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AVTVMN.
\ut.umn comes nvrin and finds me here,
, .f year ! thought I should he otherwhere,
n ’mid these fading falling leaves; for there,
I', 'iienth life’s tree whose leaves are never sere,
l-ut creen throughout the great eternal year,
! thought to lie and breath the tranquil air,
Vli ,l m.v boy who, being for earth too fair,
1. fairer Htill in that celestial sphere.
I' [•( liaiiee for me his little heart did yearn ;
Ij ;l p]y to meet me at the golden gate
Ij o ft would wander, stand awhile and turn
y\\!i\ to cry, “M.v father lingers.”
Content thee, little one; m.v heart doth burn
|-, thee as thine for me, but God says: “Wait!”
Ja mes Ashcroft Noble.
Kllffltt
BY WALTER BESANT.
She drew the hood more closely down,
and pretended to shrink in alarm Then,
without any more resistance, she climbed
into the saddle, and took the reins from
Mathew’s hands
“That’s a good beginning.” he said.
“May ho you have come to your senses and
know what is best for yourself And
hark ye. my lass, if you behave pretty,
we'll send Barbara to the devil If you
do ’t you shall have a mistress at the
mill as well as a master Think upon
that, now ”
Then the procession started First
Caddy, then the ponies, two by two. who
f flowed the boy as the sheep follow their
shepherd, lastly Mathew, upon his pony,
Nan upon hers, and on the other side of
h r Dan (fodge. still wondering at the un
expected strength displayed in those
kicks and that clout
In addition to the advantages already
spoken of possessed by Wark worth for
the convenience of a run. should be men
tinned the happy circumstance that it lies
close to the wild lands, the waste moors
and hills which occupy so largo a part of
Northumberland. These moors are crossed
by bridle paths, it is true, but they are
mere tracks, not to bo diatittguished from
shoet> runs astoopt by the people who use
thrui. and these are few indeed If you
lose the track, even in broad daylight,
you run the risk of deep quagmires, besides
that of wandering about with nothing to
guide the inexperienced eye. and perhaps
perishing miserably among the wild and
awful hills As for the boy Cuddy, he
possessed a gift which is sometimes
granted even ’to blind men, of always
knowing where ho was and of keeping in
the right path It is with some an in
stinct. He was invaluable on these win
tor runs, because, however dark the night,
whether the moors were covered with
thick fog or impenetrable blackness, or
even if they were three feet deep in snow,
he never failed to find his way direct to
fiie point whither they desired to go In
general, however, the wildest road, though
the shortest, was avoided, arid the ponies
were driven through the country which
lies north, or northeast, of the Cheviots
Baton this occasion, so great was Mathew’s
desire to insure the safety of a run in
which his ponies carried something more
precious even than lace or rum. that he
resolved upon trying the more difficult
way across Chill moor, south of Cheviot
Even on a summer day the way across
this moor is difficult to find On a winter’s
night it would seem impossible Yet
Cuddy declared that he could find it blind
fold They were to cross the Border by
way of Windgate fell and to carry their
stuff to the little village of Yetholm. on
the Scottish side
It uses past midnight, and they had been
In the saddle for five hours and more,
when they reached the place, close to tho
village of Alnham. where they were to
leave the guidance of the winding burn
and trust themselves to the knowledge of
the boy upon the pathless moors Here,
under the shelter of a linney. Mathew
called a halt Dan produced a lantern
and a tinder box. and presently got a
light Then he found some provisions in
one of the packs, and they ate and drank
“Youare so far from your friends now."
said Mathew to his prisoner, "that you can
talk and scream and do exactly what you
please, except run away Now you guess
what l am going to do Once over tho
Scottish border you will be, my wife by
Scottish law. if 1 call you wife So that
11,nv von know, you had better make up
your nun-1 md be cheerful.”
Bhe made no reply
‘Well. then, have you got nothing to
say?"
She had nothing
“Sulk, then.” he said roughly "Fall a
sulking till you are tired You may think,
b yon please, what your young devil of a
sweetheart will say when he finds the nest
P-hpty' Alive and prospering, is lie?”
