Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-16

borne to the ear, mingled with oaths
and laughter; but there was upon the
face of the young heir presumptive no
responsive smile as he listened. To
the contrary, his brows wore a look of
care, and he muttered, fretfully:
"The season of riot and wassal has
come again, and there is now for me
nothing but neglect and disdain, to be
followed by reproach and harsh treat
ment on the morrow. Would that ]
had been less the student and more the
man of the world, that [ might not
have been fated to pass my days in Sc
clusion which waste my energies and
impair my powers at the moment when
they should be most actively en-
ployed. :"
Then again there was silence, which
was interrupted at length by the open
ing of a door, and a person somewhat
ripper in years, whose brow WAS flushed,
and whose steps were unsteady, as
though he had been fresh from some
scene of festivity, stood before him.
"Brooding and apart when all
around you are mirth and hilarity?"
he said, as he noticed the others pre-
occupied look "This is not like the
Arthur Calverly of our college days,
and still less like the heir to one of the
Oldest estates in the county of Fairfax
Old Arthur is already far gone in his
cups, and [ have stolen away to see
what has become of his son and heir,
and to bring him back to the fold"
If Jack Delaplaine's wits were not
somewhat the worse for good wine,"
| was the answer, s. he would know bet
ter than request my presence as a
stranger at a table where [ am better
entitled to command. No; know too
we'll the treatment that awaits me
should I dare my fathers wrath in
what he is pleased to term his moments
of relaxation, and was just making up
my mind to divert myself by an hours
sport in the forest, when your coming
set all thoughts of that nature to
flight"
"There is better game in the field
than is to be found in the Forest" said
Jack, with two-fold meaning. cold
| Walters, the miller, marries his
younger daughter Fife to Adam Clay
| ford tonight "a man whose years
should better entitle him to play the
role of grandfather, and lot of us
lads are going to be present at the sac
| rifice. He may think himself lucky if
he escapes ducking in the horse-pond
before his nights experiences are end
ed. Will you go along?"
Fife, the golden-haired and silver
voiced-the blue-eyed lassie of the
slashes? What Dissertation [ knew
her when aromping ,rosy-cheeked child,
and have never regarded her in other
light than as the playmate of my boy
1sh years, to whom [ used to give
parties and what not at the hall. It is
old Clayfords money, suppose, is at
the bottom. What a pity some one with
spirit could not be found to prevent the
proclamation %
He will feel the claws of the cat be-
fore he gets through" said Delaplaine,
with knowing wink that was not lost
upon his companion. ''And blythe
way, it used to be said that you were
sweet upon Fife once yourself, and who
SO fit to ayenge her wrongs and teach
| old Adam Clayford his needed lesson -?
Come, you will join us?''
"Anything to divert my mind" said
Arthur. ''short Of remaining here. If
| find that coercion has been used
will teach the principals in the outrage
a lesson they seem to need, for the land
they both live on is mine, held only in
trust until [ become of age, and their
bargain may not prove, after all, so
profitable as they thought"
The sun was already getting low as
some half-dozen young gallants. as
smart as ever put foot in stirrup. rode
forth from the stables of Calverly Hall.
A parting flask to the merry souls left
behind them, many of whom were now
| anything but merry-being safely de-
posted under the table and they were
dashing at break-neck pace down the
| public road, in the direction of the lit
tie rustic chapel iii which the rite was
to be celebrated, the lord of the manor
being by that time too far gone to in
| quire after his scion's whereabouts.
They had traversed but part of the
way, leading through the most lone
| some part of the district noted for acts
OF laWlessness, when the storm which
had been all the morning gathering
| burst over their heads. Great trees.
the growth of more than a century.
were torn up by their roots and hurled
as lightly as feathers across the road.
Bolt succeeded bolt, and flash followed
fash with the rapidity of discharges of
artillery, while the rain descended in
such volumes as to convert the noun
tain roads into torrents. Huge boul-
ders and fragments of rock were hurled
crashing and bounding into theswollen
streams at the bottom of the declivity.
"Their bridal bed will prove a moist
one, [ am afraid, that begins with such
evil omen,'' said Jack, who was so
drenched within and without as to bid
defiance to the storm, and, in fact, the
rest of bis companions were not far be-
hind him, even Arthur Calverly, who
had the additional goad of dependency
to urge him on. By the time they had
by hard riding reached q part of the
way where the roads diverged, they.
were drenched to the skin; but relief
opportunely appeared at this point, in
the shape of a huge hunting lodge, a
part of Calverly property, within which
number of persons had already in