The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-08
HOME IN THE TWILIGHT.
I. THE LOVERS MEETING.

grew slower and slower, and the lad In
charge of him, a fine, well-grown strip.
ling of eighteen summers, cheered and
whistled to him in vain. He was G
handsome smart lad, was Frank Hill
ton, with rudy brown cheeks, curling,
brown, clustering hair, and frank, full,
| brown eyes; and he did not care much
whether the pony went slow or fast, SC
he could now and then get crack with
his gun at a rabbit as 1t darted across q
path in the wood, or could stop and
listen to the badgers calling to each 9th
er in the distant thicket.
1t was war time, and the lad. -one OF
the underkeepers OF Lord Arundel, OF
WRrdour, then lying wounded at Bath,
far from his Wiltshire castle and tair
young wife, Lady Blanche,-to beguile
the slow walk, began a cavalier song,
something about,
"And Rupert cried Men,
Now face about, then,
And cut these roundheeds to shiVer',''
but, before he could finish the verse. a
sweet, ringing laugh close by, caught up
the strain and finished it:
"Ah! the puritans grim
Cease singing their hymn,
| And oliver, see how he quiVers.
"Why, Nelly! !"
"Why, Frank!'
oh, the hypocrisy of love! They had
often met thus before.
"My lady sent me out, Frank, to gath
er mushrooms, and thought would
come this way. They're expecting my
lord back tomorrow, for they say Ros-
siters Dragons have moved northward,
and the Bath road is now clear. Oh,
Frank, that Master Helmsley has been
trying to induce my lady to make me
marry him. One of the waiting-wo-
men heard him. And he, or some one
else, has been speaking evil to my lady
of you,-saying that you were in league
with the SALISBURY poachers, and that
you had sent intelligence to the pull
tAns that we were ill-gHrrisoned at
| Wardour. Now, Frank, Is this true
Oh, say it is not true. Deny it, anu l
Will believe you"
Frank had hitherto been mute, his
arm round Nelly's waist, one hand
| playing with little. stray, golden
tress that the autumn wind had blown
out from under her blue hood but now
his eyes flashed fire AS he leant against
"A tree, and let the pony go forward with
it's load. II was getting dark fast, but
Nelly could see the unusual CLEAN OF
his eyes.
Nelly, lass, do you think love your
Il think so, Frank. Oh, yes, l am
| sure OF it,
And you believe in my truth and
! lover
Yes, I do, Frank; yes, though all the
world were against you. l gave you
each other forever,-that last night we
danced together at the harvest home
Then, Nelly, tell you, these are lies
lies. Had you doubted me for mo-
ment, 1 should have been too proud TO
deny them, even to you. L am, and
have been, IA true servant OF the King
and Lady Blanche
Then their lips met and there was 81
lence.
I knew you were true she said; I'D
sooner doubt my lady's word. NOW i
must go.'
that you love me-
Yes, l do, l do
And one kiss. You know, Nelly we
plighted troth in the twilight
But mind only one.'
Frank, greedy lover, took dozen,
and they parted.
The lovers had met close to one OF
those rough thatched sheds that some
keepers had built to watch in by night,
| that stood on the edge of wild strip OF
down.
The moment they were out of sight, q
man emerged from the hut, every evil
nassion distortinC his face. He shook
| his fist in the direction they went, and
cooked gun he had in his hand, with
savage menace. It was Helmsley,
the ste ward. A.,
II could overtake him now at the
turning to the Home wood, and shoot
| him down surely from the covert. But
no.-I'u do worse than that; I'll dis
grace him; I'll make the meanest
groom boys tlOg him out of the castle.
Shall this fool step in and snatch away
the girl upon whom ] have set my
hearth Twas an evil day for hun
when he ran across my track. Master
Frank-Master Frank, have moose
twisting for you already.
IL. THE FATAL MESSAGE.
1t swas three days after that Frank
door of the stables in Wardour Castle
was suddenly summoned to the cham:
| Der of Lady Blanche.
Lady Blanche was busy writing, but
she looked up when he entered.
! Frank she said, there are some
nv ear with false stories about thee =;
but YOU have one advocate here, who
| has pleaded we'll and truly for thee.
| Don't blush, Nellie, you need never
be ashamed of loving SO true and brave
a lad. Some jealousy of his favor with
my lord has led to these stories. VIII
now set thy truth, Frank Hilton, to the
fullest proof. There are traitors IN this
castle, and few men L dare to trust
| VIII le they are unmasked. l would
stop my lords coming: Lambert Is
marching on Bath from Gloucester. and
has sent men to intercept my dear loTd.
| You must take the best horse In the
stable. nv brave lad, aud ride at once
with the letter 1 win send you.'
THE chestnut is the best horse said
tRide straight to Bath. 1t is life and
death to me. Lst nothing stop you.
When your horse tires, hire another.
Here is money for thee
| frank bent his knee, and protested
that nothing but lightning or bullet
IN The heart should stop him.
LADY Blanche smiled at his youthful
earerness, and said, as she handed him
1T ia we'll. I place perfect sstrnst In
thae Prove thyself worthy of 1t. Nelly,
hara has been thy advocate; her true
lover will, 1 know, never be false 10 me
There. no protestations-go! WhaV' noI
one kiss for Nelly7 Why, no true glrl
could refuse that at lovers parunR
Oh. be true to her, Frank, De true &c
her. for she Is as sweet little 7l9iet d
ever blossomed under cast4e wa we'll.
Frank was shy, but how c 61 toT Ie,
refuse such a challenger Inc &C., .oG
mounted to his cheek as ne PLesseG
Nelly for a moment to his heart, anC
then bowed and ran off to saddle tn'
Hewas still busy with his prepare
tions when the steward entered the sta
; BILE with letter.
There, my lady's. pet he said, 'ther'
= Is the letter for bath, A meal ID Wsltlht
3 for thee in the buttery.1
No meal for me until I've delivered
my lady's MESSAGE said the brave LAT
resolutely'