks, sho won't bake bread In
these times, If she puts oven a small
price on these she'll find that the loaf
sho bakes costs much more than If sho
paid a nickel for it at tho bakery.
That's not advertising; It's a fact. Peo
ple are not baking, nowadays; they're
buying their bread, pies and cakes. It's
cheaper.
AN AMERICAN COFFEE POT.
A Container for the Kerry Attached
to the IU1.
Whilo most civilized nations havo
their characteristic coffee pots, tho
iVmerlcan has adopted them all. In
some instances ho has endeavored to
comblno tho good points of each into
a single machine, but coffeemnklng in
this country appears to be a matter of
Individual taste, and what suits ono
individual does not please another, so
that the American house-furnishing
store offers a wide selection in coffeo
pots. TJiere is a distinct tendency evt Jr.
dent in nil the Improved designs af
provide some means for removing tho
JiK AHEWCAN COFl-'EK I'OT.
coffee at a predetermined point in tho
operation. Tercolators, coffeo bags and
steamers are variations of this type.
Tho illustration shows a novel means
of attaining the same end. A cngo
consisting of a perforated receptacle Is
suspended from a hook attached to tho
cover of the pot. This has the advan-
tage of permitting the coffee grounds
to bo removed conveniently nnd with
out danger of scalding the hands. Thfl
metallic perforated cage is moro con
veniently cleaned than the coffee bag,
which it is designed to replace. Oi
course, tho pot can bo used for tea ns
well- as coffeo, tho cage taking the
place of tho familiar tea ball, the uso
of which avoids tho extraction of the
tannic ncld compounds upon standing,
which gives to ten the well-known bit
tcr taste.
Tho Hating lie Received.
"I hear your wife gave you a good
rating last night," remarked the sport
lng citizen.
"Yes, she gave me a good rating,"
admitted the convivial citizen. "Such
a good rating, In fact, that It's a pity
I can't uso her as a reference instead
of Bradstreet's." Louisville Courier
Journal. I'rotty Sure ofThut.
"Ho's bought quite a lot of that
slock, I believe. Do you think ho'li
realize anything from that deal?"
"I think he'll realize what a chump
ho was." Philadelphia Ledger.
Bnok to His Native Land.
Mr. Geering Where is tkat French
chauffour that you had last summer?
Mr. Sparker He went back to Ire
land. Puck.
A man's epitaph is about as much
benefit to him ns a last year's snow
ball. of men nro uonost becaiu
mko mor money by belnjt so.