He proceeded to express his earnest
hope that the boy would shortly be be
Noriel the reach of hope This done, he
informed Nan that the worst part of her
journey had yet to bo accomplished, and
that she had better take some meat and
drink, unless she wished to fall off her
saddle with fatigue, in which case Dan
would have to carry her She accepted
without speaking, and. under cover of her
hood, made an excellent supper, being, in
Let. already pretty well exhausted with
fatigue and hunger When she had fin
Eked. Math ew offered her a bottle which
contained brandy He was amazed to
find when she returned it to him that she
had taken at one draught about half a
pint of the spirit, so that he looked to see
her reel and fall off the pony That she
did not do so he attributed to the effect
of the cold night air and the long ride
! wing unsuspicious how strong and sea
soned a head was hidden beneath that
hgod
Bupper finished, Mathew examined the
hoy concerning the road He would tell
nothing at all about ‘ it. yet he said lie
knew where to find it and how to follow
it, and. in short, undertook to guide the
party without danger by as short a way
as could be found across the moor Me
was certain that he could do this but be
would not explain how he knew the w-ay
nor in what direction it wound among the
hills In fact, how was the boy to de
scribe a road who knew not north from
south, or east from west, nor had any but
the most simple English at Ins command
in which to speak of valley or hill ascent
or descent?
The moor over which they crossed that
dark night in as perfect safety as if a
broad highway had been laid down for
them and was lit with oil lanterns like
some of the streets of l/mdou. is the
wildest. I suppose, in all England
The boy us before, led the way, walk
ing without hesitation, though the night
was so dark What he saw to indicate
the road no one could tell Nan. for her
own part, could see nothing at all before
her for the pitchy darkness of the night
and the continual pattering of the ruin
Here is tho very head of the Cheviots,
the middle of the moors and fells, across
which so many parties of plunderers, cat
tlo lifters and smugglers have made their
way There is not n valley among these
wild hills which has not witnessed many
a gallant fight There is not a hillside
which has not run with streams of blood
There is not a mountain among them all
which has not its ghosts of slain men.
The heath and ling have been trampled
under the feet of thousands of soldiers.
f -*r in the old days there was no peace upon
the border, and every mail was a soldier ail
his life But. since the invasion of the
Young Pretender, there has been no fight
ing on the Border Smugglers have taken
the place of the cattlelifters.*and peaceful
pomes laden with forbidden goods go
across the moor in place of horses ridden
by men in iron For those who love to be
awed by the wildness of N&ture, a place
admirable and wonderful, but full ofter
ror at ail times to the heart of sensibility
1 d< not say. however that the moors were
terrible to any of those who crossed them
on this cold and dark night, save lor the
darkness and the ruin, and the fear that
at any moment they might all go head
first into a quag The boy. to begin with,
was quite insensible to any impression
which can be produced by natural objects:
rocks, precipices, wild stretches of land,
dark woods—all were alike to him As
for Dan. 1 suppose ho never thought of
anything at all Mathew was toe full of
the gloomy forebodings which always
precede the punishment of wickedness, to
regard the things around him. and Nan.
as uiKerrftttde as the boy. was wishing only
that the journey was over, because she
was horribly cold and getting tired.
Tho boy led them by that wonderful in
stinct up the slope of the hill to a high
level, where the wind was keener and tho
rain colder lie kept as nearly as possible
to the same level, leading them round tho
middle heights upon the slopes of the
great Fells and above tho dales. The di
rect distance is not more than eight miles,
but by reason of tho winding of the way
1 suppose they must have doubled that
distance. It was 1 o’clock when they left
Alnham behind them, and it was already
5 before they came down tlio hill on the
north side of Windgate
"Master.” said the boy at last, point sig
at. something invisible, "yonder’s Yetholm,
and you are in Scotland ”
Mathew started and sat upright in the
saddle, throwing back his cloak lie was
in Scotland. Why. then, his work was
done Ho laughed and laid his haud upon
his prisoner's arm
"My wife!” ho cried. “Bear witness,
Dan. my wife, 1 say
"Ay. uy. master Givo yo joy. miss.
Master, another dram to drink tho leddy’s
health. ”
Mathew gave him his bottle. Dan took
a deep draught, and then, wiping tho
mouth of the vessel, handed it to the lady
"Take a drop.” he said. "It'll warm
your blood after that long ride.”
