The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-24

she, after having indulged in good
Joined. "And tell me, is not this Mr..
Hinton, the master of the hounds, young
and very handsome2"
Young he certainly is; some think
him handsome"
"My Evelyn among the number.
Nay, do not blush, dearest report says
you are already .fancee and why should
you blush at having won the heart of a
young, rich, handsome, and in every
way a suitable match 2"
"Report, then, asserts what it has no
warrant for saying, assure you"
"Nay; no confessions tonight" said
the other, kissing her flushed and excited
brow. 81 really am weary after my
journey, and must retire. If there is
nothing in it, the loss of a mere fox
hunter is little to girl in your posi-
tion."
"He is not a mere ox-hunter, though
| admit him to be very fond Of the sport,
and all say he stands unrivaled as a
horseman."
"There, you dear little enthusiast, /
will concede him anything you like, so
| that l may not be kept from my pillow
to hear his merits or demerits discussed.
Good night"
We may not follow Cicely Burnett to
her chamber, and catch the thoughts re-
volving through her brain as she lay
with that innocent, air-looking face upon
the pillow. Many scheme that works
beneath blue eyes and golden ringlets
perhaps might be unraveled could we do
SO, but it may not be, and only by the
results can we guess at the speculations
which drove sleep from her pillow. For
it was an unwilling guest TO her; at least
so she told Evelyn next day, though the
excitement of meeting an old friend
! scarcely seemed to satisfactorily account
for the fact.
The morning broke clear and bright;
every tree was silvered with hoar frost,
and deep rime covered the ground, and
many an anxious onjecture was raised
among the party assembled as to the
probability of its being tit for hunting.
Perhaps the most really interested of
any, though apparently quite uncon-
cerned, was Cicely. True, Evelyn's maid
had discovered for her habit that fitted
to perfection, and her hat was most
piqt0nte affair, SO that it would be a
great pity not to display them. Girls
are naturally anxious to occupy the place
in which they show to most advantage,
and Miss Burnett knew she shone ON
horseback. AT length the frost on the
boughs turned to glistening beads, then
! drops began to patter on the ground be-
meath, the white rime disappeared, and
as one by one scarlet-coated men APP
peared before the house, all fear as to
the hounds being stopped was at an end.
There was huge feeding at Eldon Hall
that morning, for old Squire Crawford
was not one to neglect the rights of hos
pitality. The Lord in scarlet and yeoman
in green might be seen side by side
| around his ample board, while fagons of
ale were freely dispensed to the rustics
and servants who led the horses to and
fro without.
What a scene it was as Mr.. Hinton at
length gave the signal to throw off, and
the hounds were put into the laurels Ca
sure find). More than hundred horse
men, to say nothing of the carriages and
foot people, all eager for the sport, were
present. Cicely felt all its influence and
her eye sparkled a ldbrow flushed as the
Squire lifted her upon Swallow until the
old man thought her handsomer than his
own loved daughter, into whose ear Hin
ton was at the same moment whispering
some compliment. A fox was soon found
and nearly as soon killed, for it was q
show meet, and the people felt privil-
edged to surround him and "holloa" in
every direction. "Now for Moorside
Craigs," said the master, when the
Whoo-whoop !" and "Tear him, tear
him !" was all over.
"How cruel" said Evelyn, "to go
to that horrid place; you know, if you
find, we must keep the roads in that
country"
"Is it, then, so very difficult3" asked
Cicely, her eye again frightening.
Not to good riders well mounted"
said the Squire; "but far too severe for
old fellows like me, and ladies. In fact
few of our best men care to ride it when
the ground is deep"
Moorside Craigs was small covert
overlooking fine vale across which
foxes generally ran to some woodlands
about ten miles distant, and was COM
posed of gorse, brambles, old thorns,
ETC., interspersed with huge powders of
rock, from which the place took its
name. Our principal object is not SO
much to describe a fox-hunt as its con-
sequences, or we should tell how Finder
challenged, and how from single notes
the whole pack at last joined chorus.
That our readers must excuse, and fancy
our friends seated on high ground, anx-
iously watching the course of events,
when one of the whippers-in is seen to
hold his cap in the air at the lower
corner of the covert.
"By Jove, he's over the vale !" ex-
claims Hinton, clapping spurs to his
horse, and half scrambling, half sliding
down the slippery turf toward the point
indicated.
"He's for Boughead Woods, cries the
Squire: we must take the lanes, girls,
and make haste. Come along"-and off
he bustles, followed by Evelyn.
Not SO Cicely. Turning Swallows
head, she faced the descent, leaped a
low wall at the bottom, and was soon
racing across large pasture, in compa-
ny with Hinton, the whips, and some
dozen others. The hounds were well
away, the pace tremendous, and it was
only as Hinton turned his head for mo-