The daily gazette., 1878-12-14
AUTUMN LEAVES.
BY +. G.

hooded damsel, little Red Riding Hood
of yore.
Crack sounded the sharp report of n
rifle, and little Lillian Estcourt ,dropped
her basket az tail, brouzed-face man
crashed his way through the woods and
faced her, rifle in hand, aud game bag
swung lightly over his shoulder.
Halo" luoth Mr.. Brian Beverly,
quite as much surprised as the little girl
herself; "where is the wolf?"
"Sir !" faltered Lillian, holding on tight
to her basket.
where's the wolf, l say ?"
There no wolves in these woods, sir"
Lilly answered soberly,
land you are going to see your grand
mother, ell with little pat of butter
and a loaf of white bread ?'
"No, sir" said Lillian, secretly think
ing the gentleman must be crazy. "l'm
getting autumn leaves for mamma"
"oh," said Mr.. Beverly, 81 thought
you must be Little Red Riding Hood"
~ am Lillian Estcourt," SAID she sol
emily.
"Do you know" said the gentleman,
lifting one OF her sunny ringleis with his
finger, 81 came very near she oting you ?
l took you for q robin red-breast"
Lily retreated In some apprehension,
eyeing the glittering rifle rs she did
so.
I az shouldn't IKE to be shot," said
she.
! "Probably not" assented Mr.. Beverly.
"Hallo you have got the little baske {
full"
I eyes, quite full" said Lillian, with in
nocent PRIDE. "Mamma will think they
are very pretty"
"What does she do with themw said
Mr. Beverly. "Make fairy gold?"
| ono, SIR Lillian answered., again puz-
| zled. "She makes wreaths aHd crosses
t to sell"
| ooh, that's 1t, Ell? Well, l can take
you where there Is tree with leaves as
red as if they had been painted with yer.
million. Give me your hand, for it's a
rough road"
Once or twice as they walked along,
| Brian Beverly caught her earnest brown
eyes fixed inlently on his face.
| "Well," said he at last and what do
you think OF me, Little Red Riding
| Hood 2"
~ think you are nice," returned the
small pbysiognomist.
"You don't regard me in the light OF
a wolf, then ?"
Lillian shook her head, as she skipped
along by his side.
"Oh" she cried suddenly, as they
neared the edge of steep ravine, at
whose bottom noisy stream gurgled
over brown, mossy stones, "what a love
ly red vine! | can get some of those
leaves, / know"
"Stopw cried Mr.. Beverley suddenly
as he noted the almost perpendicular
rock over whose gray ledges the scarlet
vine hung in wildly graceful festoons
but he was TOO late.
Little Lillian Estcourt had sprung for.
ward her foot slipped on tie deceitful
green moss the vine to which she in.
slinctively clung gave way with crack
ing, wrencbing sound, and the next in
stant she had vanished from Brian Bev
erley's terrified vision,
Only little heap of clothes lay on the
bank of the rivulet below, with the scar
let hood making a blot of vivid color
not unlike pool of blood.
He called, but she did not stir.
And with set teeth and pale cheek, IN
hurried down the steep, winding patl
that led to the base of the ravine
GOOD Heaven" he murmured to him
self "Jf she should be dead"
But Lillian Estcourt was not dead
only crippled for life.
Mrs. Estcourt stood with clasped hand
above her darliog.
"If she should dep she gaspsd
scarcely above her breath. "lf Coo
should take my little one from me-"
Poverty, trial, suffering, were all for
gotten, and Helen Estcourt only RENE Al
bered that she was mother, and tina
the shadow of the valley of death hum
darkly over her child.
1t was a long and tedious recovery
but Brian Beverley kept his post at tn
side of the little bed tireltss in his ps
thence, inexhaustible IN his stock of fair
tale and plfn legends.
'"Oh, Mr.. Beverley, i like you s
: much !" said innocent Lillian. 81 wis
you would stay here always. Mamms
don't youw
And Brian, who had neared the ag
i of forty without SO much as pet dog c
cat to miss him when he was gone, G
even to welcome him on his return fe
a curious sensation under the pockt
: where he carried his gold chronometer.
I But it was scarcely In the nature
!. things that he could hnger for eve
!, among the autumn woods of Dellvale.
II And when the first snow flakes bega
n to eddy through the air, he packed h
= valise resolutely at the hotel and wall
ed down the glen to Mrs. Estcoart's hun
= BILE cottage.
"Well,b quoth he, striving to speak u
concernedly, 81 am going home to-mo
4 row."
"Going!' cried Lilly.
II "Goingw family echoed Mrs. rs
's court, feeling deadly pallor creep ov'
> her cheek. .o.
d eyes" said Brian Beverley. "ol
can't linger on the shores OF fairy lar
for ever, can one, Little Red Ridii
Hood? But I've a proposition to make
: "What is it?" cried Lily eagerly
Mr.. Beverley turned to the pale your
NJ widow.
az would like to adopt you little 81
III ma'am." said he "I'm a lonely, crust
n middle-aged sort of fellow. but I've
~ idea we should get on nicely togeih h'
r. She has no father | want some one
love me. What do you say to the plan
e; Mrs. Estcourt burst into tears.
:" "Oh, | could not part with her, $
an faltered. "Remember, sir, she Is all
have in the world.
ID "WeH, who asked you to part WI
ber?" demonstrate d Mr.. Beverley.
want You to come too"
Me-" ,.,-,, !,
"As my wife. | know it's sudden,
| never did anything like any one els
ot at least so they say" added ME- Dew
er ley. ~, ,,;f, >, er;
Iilv ~ Gke him so much. And so
;yon for you told Mrs, Haythorhe so y
"Unsh, chlld!" said Mrs. Estcourt,