Then followed so prolonged a draught
of the brandy that Dan. too. as Mathew
had done five hours ago. looked to see the
girl, unaccustomed to strong drink, fall
from her saddle But she did not. And
honest Dan marveled, remembering, be
sides. the vigor of her heels and tho uu
expected reality of that clout A wife so
gifted with manly strength of heel and
hand who could also drink so fair, seemed
to this simple fellow a thing to bo envied,
indeed
As regards tho run, let me say at once,
so as to have done with it at once, that it
was quite successful, and proved a profit
able venture to all concerned, though
Mathew, for his part, never showed any
joy when the work of the night was
spoken of It was a bold thing to venture
acroos the moors on so dark a night: no
one in office looked for such a venture in
the little village of Yetholm. and the
stuff, taken in the farmers' carts to Kelso,
was all sold off at once, therefore Mathew
might have been proud of his exploit
But he was not, and when the old woman,
accompanied by the boy, came home two
days later and brought the news of what
had happened, the success of the venture
lost all its interest in presence of tho won
derful tale they had to tell.
They rode into Yetholm a good while
before daybreak, and the people of the
inn —little more than a village ale house —
were still in their beds It was now rain
ing again, with a cold wind, while they
waited for the house to bo roused and the
fire to he laid Nan began now. indeed,
though she had borne bravely the rough
journey of tho night, to feed the keen
morning air and the fatigue of the l <ng
ride Her limbs were numbed, and when,
at last, the door was opened and the fire
lit. Dan had to lift her off the pony am
carry her in They placed her in a chair
before the fire, where she sat huddled up
in her cardinal and hood, refusing to take
them off
When all was safely bestowed. Mathew
thought him of his bride, and came into
the parlor, now bright with a cheerful fire
and a candle lie threw off hat and cloak
with a sigh of relief
“Come.*' he said, “let us be friends,
Drusilla. since wo are married. Yes,
child, married. You would have me no
other way bet us have no more skulk
ing ”
She answered nothing.
“Well, it matters not." Hero the land
lord and his wife, with Dan and a servant
wench, came in together. “Something to
eat." Mathew ordered. “Anything that
you have My wife is tired with her ride
over the moors ”
“Over the moors?” This was the land
lady “You haven’t surely brought a
leddy over the moors on sic a night as
this?”
•indeed, but I have," h© replied.
“Come, madam." He seized her by the
arm and dragged her off the chair—oh,,
the gentle wooer! —so that she stood be
for© him. “Bear witness, all of you," he
said, taking Her gloved hand. “This is
my wife, my lawful wife, by Scottish law "
Now whether such Is the Scottish law
1 know not at all. but in Northumberland
it was always believed that., across the
Bonier, such a form of words, before wit
nesses. constituted the whole of mar
riage required by law. although, by way
of adding some grace of ceremony, the
pair sometimes jumped over a broom
stick, or wrote their names in a book, or
gave a blacksmith a guinea
"My lawful wife.” Mathew repeated.
The bride, who had been standing with
bent shoulders and bowed head, straight
ened herself and stood upright. Then the
witnesses observed a very curious and re
markable thing The face of the bride
groom. which should surely on such an
occasion show’ a lively sense of happiness,
expressed first astonishment, then uneasi
ness, and finally terror
The cause of these successive emotions
was simple When Mathew had repeated
his form of words he would have dropped
his bride’s hand, but she now held his,
first with a gentle pressure, next with de
termination, and finally with a viselike
tenacity which amazed and filled him with
strauge fears.
Presently, still holding his hand, she
spoke;
" T acknowledge Mathew Humble as my
true and lawful husband.”
The voice was hoarse arid rough
Mathew with his left hand tore off tho
hood Before him stood, her mouth open
ing gradually to make room for the hoarse
laugh which followed, no other than Sailor
Nan herself, in her short petticoats and
her cloth jacket, with a woolen wrapper
tied about her head •
"My husband!” she repeated; "my lov
ing husband! Would ye believe it”—she
addressed the company generally—"lie’s
so fond o' me that he couldn’t wait tc have
the bans put up. but must needs carry me
off? Saw ye ever such a braw lover?”
