Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-04-09
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they evidently liked as well as knew, and
more than possibly feared,
The head Of the widow swan a little,
and even bright Susan felt slight sinking
of the heart. marking the gathering and
confusion at the door. and necessarily as
sociating them with the absence of the son
and lover, at that moment the one predom-
inant object of the whole world.
But Susan had not taken the bold step
Of coming TO the Nine Chickens for
nought, as was soon discovered. There
was nothing without 10 show that Dick
Harlowe had been at the inn. much more
was there at that moment; but there was
equally nothing to show that he was not.
and his girlish fiancee meant to measure
both sides Of the question before deciding.
She pressed her way into the tap-room.
rather leading than accompanying the
slower dame; but the moment that she
was well within the door she saw that
which explained all only too well.
There stood recruitino-sergeant, with
four or five recruits, half-a-doZen regular
soldiers, and a fife-and-drum with which
the latter had Just arrived from Warwick.
len OF face and very sullen as well as sor
rowful-looking.-rib on the hat which
he seemed to be holding in his hand be-
cause he would not allow it to remain on
his head.-and very evidently under guard
of the soldiers who had come in with the
recruits. This was the meaning, then, of
the gathering at the door; the villagers
and neighboring farmers had discovered
al fax-o orrfe.
and showed the will. if not the power, to
resist his being dragged away.
The poor fellow saw his mother and be-
trothed the moment after they entered
possibly he had been helplessly looking
at least for the former; and there was
something very like wall in his ordina-
rily manly tones as he said, without at
tempting to move towards them:
''See what a pass they ha' brought me
to mother; and you, Susan-all along
wi my being beast last night They
say ha' listed to 20 away to the wars
and fight, as soldier; though don't re-
member nought o. that. Any way, what
can do but 90 for soldier, now that
they ha' gotten me Though it does make
my heart so sore to think o leavin' home
and them that love, and going to shoot
and be shot at, among the wild Injins and
the Frenchmcn-thati it does
"Oh, why did you do such thing. my
poor dear boy ?-why did YOU" was all
that the afflicted widow could say, tears
filling her eyes. and her hands clasping
helplessly. But perhaps good husbands
were scarccr than sons, in Midland Eng
land at that period; they may even be so
at this much later day. At all events, the
fiance displayed much more outspoken
spirit than the mother.
''Gou be not going a step, Dick llar-
lowe, tor "A soldier; among Indians, or
Frenchmen or what not |, Susan Ack
ley, say it; and | mean what | speak.
No-you needn't look ut me so. good pco-
pie for most of you know that | am Dick
Harlowe's promised wife. and that have
q right to saJ my say, As for YOU, YOU
relocated wretch - (to the recruiting
sergeant,) ''you have played some trick
on him,-you know that you have; for he
would never have listed rs you call it,
and fun. away his old mother and me
and everything. OF his own will -
al didn't list, Susan as | am a man
didn't. so far rs | know said the poor
fellow. 81 must ha' been tricked. some
way, rs you say, or sure would never ha'
done it ~
"Shame? shame to trap a man Shame,
shame - Tue words came from many
different lips and seemed to express the
general feeling both within and without
doors. There may have been some sticks
tighter grasped in addition; but the pres
enco of regular soldiers and the terrors of
the law both combined to make any at
tempted rescue by force unlikely as dan
gerous. The recruitingsergean may.
before that time. have seen something OF
the same character. in other places and
he felt the necessity of Il little verbal over
awing to prevent more trouble.
Take care what YOU are doing. good
people ~ he spoke. in a loud voice with Il
triile of trembe in it. II know nv rights
and the rights of the King Don't put
yourselves into the hands of the law. any
of you. or by the Lord you. will smart for
it This man. who is not any better than
the rest of you. has taken the Kings
Bounty; and am going to take him to
Worcester. dead or alive-mind that -
IF had my will Of you. you wretch
with coat the color of blood-ugh,-
there might be somebody going to Wor-
cester dead: and Dick IIarlowe wouldn't
bt tHt HtSptt put susan itthitN.
in ungovernable feeling; raising the sus-
picion of laugh even amid the painful
surroundings. and perhaps creating an
impression among some of the more
thoughtful. that if Dick Harlowe escaped
the service and came to his marriage. he
might not only have loving wife but a
bit Of handsome shrew into the bargain.
But ut the moment another character
came upon the sceue-the man who had
been alighting from his horse before the
inn at the moment of the two women's en-
tering-aud who had been for those few
minutes listening at the door. unobserved
by most of those within. When they saw
him. they knew him at once as Sir Thom-
hs Barclay of Teddngstone. Justice of the
peace and custos rotulotum of the Vale of
Evesham. whose hurried allighting from
his horse had been no pretence. amessage
having reached him few minutes earlier
AS he passed through Nunscroft on his
way to Stratford. of probable trouble at the
Mine Chickens He had heard at the
door enough TO possess him very closely
OF the safe OF facts at that moment exist