Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-17
BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

much longer. never saw him like this be.
who.-like what, Mark?n
"Wby, the SQUIRE
"What is the matter nows Is he In one of HE
mad nts7 has he done any damage9n '''
"No. And that is the worst of it, When he
takes tt into hts head to wreck a dinner serv,ca
or to play Aunt Sally with the glass. 7 do NOT
80 much mind, so long as nobody Is hurt. sIcb
amusement ann cams MIN, and he always pays the
The speakers were Mark Hartbrook and Jane.
ms VIE, host and hostess OF the Whinrfd re
Arms, InoInloro. The scene of their anxious
intersieW, Ineir own small snuggery behind the
bar, the time Of It, an evening In April. The
inofnIolo Hunt meeting had taken place thai
Gay, ana II was now latter dinner" with the
stewards and their friends In the principal
room OF the Whinrfdge Arms.
HaItDroOk had abundant cause for anxiety.
Inc squire, OF whom he and his wife spoke.
HAL, was their landlord, and Marks former
master. A warm-hearted, generous-natu
Fellow, fmbued with old-world ideas OF honor.
the WA" Ssb, nnappy for his personal peace and
was brought In contact, handicapped with a
not mead and spirit thai brooked not the leas
neasesoGdl6n; For an nIs intermittent wild
nesseS-Wnlcn would OF course have been har
monlouS traits In character OF heroic mould
mao ne come into the world at the proper time
person us i0 IN ad % sarertnere were few
SPEAK anectionately Of the Squire. There wa
not his marrow" to be found In those narts a
SPoIsSman wnen ne had youth to serve him:
ana now ne was grown old and somewhat stir
N the joints, he could as his idolaters expresse
IL Jake his own part with the best OF them
ANnougn ne was now shortleg In the Thornford
Eleven, there was time when he was equally
goo0 In any part OF the field, and he is still to
oe relied On to face the fastest bowling without
padS. ana confront 1t with rock-like defense.
nus trlumph5 In connection with the noble
science, ne was az good as ever on the twelfth
ana KIND kindred days. But his awkward
umesn are a trouble to his friends, as Mark
he and young .Dykely are flying at each
S 9nn, Jenny; and how the row win end, I
What, the Captain?" queried Mrs. Hart.
brook, with look OF alarm.
YES" replied mine host. 'You know there's
been bad blood between the pair ever since
NAT got SIX months for poaching on Dykely's
land. Although the Squire is q durable hand
at preserving, ne never forgave him, for prose-
Il never quite knew why Mr.. Whtnridne took
SO much trouble over that business"
20, that was natural enough! Marl's mother
nuised MISS Augusta, the Squire's only daugh-
oer1a. The old woman went to the Squire when
her son was taken, and implored him with
tears In her eyes to save the bad lot from being
know how he tried. When he found i that Dyke 1tS
~ would not bulge an inch from his position,
although he did pledge his word that the lad
should go Tor soldier, Or be sent out Of the
country anyway, he got Vellumly to engage
Riverags, the @. c., to defend Mari, and went
into the witness box himself, and spoke for tue
effect, suppose, for Mari only got six months
II they'd given him his due, iG would have been
years instead OF months; but Squire Whinridge
never forgaye Captain Dykely."
What are they disputing about?"
why, the Hunt Cup
~, But gan II Dykeiy won' he beat nothing from
"That's nothing to do with it. The Squire
means mischief o-night. Go it!'' continued he,
apostrophizing bell, which shook above his
hand Is at the other end Of that wire. must
go; II anybody else faced him at this moment
Something dreadful would happen
Hereupon the bell was shaken with aug
IAN night. I am coming, Gustavus the Ter
with which satirical observation Mark Hart
The scene in the diaing-room as mine host
entered was literally one of admired disorder
Half dozen men were speaking at once, and
Ing their remarks by means of gestures that
betokened anger. One was the Squire, who had
risen his height-upward OF six feet-and was
standing with his back TO the uncertain mir
ror at the Presidents end Of the table, con-
fronting, with flushed face and dangerous eyes,
bis opponent, Captain Dykely, thin-npped,
%he Voices ~ be said eo mage
Wh1nridge's was at the top OF the entire dis
cordant chorus Of expOstulation. He turned "a
HaTtbrook entered, and, passing one hand
slightly grizzled auburn-he folded his arms
across his chest and said:
"Hartbrook, want you"
~ am at your service, Sir"
"My friend"-a slightly sinister emphasis on
the word frtend-':my friend Captain Dykely
and myself have had dispute, and we want
"n you cam" interposed the Captain, in a
voice and manner that less irritable person
than the Squire would have deemed exasperat
Il Eno,r he can, Sir; and that ought to sufn,e.
Now listen. You were on the holm to-day, and
you saw the ~. race for the cup'"
every good. Now, what do you know about
Fluefakef, Captain DyXely's horsea Is he
not
"squire.- squirer' protested several Of the
You are right gentlemen. win not put
"Is son OF Agnmony and Fluff: Did moth
Ing Dd WAS wnen he
plates when he wasn't, at three. Was bought
out Of selling race, and tried over hurdles at
four; That Is an know. How he came to be
1 do not know"
"What did say gentlemen? That this horse
was not genuine hunter. That having been
that trmpery certificate from N. F. H., was
not proper qualifications; and repeat my
words" Here Mr. Whinndge brought his fist
made the glasses jingle again. "Why, gentle
men, at equitable weights this patched up
crock Of q leather happer would not have the
least chance against an honest hunter over a
fair line of country"
ale can be matched against anything you
have got In your stable, when and where you
please exclaimed Captain Dykely, By this
time thoroughly reused.
"Ee can can he?" almost shrieked the Squire.
saThen you are on, Sir. Hang it, I'll run you
for the Cup, and back mine for hundred"
s.Yes." replied the Captain, with energy
"Catch weights. Name your time"
ssName my time? OF course will. My time
Captain Dykely, Is tonight, one hour after moon
riser
Perhaps the only person present who was
amazed at this apparently insane speech was
he whom {after the speaker 1I concerned most
even Captain Dykely. To the others-and es
pecially to HartbroOk, who audtbly chuckled-
the S0t;re'S fmr etu0uS, seizure of the offer and
fierce determination to have the wager settled
ont OF hand, appeared quite matter OF course
In response TO question put 70 one Of The
stewards, VINO lived some distance from Thorn
ford as to whether he intended stopping to see
the match, there was q loud shout OF There
To be sure he WILL And so Will all OF Us. We
would not miss the race for worlds" In tbs
midst of the hubbub, Whtnridge, his whole
frame vibrating with joyous excitement, left
the ROOM taking HartbrOOk with him. Dykely
followed their example, with grave air OF de-
liberation that betrayed his awakened concern
He already repented him OF his rashneSs. He
Ia. f.f 4