They were all astonished, and when she
laughed, still holding the astonished
bridegroom by the hand, some of them
trembled, because they knew not whether
she was man or woman, her voice was so
rough, her hair was so short, her jacket
was so sailor like.
"Ah, hirmeys!” she laughed again
hoarsely, because the air had touched her
throat. "The bonny, bonny bride and the
happy groom! Kiss your wife, iry hus
band dear ”
She threw herself upon his neck, and
began to kiss his lips.
"You? You?” lie tore away his hand
from her grasp, tried to push her from
him with violence, but she clung fast to
him. and retreated, step by step, to the
comer of the room "You?”
"Yes. it’s me. dearie —it’s me. Did ye
ever hear the like? To fall in love with
an < Jd woman of 70. like me. and to run
away with her' 1 never looked to get
another husband There’s a spirit for
y ou! There’s a bold spirit. Mathew
dear, when shall we go baek? Oh, the
wedding feast that we will have! Vi <11!
we women love a lad of mettle. Is there
a boy in Wark worth, except my man
here, who would carry his wife all the
way across the moors when ho might have
had me asked in church?"
Dan. one of those who are naturally
slow to understand things unless they
fall out exactly as is expected, had by this
time succeeded in comprehending the
whole, lie had. he now perceived, car
ried off the wrong woman, which fully
accounted for the vigor of the kicks, tho
amazing strength of tho clout and tho
capacity for strong drink
"Nan!” he cried "It’s our Nan!”
"It is, ye lubber,” she-replied, "and no
one else."
He then began to laugh too. Ho
laughed so loud and so long, being a
man who seldom sees a joke, and then
cannot make enough of it. that the land
lord, the landlady and the servant girl
caught tho infection, and they all laughed
too Mathew raged and swore This
made Dan laugh the louder and the
linger Mathew ceased to swear he
threw himself into a chair, with his hands
in his pockets, and sat, cheeks red, and
eyes flashing, until the storm of mirth
subsided Then his dainty and delicate
bride banged her great fist upon the table.
"No sheering off now.” sho cried.
"You’re my man. and a merry and a
happy life you shall lead Mates and
jolly sailors all. this is my third husband.
The first, be was hanged, the second, ho
hanged himself, better luck to the third
What a wife he’s got! what a wifi <■!
Now then, rum for this honorable com
puny, and a fiddle for tho wedding; and
more rum and tobacco, and more rum
Stir about, I say ” She produced a bo’s’iTs
whistle, and blew a long shrill call “Stir
about, or I'll rope’s end the whole crew
Bum. 1 say, more rum for this honorable
company!”
A &
Jimyf vt
“Stir about, or I'Cl rope's end the wJiote
ere w!"
With these words she sprang into the
middle of the room, and began to dance a
hornpipe with the most surprising skill
and agility.
CHAPTER XI.
TTTE SALE OK THE COTTAGE.
Vv hen the old woman came home with
the boy. the story which she had to tell
surpassed all her yarns of salt sea experi
ence She told her tale nightly In exchange
for glasses of strong drink. And even
Cuddy, the boy, was in request, and sold
his information for mugs of beer
After the first laughter, which was like
an explosion, or a great thunder storm,
one of those during which the rain water
rattles and slates fall off the roof; a uni
versal burst of laughter when all the men
nan together laughing their loudest, bold
ing each other up. loosing neckties, pump
ing on the apoplectic, and encor.raging
each other to fresh hilarity by pointing to
Nan the bride, the question naturally
arose if anything should be done to mark
their sense of the attempted crime by those
in authority A most grievous and iu
tolerable thing it was, indeed, that a
young woman should be violently kid
naped and carried away like a sailor by a
press gang, forced to nde thirty miles
ami more ou a winter’s night across the
cold and rainy fells, married willy nil 1 y
in the morning without church or parson,
and this when she had not once, but many
times, refused so much tus to listen to pro
posals of marriage from the man All
were agreed that this was a thing not to
be permitted Yet. what could be done?
