Frostburg mining journal., 1880-07-24
LORD WLLBURY'S LOVE AND
HONEY LESSON.

LOru WllDury, Une Uenerdl y nephew, Z,
wassitting moodily pufinga cigar and
locking foolish. His uncle had that
moment informed him that he was
ruined. Then Wilbury, with some
emotion, threw his cigar away, and
strolled into his park, and spent an
hour rowing in dismal meditation
through the avenues and glades which
would soon be his no longer. 1t is
not pleasant to be ruined when one is
a peer accustomed to enjoy 100000 a
year.
Wilbury was not one of those per-
verse cubs whose minds are warped
with concsit, and as he mused he felt
less sad about his own ruin for him
self than for the grief which he knew
it caused his fathers brother, his best
protector and friend. While in this
humor of self-reproach, WllburY saw
his cousin, Lucy De Courcy, bright
girl Of eighteen, cantering down the
road that bordered the park with a
groom behind her. On catching sight
of him she alighted, took her habit
with one hand, and joined him.
"Well, Willie, what makes you look
so glum ?"
because | am ruined" he answer
ed quietly, as he made room for her
to sit beside him on the stile.
"You're joking, I SUPPOSE
"No; I'm quite serious. Hash
your father told your
mo; he never talks to me on bust
ness. Though, Of course, sir, | have
heard of your wild goings on at horse
races and cards. Oh, Willie why
do you gamble like that ?"
Lucy glanced on the ground; she
had turned quite pale; and she aaid
not a word more while her cous in and
she walked sadly towards the hall.
But, all of sudden, she put her
handkerchief up to her eyes, and
dried some tears that were trickling
fast, and said
"Now for the old gallery at the
Hall, where the armor Of many brave
De Courcy is kept-his tavorite place
retirement for working or reading
The dinner on this evening was a
very sorrowful affair, and nobody
Joined Wilbury when he went into the
gallery after dessert. A servant
brought him coffee, and there he sal
alone by the fire of the loga in the
huge chimney, whose andirons were a
pair of metal dogs of the size of mas
tiffa. Presently, when he had smok-
ed out his cigar, the detected peer dug
his hands into his pockets and gazed
at the faces in the fre-faces of credi
tors, mostly; and yet Lucy's pretty
features would often shine out toe
among the blazing Goals, and her cou'
sin kept recollecting how she had
cried on hearing that those old coats
of armor which ornamented the walls
around him were to be sold.
Suddenly he heard a clank of metal
and the next moment a sword, shield
and lance came Gathering down alto
gether from the pedestal above the
wainscot on which stood the lay fig
ure of Guy De Courcy, clad in armol
that had borne the brunt of Agin
court.
There was no light in the gallery,
except that of a large moderator
lamp burning on the table, but moon
light streamed through the wiadows,
making the armor gleam, and the he'll
meted figures wear grim, hard look,
Staggered at first by what he had
seen, Wilbury, who belonged to a
generation sceptical of miracles, sus-
pectsd that a trick was being played
him, and he approached the WALL, pre-
pared to ind that somebody had been
donning Sir Guys arm3r to frighten
him. But this was not the case. He
ascertained the fact by drawing a ia.
BILE to the wainscot, placing chair on
it, and climbing till he could see the
presentment of Sir Guy quite closely,
touch it, and feel its limbs. 1t was
truly wooden figure, and Lord Will
bury could only account for the
threatening gesture of its arms by
conjecturing that the hands, which
had been weighed down by holding
the lance, shield, and word, must have
got jerked back when those weights
had been withdrawn.
But he was little unnerved all the