The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-12

began to be whispered that one monk
still remained in the old walls, and that
he was not to be driven out by either
king or lord"
"My wordl" cried Burdett; I" that's
| Just the Black Friar of Norman Stone
over again. Do you remember with
what dramatic energy our old tutor
used to repeat that verse
"iBeware. beware of the Black Friarl
He still retains his sway,
For he Is still the Church's heir,
Whoe'er may be the lay.
Amundeville Is lord by day,
But the monk Is lord by night;
Nor wine nor wassail can raise q vassal
To question that friar's right"
"Well," pursued Montague, "when
nay worthy forefather came into his
property, the first thing he did was to
give big dinner in the great hall of
Battle Abbey (if he found it half as
| tiresome as the dinner had to give
when / came of age, the impiety must
have been its own avenger), and they
lighted up the old place with perfect
blaze of torches, and held high revel
till midnight. Andth all of q sudden,
chill blast of wind came moaning
through the hall, making all the old
banners and mail-eoats along the walls
clank and rustic; and the huge door
swung slowly open, and in the midst of
the guests, no one could see whence or
how, appeared the shrouded figure of a
tall monk. 1t glided like shadow up
to the dais where my ancestors was
seated, and said, in a deep hollow voice
/, that seemed TO make the very torches
grow pale as it spoke:
"s Anthony Of Cowdrayl thou hast
enriched thyself with the spoils of
Gods Church, and for that deed His
judgments are upon thee and thine.
AS snow melts in the sunshine, SO shall
thy race decay, until the end come; and
it shall come suddenly, in one day, by
fire and by water"
1t was strange enough to note how
Montague's light tone deepened into
tragic solemnity as the dismal tale pro-
ceeded, and how the shadowy impress of
doom on his handsome face came out
palmer and palmer with every word.
The anxious look in Marion Went
worth's eyes grew into absolute terror as
he ended; and she seemed about to
speak when the walters entrance with
dish of fruit interrupted her.
As he entered, Mrs. Wentworth, evil
IDENTIFY wishing to change the subject,
spoke to him.
Waiterl when did you say the night
illumination of the falls was to be T'
Thursday week, gracious, lady; but
it will hardly be SO good as the one We
had last year, when they sent a big boat
over the falls, hung all round with
lanterns"
"Was there anybody in her?' asked
Montague.
"W6at do you say, milordF ?" gasped
the old man, with stare of blank
amazement.
Was there anybody in the boat?''
"The boat, Milford? The boat went
over the falls, tell you"
Well, why shouldn't somebody go
with her to keep her straightT'
"Why?" echoed Johann, goaded be-
yond endurance. "Because we Rhine
ianders are no fonder of being drowned
than other people. I've seen many a
silly thing done in my time, but a man
shooting the SchaFhausen Falls in a
boat is thing I've never seen yet and
never SHALL"
The sudden CLEAN in Montague's dark
eye and the glow on his handsome
features sufficiently betrayed the wild
thought suggested to him by the honest
Germans last words. The significant
glance exchanged between him and
Burdett showed. that the same idea was
in the minds of both, though the latter
accompanied his look with q warning
gesture, reminding the reckless viscount
of the effect which the words that were
Just about to break from his lips would
have upon the two ladies. But when
they had retired, Montague could con-
tain himself no longer.
"Glorious ideal Well do Itch,
Sed9
"Do it? 1 should think we would |!
After the 'Gueule d'Enfer Rapids in
Canada, this thing'll be joke Never
seen it yet, and never shall, eh? Wen
give Mr.. Johann another story to tell
tomorrow, one that'll last longer than
any of his present stock"
Our two heroes were not tine men to
loiter over any enterprise, however
desperate, upon which they had once
resolved, and they lost not moment in
setting out in quest of boat. But to
find one was no easy matter. Some
were unseaworthy; others failed to
please the critical eye of Sedley Bur-
dett, who, with all his recklessness,
knew better than to leave any chance
uncared for in match where life itself
was the stake. More than one con-
scientious native, ON learning the nature
of the proposed expedition, fatty re-
fused to have anything to do with it, nor
was it till late in the afternoon that
they at length met with less scrupulous
individual, who, on receiving the full
value of his boat in advance, and a
handsome gratuity for the use of her,
consented to let the " English madmen %
have their way. He agreed to leave the
boat in readiness at convenient spot,
and then took his leave.
1t was considerably past eleven O clock
that night, and Burdett, mindful of the
tough work that awaited him next
morning, was preparing for bed, wheI
Montague Iwho slept in the next room
burst in, with flush of unusual excite
ment on his face.
"Sed, old fellow, we must alter oul
time of starting. Those meddlesomt
asses, the local authorities, are going t.
put spoke in our wheelp
"Do you mean that they'll II try to stol
us?" asked Burdett, with the natura
amazement of an Englishman at an!
one presuming to oppose his will.
"1 do, indeedl That prating fool o
a boatsman (see if I don't punch hi
head when it's all overly must have le
the cat out of the bag; for as 1 cam'
J through the hall just now, heard tn,
landlady say to her husband: 'Ough
we to let them GO? It'sreally no bette
than a suicidep and the old SHINE
answered with o chuckle: Be easy, m,
Gretchen-when these young distracted
ones get to their boat, they will find i
| in charge of certain Gerichts-Diene
(policemen) who are less foolish thai
) they, and no harm will be doneP"
) "Just like their confounded cheek !!
, cried Bufdett. "What shall we d
| thenw
, "Do? Why, set the alarm clock tw
hours earlier Pm safe to hear it wher