To run away with a girl of her own free
will and accord, and when she would
marry the man but for wickedness of
guardians, is a different thing; many a
maiden has tied across the Border with her
lover, amidst the sympathy of her friends
But in this case it was like the carrying
away of the Sabine women, and no words
could be found by the moralists too strong
to condemn the act
While everybody talked about it. that
is to say. for a whole week, there was so
much indignation that if Mathew had ap
peared it would have gone hard with him
among the men. to say nothing of the
women, who would think of no punish
ment too bad for him The townsfolk
talked of ducking in the river, of pillory
and stocks, and 1 confers that the thought
of Mathew in the pillory was not disagree
able to me Yet. considering the way of
the world, perhaps, if he had been young,
handsome.- and of pleasant speech, he
might have been forgiven the attempted
abduction, ou tlie plea of love inordinate.
Cue man. we know, may steal a horse —
but then he must be comely and geuer
oils —while another, if he is churlish and
harsh, is clapped into jail for looking over
a hedge While, however, they talked.
Mathew kept away, nor did he return for
three or four weeks, leaving his private
affairs neglected, and no one knew where
he was in hiding
We Lad, however, a v.sit from Barbara.
She came, sat said, not out of any love to
me or my mother, who had used words so
injurious as regards herself, but to express
her abhorrence of the crime which her
unhappy brother had attempted, and
her thankfulness that this madness
of his was defeated She said that
she knew nothing whatever of him,
where he was or what he was doing, but
she hoped that when he returned he would
be iii a better frame of mind, and feel the
remorse which ought to follow such an
action As for the pretended marriage
wi7a the .old woman, she said that was a
t hing not to bo considered seriously My
mother received her excuses coldly, and
she presently went away, after another
attempt to discover whether I knew any
thing fresh about "the boy ” She desired
to know, she said, not out of curiosity,
because she was- not a curious person, as
everybody knew, but because she feared
that I might, by representing the late
affair in its wo fist light, bring about a
hostile feeling and even a conflict between
her brother and the boy, which could not
fail of being disastrous to the latter My
mother reassured her on this point, be
cause, she said. Mathew was already well
acquainted with Ralph’s cane, and. having
shown so much bravery in the late affair,
which took two men to carry off one
woman. would now most certainly
have the courage to turn a submissive
back to the chastiser when he should ap
pear Barbara thereupon went away.
Though I loved her not. I could not but
feel pity for a woman who had done *.;:d
suffered so much on behalf of this thank
less brother Sho was grown much older
to look at during the last year or two. her
face was pinched, and wrinkles had mul
tiplied round her eyes with her constant
cares This is an age when gentlemen of
exalted rank think it no sin to be put to
bed helpless after a debauch of wine or
punch, I hope that more sober customs
may short Iy prevail, else one knows not
what will become of us all Yet. though
drunkenness is in fashion, l think nothing
can be more miserable for a woman than
to sit. as Barbara sat daily, knowing that
tilt* only man in the world she cared for
is slowly getting drunk by himself in an
other room, which is what Mathew did.
As to tin- idle talk about the other will
and the rightful heir. 1 know not what
she believed in her heart, or how far she
joined in tho wicked designs of her
brother, which were about to bo frus
trated.
j Then Mr Carnaby, accompanied by his
lady and by the vicar, came in person to
express his horror of the crime and his
satisfaction that it was providentially pre
vented
“Wo have discussed,” said his worship,
“the action which we should take in the
matter At present all we have to go
upon is the evidence of Nan. who is. she
says. Mathew’s wife, so that if such be
veritably the case she cannot give evi
dence in the matter at all. and that of the
boy Cuddy, an ignorant, half wild lad.
wh knows not the nature of an oath.
Abduction is a great crime, but then
Mathew, whatever were his intentions,
my child, did actually only run away with
an old woman and she makes no com
plaint, but rather rejoices, while he is
rendered ridiculous To kidnap a young
girl is a hanging matter; but then, my
dear, you were not kidnaped. In short,
we feel that to bring Mathew to justice
would be difficult and perhaps impossible. ”
To be sure, one would not wish to hang
any man for the worst of crimes, and we
had no desire to bring Mathew before any
court of law or justice, being quite con
tented that the offender should feel cer
tain of sharp and speedy justice if he
made another such attempt.
“Can we not see him. at least,” asked
my mother, “placed in pillory?"
“1 would place him in pillory,” his
worship went on. “if the old woman who
now calls herself his wife—heaven knows
with what right—would lodge a com
plaint. But she will not He deserves
pillory at the lexist. And as for the rotten
eggs. 1 would myself bring even a basket
of new laid eggs, so he should want
for nothing And I would condescend to
throw them But she will not complain.
