The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-09-27


King or lord"
"My wordl" cried Burdett: "that's
Just the Black Friar of Norman Stone
over again. Do you remember with
what dramatic energy our old tutor used
to repeat the verse:
Beware. beware of the Black Friar!
He still retains his sway,
For ne is still the Churchs heir,
Whoe'er may be the lay.
Amundeville IL lord by day.
But the monk IN lord by night;
Nor wine nor wassail can raise a vassal
To question that friar's right
"Well," pursued Montague, "when
my worthy forcfather came into his
property, the first thing he did was to
give a big dinner in the great hall of
Battle Abbey (if he found it half as
tiresome as the dinner I 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. And then, all of sud-
den, chill blast of wind came moan
ing through the hall, making all the old
banners and mail-coats 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 ancestor was seat
ed, and said, in deep, hollow voice
that seemed to make the very torches
grow pale as it spoke:
as Anthony of Cowdray! 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 waterp"
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.
Waiter! when did you say the night
illumination of the falls was to be?"
Thursday week, gracious lady; but
it will hardly be so good as the one we
had last year, when they sent big boat
over the falls, hung all round with Ian
terms"
"Was there anybody in her?" asked
Montague.
"What do You say milord?" gasped
the old man, with stare of blank amaze
ment.
"Was there anybody in the boat?"
"The boat, Milford? The boat went
over the falls, tell you'll"
well, why shouldn't somebody go
with her to keep her straight"
"Why?" echoed Johann, goaded be-
yond endurance. Because we Rhine
landers are no fonder of being drowned
than other people. I've seen many
silly thing done in my time, but man
shooting the Schaffhausen falls in 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 feat
ures 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 warming
gesture, reminding the reckless Wis
count 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
contain himself no longer.
GLORIOUS idea! Well do Itch,
Sed?"
"Do it? / should think we would
After the 'Gueule d'Enfer' rapids in
Canada this thing'n be joke! Never
seen it yet, and never shall, Ell? Well
give Mr.. Johann another story to tell
tomorrow, one thatn last longer than
any of his present stock"
Our two heroes were not the men to
loiter over any enterprise, however des-
perate, upon which they had once re-
solved, and they lost not a 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 reckless
ness, knew better than to leave any
chance uncared for in match where
life itself was the stake. More than one
conscientious native, on learning the
nature of the proposed expedition, fatty
refused to have anything to do with it,
nor was it till late in the afternoon that
they at length met with less scrupu-
lous 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 IL o'clock
that night, and Burdett, mindful of the
tough work that awaited him next
morning, was preparing for bed, when
Montague (who slept in the next room,
burst in, with flush of unusual excite
ment on his face.
"Sed, old fellow, we must alter our
time of starting. These meddlesome
asses, the local authorities, are going to