The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-07-21

sunburnt face tanned by wind and
weather, was so cOmely, and my friend
was altogether such q pleasant type
Of strength, manliness and robust
| health, that | felt it would not be "a
tional to deny that there must be
great virtues in fishing, for he was Il
| living example of them. The story he
| had told me. too, us we rested together
on the bridge. was by no means calcu-
lated to diminish that affectionate re-
gard which had been gradually grow
inc I'D between us any time these last
twenty wears; and when he had
brought it to an end with the terse
reflection above mentioned, | wonder
ed how it had come about that we had
known each other SO long and that our
hearts had never gone wholly out in
revelations Of our past lives till this
day, and then-so naturally reticent
are EngliShmen of their private con-
cerns-that the inner life of my most
intimate associate had only been made
known to me by chance, if there be
such a thing as chance. Of what my
ncighbOr said as he stood fishing for
| perch, and | was watching him, this is
| the sum:
4 was, as you know, the younger of
| the two sons of Sir Everard Roach, of
| Bellairs and Fontenay. Our family is
one of the oldest in Sussex, and for
centuries we have held some very
| large estates there. A legend saws we
are descended from Guy de la Roche.
hard-fisted seaman of st. Valery.
| probably pirate who came to Britain
with Norman William on a buccaneer-
| ing expedition ON his own account.
| but seeing how things went, had at
tached himself to Odo, Bishop of Bay
| euX, and had been rewarded with the
substance of SaXOnS. | never quite
believed that romantic account of our
antecedentS, because 1Seult de la Roche
sole heiresS of BandOin, last male heir
of Guy, had died unmarried, and her
lands having lapsed to the Crown,
were incontestably sold to an alder
man of Hastings either by Wolsey OF
Burleigh, for the date is less certain
than the fact.
1t was, however. heresy to allude TO
it in presence of my father, who
stanchly held 10y the tradition which
made us all the offspring of robber.
He never quite forgave my brother for
expressing doubts about his lineage
after reading the county history when
we were quite boys; and as we grew
up there were only too many reasons
which kept his resentment against
Philip alive. Rich men seldom like
their heirs, but my father was so nat
urally big-hearted and affectionate
that he would not only have loved
Philip, he would have been proud Of
him. had they seen more Of each other.
AS it was, all the love and pride Of
my family became centred on me. Ev-
cry one on our estates seemed to be in
a conspiracy to spoil my father and
eStrange him from Sir Everard. The
farmers who had any cause for com
plant against our father or his agent
were constantly appealing to Philip,
and he appeared to take a peryerSe de-
light in always ranging himself on
their side and against the decisions of
Sir Everard. This tortured our father
whose weakness was almost Il morbid
jealousy of his authority, and he fan
cied that Philip was anxious for his
death.
Il was in love with my cousin Maud.
Jack, said this young lady to me
one day, as she put her hand on my
shoulder and gave me an impatient
push to rouse my attention, do you
hear 2
Ives | hear, Maude, | answered.
keeping a steady look at my float and
my ears we'll open, for knew it WOuld
not do to trifie with her when she be-
haVed like that.
Jack, hope you don't care about
me, for | don't care u bit about you
except us brother. and they want to
marry us up there. She pointed 10
the terrace before our house, where
our elders were apparently in deep dis
course, and then added / love Phil
Up.
i could not see my float for a min
ute or two after this abrupt annOunc-
ment, and | felt a sensation in my
nose us though had been smelling at
mustard. | was very fond of Maude.
and had come to think it impossible
that we should ever b. separated. |
could not even realize the idea of a
life without her, when it was sudden
ly presented to me.
The girl sat pulling grass up by
the roots and looking straight before
her with a reSolute cOmbattive express
sion on her vigorous face, when she
had thus spoken, and silence grew up
like wall between us.
'.She broke it rather sharply after a
while, and said in Il direct. hard-hit-
ting way she had:
You're Jacob. | wouldn' t be ia
cob II | were you. He wasn't half
such good fellow, as his brother
was
Wash he my dear, | said huski-
ly, as soon as ! could trust myself to
speak.
i wish you wouldn't cry, Jack:
it S 50 stupid she said in an angry
voice, and throwing the grass away as
fast as she pulled it up. You ought
to have known long ago that | liked
Philip.
- own it, Maude, dear, returned
humbly, for | was quite crushed by
her unkindneSs.
"Well. she answered briskly, con