She even laughs and boasts that she has
gotten a young husband And then,
which is a difficult point in this doubtful
case”—his worship blushed and looked
confused, while the vicar hemmed, and
Mistress Carnaby coughed —“he was nin
niug a venture across the border, and no
one knows—l say that no one can tell—
who may be compromised in this alTuir as
to what he took across or what he brought
back, for though Mathew hath great
faults, there is no one more skilled —more
skilled. 1 say
“No one.” said the vicar, which com
pleted the sentence for his worship
“Wherefore, my dear girl.” continued
his worship. "I propose waiting until the
man returns, when I will reprimand him
with such severity as will serve to deter
him—and any others of a like mind with
himself—from a renewal of his wicked
ness. ”
Mathew did come back, three weeks
later, but although his worship sent the
fugleman, carrying his pike, to the mill
with a command that Mathew should in
stantly repair to him far admonition, and
although the vicar also repaired to Mr
Carnaby’s house in his best gown in order
to receive t he offender, and to give greater
authority to the discipline. Mathew canw
not He positively and discourteously
refused to obey
There, it would seem, was a direct break*
ingof the law. or, at least, contempt for au
thority. upon which imprisonment. 1 dare
say. might have followed But, whether
from leniency, or ou account of that
difficulty connected with the late venture,
his worst refrained from severity, and
ordered instead that Mathew, for violence
and contumacy, should do penance in the
church Here, indeed, was righteous retri
bution! He would stand. I thought, in
the very place where he had caused Ralph
to stand lime years before, he would be
made to rise up before all the people, and
in a loud voice to ask their pardon, and to
recite the Lord's prayer I hope lam not
a vindictive wbman. yet I confess that i
rejoiced on learning front the fugleman
that this punishment had been meted out
to the evii doer VVe both rejoiced, and
we congratulated each other, because ws
thought that Ralph would also rejoice
Little did we know of that great and lofty
mind when we foolishly Imagined that he
would ever rejoice over the fall of his
enemy
There was great excitement in the town
when it became publicly known by means
of tlic barber, who had it direct from his
worship, t hat tlws godly discipline was to
be enforced on the person of Mathew
Humble —a substantial man, a statesman,
a miller, a man supposed (but errone
ously) to be wealthy and a man al
ready 84 years of age or thereabouts.
Why. for a schoolboy or a lad of 10
or a plain rustic to stand up in this white
sheet was joy enough, but for such a
show of such a man this, if you please,
was rapture indeed for the simple people.
I confess that I for one looked forward
with pleasure to the spectacle.
Alas! who would believe that man could
be found so daring? Mathew refused
contumaciously to perform the penance!
This was a great blow and heavy disap
pointment. to all of us; and we looked to
see the vicar excommunicate him But
he did not, saying that disobedience to the
church brought of itself excommunica
tiou without need of any form of words.
Let Mathew look to his own soul And
as there seemed no means of enforc
ing th# punishment if the offender re
fused to undergo it, there was nothing
more to be said
The behavior of Nam at this time was
worthy of admiration On Mathew's re
turn. but not until thou, she walked to
the mill and Informed Barbara that, as
her brother’s wife, she was herself th**
mistress, but that, being accustomed to
her own cottage, she should not for the
present molest her in her occupation.
Then she sought her husband.
It was really terrible to mark how the
ravages of drink and disappointment to
gether had made havoc with the appear
ance of this unfortunate man Unfort
unate. I call him. though his punishment
was but the just reward of his iniquities.
Tlu> failure of his plot; the consciousness of
the ridicule which overwhelmed him, his
shame and discomfiture; the thought of
the old woman whom he had called his
wife; the messages which he had received
from his worship and the vicar—his diso
bedience being connected in some way
with partnership in the recent venture;
a dreadful vague looking forward to the
future, and the constant terror lest Ralph
should return, ft.led his mind with agita
tion. and gave him no peace, night nr
day He neglected the work of mill and
farm, he would take no meals save by
himself and he drank continually
He looked up from his last half drunken
torpor when Nan came in
“I expected you before,” he said.
“What are you going to do?”
