Sharp County record., 1880-09-23
THE HUT ON THE MOOR.

but there it was Nature mad maze Dlunuer,
tripped over her own boundaries, broken her
own laws. The heir of the great Armstrong
family of Holme Wood might have been q
cbapgeling for all the likeness to his progeni-
tors traceable in mind or feature and had he
been born a couple Of centuries ago his want
of direct resemblance would have certainly
cost more than one life on the plea OF witch
craft and dabolical transposition.
Hugh Armstrong, his father and the head Of
the family, was tall, hearty, forid, magnifi-
cent-looking foX-hunter, with the frame OF an
athlete and the head OF prize-fighter; and
Julia his mother, as TALL as hearty, as 1orld
and as magnificent as her husband, was like
white-armed and deep-breasted Juno lii hat
and habit, with the flush Of the northern breeze
on her comely cheeks and the gray of the north
ern skies in her calm fixed eyes.
They were the handsomest couple In the
county and the most popular. lie was master
of the hunt, she was mistress OF society and
the foremost patroness of all the local chari-
ties he set the ball agoing among men and
she kept it in the right line with the women !;
he was the ideal of an English country gentle
man and she was the ideal of that English
country gentlemans wife. They were people
who enjoyed themselves and did their duties
without stint or failure; and who had neither
doubt nor care neither fear nor pain
outside that one irretrevable mistake of their
son. And that was mistake which no argu-
ments would Justify, soften or explain.
He was cross and they did not deny that
fact to themselves or to Others. Nevertheless
he was their son. And bad as he was he was
not bad all through. Outside his principles
Heaven save the mark they thought with con-
temptuous scOmpassOn-he was a nice creature
enough for his lost kind. They deSpiSed his
kind from the bottom of their hearts but they
could not hate him, nor yet Danish him from
their presence as Clarence Armstrong, Hugh's
Younger brother, wished and advised. But
the father and mother, while always deeply de-
ploring the strange twist that had been given
to their boy, ever refused to send him abroad
dersurveiance and in disgrace, as Clarence
80 constantly suggested. 1t was their own,
their son. their heir, their representatives.
sorry one truly, but still their own. And though
they did not love him as they would have done
had he been more congenial to their tastes,
they did not quite want to lose him; and
though young Hugh, Clarence's eldest son,
bore the family name and was an Armstrong
every inch of him, still he was only nephew
and Julian was the child OF their love.
Wherefore they kept him at home and content
ed themselves with rating him soundly when
things went worse than usual with. him and
he was more than ordinarily absurd; but such
as he was they put up with him as well as they
could-for all that he was their cross.
So the time passed. Julian went to college
took fairly good degree, but in no wise one
of such briiiancy as atoned for his failure in
caste-righteousness and family duty. Had he
carried off all the honors they would have for
given some of his follies; but the truth was,
the Young fellow was more of dreamer than
aworker-an enthusiast for ideas rather than
Seeker after facts-and he cared more to
spout at the debating club, and lay down the
law on all debatable social points than sit in
his own room and master the difficulties of the
Greek aorist and the ditferential calculus.
Now all this was bad enough. An Armstrong;
who held unsound views on the game laws,
the land laws and the rights of man, and who
had not made sky-rocket OF himself at college,
was an infiCtion almost past endurance; but
worse remains behind-and that worse was al
most impossible to bear
The game-keepers pretty daughter All!
what misery for the family at Holme Wood lay
In the fact that Debby Scambler had face
and figure more like the face and figure OF o
classic Dread than of an ordinary English
country girl; that she was good and modest,
virtuous and afTectionate; that she was brave
and pure, lovely and sincere! She was really
Q most rare and precious creature, counting
her humanity as more valuable than her social
class. The most determined contemner ofthe
people must have confessed that she was SUI
preme in her own way; but to the Armstrong
family she was as hateful as if she had been
Caliban's twin sister and Hecate's fayorite
daughter. And her name-Debby Scambler
What mattered her beautiful soft hair, like
ripe nuts in the sunshine-her large limpid
hazel eyes-her cheeks with their peach-llke
bloom-her lips with their "Cupid's bowl for
outline, their flesh as soft and smooth and red
as Cherries what mattered her sweet voice and
her nymph-like form, when she was only a
gamekeeper's daughter, and was called Debby
Scamblerl Her very name was disgrace, as
her birth and parentage were social sins
made so by the fact that Julian Armstrong Of
Home Wood was in love with her and meant
to make her his wife. Had he been in love
with her, without meaning to make her his
wife, even then the shame would have been
sufficient; but as things were his love for the
girl was the last drop in the cup of bitterness
and the parents refused to swallow it.
There was no CLOSING over an unpleasant
truth, or automatically biding his time with
Julian. What he had to say he said at once,
going straight to the point, without circum-
locution or concealment. As soon as he had
made it clear to himself and Debby that he
loved her and had heard that she loved him in
return, he made it clear also to his father and
mother. In less than half an hour after he
had taken her first kiss, and given his own
faith, he revealed this notable secret to his
parents; and he revealed it with as much en-
thusiasm and pride and delight as If he had
gained the love of princess and was to call a
King his father-in-law. Instead OF which he
had only won the love Of Debby Scambler; and
his future father-in-law was the head game
keeper on his own ancestral estate But it was
the right kind of thing altogether! he said,
sossing back his long black locks. This fusion
f the classes was to be the true salvation of
Gngland-this levelling up the only righteous
evolution. He was not only glad because he
owed Debby and she loved him, but because
twas such an admirable occasion for carrying
put his Notwithstanding the strength and
worth of his ideas. He was happy as man, a
over, and experimentalist, philosopher; and
le invited his father to congratulate him on
lis choice and his mother to be glad even as
le was glad
You are mad or worse" cried Mr.. Arm
trong furiously. If you marry that girl you
vii break your mothers heartln
"No, my mother will learn to love her!"
aid Julian with the herosm of infatuation.
She will live to thank me for giving her such
laughter
Is this folly or insolencew asked his father,
boxing at him curiously.
"Neither,n Julian answered, meeting that
earching look with one as candid as a childs.
It is truth and love-"
Hugh Armstrong turned away with an i'm
atient exclamation. He had loved his wife
o man better, but then Julia was his fit help
late. She was his equal in birth, fortune, ed
cation, condition. There were no loose
mbe5s in the matrimonial ship to threaten