Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-17

1 In the dead silence and downcast eve with which her fathers proposition wa
 received. she read the blow he was infiict ing: ~ ....-. '-' | She is quite able to walk, sse knows tn way. and she will be as safe in keeping t the track as if in their own grounds.
 sI really think she may. What do vol
 say, Arthur Everybody is out on tn
 hill with ns, and we are all mp above I That is to say, if you are sure you won be frightened or anything. Betty ant
 mind you keep to the track. Don't le
 mamma put the blame on me if any harm l comes to you. It is your own fault if an, thing happens" -a s's. eet ..s..5' Let me see Miss Graeme home. l Every one stares at Harry, Miss Graem'
 herself included. Every one laughs 8 the idea. It is his hunt. He is the stran ger. the guest, the whole thing has beer got up for him, and in his heart Harr, knows himself that he ought net to be tho one. But what is to be done '.st~1 |s Arthur will not offer, and the boys eact think the other should go. Kind Sil Charles looks weakly at his offspring, sym pathising. and sorely perplexed. She cannot walk with a keeper, and altogether the poor child is made to feel that she is terribly in the way sa .s- ..,I y aa es Harry cannot stand it. m .,
 After all, sir, have really had enough. shall be better mp to it another day; but standing so long is apt, to give one the seEamp. Let me be the escort" ,. -.,, Of course, if he puts, it upon that, there IS nothing more to be said "@"E '"..T aoa7
 Arthur 5fies1to look as if he thought it @quite the right thing. and the boys breathe 3 sigh of relief as the two brown figures disappear down the track.
 ''I am so sorry to take you home, Cap tain Blount. I am so ashamed. .s5 one of the boys might" and poor Beatrix trles to gulp down her modification, but cannot finish the sentence. 11s l.r 1t IS evident that she has not been taken Tn by his fiimsy attempt at fiction. se Harry regards her kindly, laughs it off, and begins to talk of other things. 'ea
 Bee Is most anxious to he companion able she will do all she can to compen- sate to him fir the loss of his afternoons sport; she points out the beauties of the walk, has tales to tell of childish exploits, curlosities to point out; and to all he say in reply, she listens with the most fattar- ing and submissive attention.
 The walk will soon be over, but there is one more stone dyke i'll the way.
 ssIt is rather worse one than usual" says Blount, shaking the stones, that tOtter when he touches them "they are lying loose along the top. without an at- tempt at being fixed. We must try to find q better place lower down."
 It will be just as bad there-rather fV,% burn. think, says Bee, modestly, '.you have not fired of your second barrel, Cap tain Blount; would you put the gun over first 2
 He langhs ''That is the advantage of a bfeech-loader. Look here, Miss Graeme; satisfy yourself that both muzzles are empty. See. we turn it down so, take out the cartridge, and combine safety with The cartridge will do again. U SSlhes srnuErss a -s somethinQ. ehnifts %un as le approached the house, and feels that 'he has been of1cious but he treasures Ter. ------4-. ~ -g.. IT.. rIII0
 ..sir Charles sticks S4 thal allst. la rnuesd. Half the gun-accideuSs t>i.e place through ;crambling over fence with loaded gun. The twigs catch, or something"
 He is helping her over. and shower of stones topples after them.
 "You seem to have superfuity of ,hese walls about here ?" ..
 Charlie and I had to get over seven ;een the other day"
 Seventeen l Where had you been ?"
 He wss fishing all along there, and I went with him, as l wanted to visit blind man who lives at the back of that hill. It is too fart go by the road. at least to walk ,and we had delightful expedition.
 Don't you fish?''
 "Gh yes, but-n these pools can't get at them. I fish a burn nearer home"
 Blount draws her on, and the unsus- pecting creature lays bare before him all the tenor of her simple life. They go and chatting along, and by the time they reach the hall-door they have become quite friends.
 Lady Graeme, just come in from her drive. wonders much to hear Bees voice the windows, and Bees merry laugh as the door opens. fr -.-. -,
 What can have brought them all home at this time of day -7 '~ --,'.'
 No accident, of course, or Bee would not be laughing but 1t Is odd. ..- Still more does she wonder when Harry Blount alone follows Beatrix into the
 
 room G-tnFset 20 tgNs q t \ E V1r-'t =
 Bee had had enough of the-hunt; was tired. and papa thought she had better come home. She need not alarm her mother by saying anything about the faintness at present a~ yL ,7 Could none of your brothers have brought you ?"--very grayely asked.
 Of course they could Of course Ar thur was selfish, and the boys thoughtless, but she wond fain screen them if she can
 Captain Blount is sailing very near the wind in hls efforts to come to the rescue, but it is bad business and at last Bee breaks out, unable to control herself any longer, for she sees that both Harry and she are under suspicion. ,a--fs ,i4xn,, y- Mamma, the truth was, that none of them woufii come :; but Captain Blonnt was so good -natuFed--I am sure could have come alone, cries the poor .culprit, with almost 8 sob. II could not bear to bring him"
 The maternal brow clears -l.- :, ....Now understand, my dear. It was very unfortunate. and we are both very much obliged to Captain Bloant. It would have been most improper, quite dangerous. for you to have attempted walking home alone : the wild cattle, hor- ses, even the dogs are some times vicious I can't think how your father could have proposed such thIng." t#t u4v
 s.Itwas l who proposed it papa did not know what to do.' ...-....-- Lady Graeme will take care it does not happen again; and. aloud, wonders at Sil Charles. but in her heart knows of old how little there is to wonder at. .9. . The one she really is ,yroth with is Ar thur.
 To send his sister home with stranger To ieta guest do what should have l been his part ! To force his friend tt give up his amusement instead of giving it up himself 'tI feel ashamed of my sons" says tn. good lady; ''and hope they will at leas
 have the grace to be ashamed of them selves "
 Then she jerks the bell with emphasis
 and orders up tea. 5a sa, 5.iaf' The great woed-ire is sparkling anl
 cracking cheerily or ths hearth, and al
 the dnsk rapidly draws on, its lambent re
 iections play and dance over the old fashioned furniture. and throw gleams 70