She poured out a dram and tossed it off.
“1 came to see my bonny husband.” she
said, “before I am a widow ouco m *re.
Eh. man. it’s an unlucky wife yo have
gotten ”
“Wife!” he repeated; “wife! Yes, I
suppose you would pretend”
‘ Hark ye. brother," cried Nan, bring
ing down her cudgel on the table with an
emphasis which reminded Mathew un
easily of tin- second husband’s lot, “hark
ye' Sail on another track, or you'll have
a broadside that’ll rake you fore and alt
from stern to stern. Wife 1 am, husband
you are. wherefore all that is yours is
mine " She hitched a rope into the
handle of the stone jar containing the
brandy and jerked it over her shoulder.
“The mill is mine, so long as it is yours,
which won’t be long, shipmet Last
night 1 read your fortune, my lad By
all i can discover, you and me shall part
company before long But whether you
will hang yourself, like my second man,
or be hanged, like my first; or whether
you will be knocked o’ the head —
which is too good for such as you; or
whether you will die by reason of takin'
too much rum aboard, which is fatal to
many an honest Jack: or whether you will
die by hand of doctors whereby the-land
lubbers do perish by multitudes—l know
not. Short will be cur company; so, as
long as we sail together, let us share and
share alike, and be merry and drink about.
Money—now, 1 want money ”
lie refused absolutely to let her have
any money Without any more words,
this terrible woman prepared for action.
That is to say, she took oft her rough
sailor’s jacket, rolled up her sleeves and
seized the cudgel with a gesture and look
so menacing that Mathew hauled down his
colors
“How much do you want?” he asked.
“Short will be the she said.
“Give me ten guineas Yes, I will take
ten guineas to fiegin with But don’t
think it’s pay day I’m not paid oft. nor
shall be so long as— Pity ’tis that I can t
read those cards plainer Well, my dearie,
I’m going If I think 1 should lixe the
mill better than my own cottage. I’ll Gome
and stay here You shall see. off and on,
plenty of your wife Ho! ho! The bonny
bride! and the happy groom!”
She left him for that time. Eut she
went often, during the brief space which
remained of Mathew’s reign at th< mill..
Each time she came she demanded money,
and rum or usquebaugh; each time she
threatened to live with her husband, each
time she terrified Barbara with the pros
pect of staying there. And the man sat
still in his room, brooding over the past,
and thinking not of repeutenee l it of
more wickedness.
TO UK CONTINUED.
YOUR KARS
Ought to have attention pm haps. If
so. B. B. B. will do you good, res: wing
all ignorant matter, the direct cause of
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monies:
COULD IICAR A TICK Clt \WL.
Mr. C. E. Hall wrote from Shelby. Via.,
Febuarv 9. 1887: “T eouhl not air it
thunder. I heard of B. B. it.. used two
bottles, and now can hear a tick crawl in
the leaves.
“i ca vr up to nn:.
Knoxville, Ti-:xx. July 2. 1 ‘-S7
I had catarrh of the head for six years.
I went to a noted doctor and he treated
me for it. out could not cur" nn*. In -aid.
1 was over fifty years old and nave up to
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and got one bottle of your med in .used
it, and felt bettor. Thou I got four more,
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any way you may wish for the good of
sufferers. Mas. Math da Nichols.
22 Florida Street.
A PREACHERCCRED OF DYSPEPSIA.
Miccosckee, Fla., Leon G0...1n1y 2 *. S(>.
1 have been ;i sufferer from indigestion
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Rev. Rop.’t < ’.
A BOOK OF WONDERS, FREE.
All who desire full information about
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Address, Blood Balm Cos..
9 G-liti Atlanta, Ga.
Calender and Weather Fore
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Write plainly your Name. Post Offie mid
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•
'Co the Cnnsmeers oT Oi’s.
M e handle all kinds of Inhricat'i g and
machinery oils, and are manufacturers’
agents and can offer sreoia inducements
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Very respectfully,
•T. R- Wikle & Do.
riiir Itui e*s Booming-.
Probably no one thing has caused such
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Read the following: Mr. C. A. Morris,
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Hurrah for Cleveland and Thurman!
Bandana handkerchiefs at 50 and : 5
eeuts at Seheuer Bros.