Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-09-16

took it into her venerable head to start
in the most unaccountable fashion at
tremendous pace down the hill.
Frantically / clutched the whip, hold
ing it as rigidly upright as our bouncing
career over the stony road would per-
NIT, lest by wave of its lash the speed
of the incomprehensible Roxy should
be accelerated; and, expecting nothing
else than instant destruction, held my
breath until, as suddenly as she had
started, our animal had landed us
whole and undamaged in front of a
high gate which barred our further
progress.
Then looked at Adele. Her face was
white, and the reins were of verify
over the dashboard, since only the ex-
treme ends of them remained in her
tightly-closed hands; but her confidence
in herself as Jehu had evidently re-
mained unskaken, whatever she may
have suffered physically in that way, for
she answered my look with the utmost
gravity. saying:
eff had not held her well up. Daisy
I think that might have been danger
Ous."
Words failed me, and turned my at
tention, therefore, to the practical diff
culties besetting our path.
The gate, we concluded, was the en-
trance to the grounds of certain un-
known gentleman who owned all the
lands hereabouts, and who had built
himself retreat in this wild and beau
tiful spot which, of late years, we had
been told he seldom visited. and after
due discussion we decided to tie Roxy
to the gate-post, trusting to Providence
to find the somewhat unstable beast
there upon our return, and to climb the
fence with our basket, when, after view
ing the falls, we would select suitable
place in which to rest and eat our
luncheon.
We found nosebag under the seat of
the chaise, which the squire, with due
consideration for the welfare of his
horse, had providently supplied with
oats; but the adjustment of this portable
manger was the most trying piece of
business, in which we were likely not
to be successful, we thought, until. in
our maneuvering, Roxy got sniff of
the grain, and lowered her head in a
way highly satisfactory to two medium
sized young women, intent upon slipping
a strap over her ears.
The next difficulty was the fence,
which was very high, and ornamented
at the top with row of most malicious
pickets, but at the cost of sundry gar
mentS torn and some bruises we scram-
bled over, and straightway found our.
selves in paradise of grass, trees and
flowers, growing in the wild luxuriance
of neglect, to be sure, but place never
theless to rest the very soul of weary
humanity, and in which to lose the very
memory of the pushing, turbulent world
in the roar of the bright waters dashing
down its stony fall, and dipping its
foamy tide beneath the mirror like cur
rent of the river below.
When we had explored the place to
our hearts content, we sought lovely
little glade shaded by immense elm
trees, quite near the house, which was
rather a commonplace affair, consider
ing its romantic situation, where we
spread out the contents of our lunch.
basket, and with much nonsense aud
laughter proceeded TO enjoy ourselves in
manner to horrify the fashionable cir
Gle in which we were supposed to be too
well-bred ever to do anything in thor
oughly natural and girlish way.
There was a rowan tree on the out
skirts of the little park, in which we
had established ourselves, the unripe
berries of which looked pale, pretty
yellow in the sunshine, and. dragging
down Adele's long, waving, black nair,
dressed it fantastically with such ar
rowy leaves and berries as l could pull
from the low-hanging limbs.
While we were engaged in this pretty
business, there came through the still
ness long, low cry, half human in its
sound, yet altogether unearthly.
NWhat can that bep" questioned
startled look widening her mag
nifcent black eyes, and just then
caught glimpse of an immense black
body, out of the mouth of which hung q
great red tongue, and the eyes OF which
looked to my frightened imagination
like balls of fire. and shrieking: "Run,
Adele" set off myself as fast as my feet,
that seemed palsied with terror, would
carry me in the direction of the gate,
thinking, with an agonized sense of in
sufiiciency, of those horrible pickets atop
of tb fence, and never doubling that
Adei was close at my heels, until again
and again believing "View halloo"
came ringing down the wind after me,
checking my heaolong flight and giving
me the sustaining sense of human as
which induced me at length to
halt and look back.
1t was shocking sight that met my
gaze as l did so.
Upon the grass where she had sat
when / stuck the berries into her
loosened hair lay Adele, her head sup
ported in the arms of a strange man who
knelt beside her, and around the two a
gigantic hound careening in wild circles.
More ashamed of myself than | had
ever been in my life before, I turned to
retrace my steps, Just in time to see the
stranger lift Adele up in his arms, and
move rapidly toward the house, fol-
10 wed by the big dog.
In vain did / hasten my steps. /
could not overtake them, but, shaping
my course by the direction OF their dis
appearance, / found myself presently in
pretty morning groom, in which Adele
lay upon the couch, with a shriveled
old fairy of a woman bending over her
with camphor- bottle in hand, but
no sign of either man or dog that I
could detect.
LEO is as gentle as lamb" said the
little old woman, apologetically. But
he has come near being the death of you
with fright, young ladies' For by this
time Adele had opened her eyes and
commenced to look around her.
g 1t is a shame to allow such mon
ster to run at largew cried, more ener-
getically than politely; and then
Adele lifted her head and, peering into
an opposite mirror, said nothing more
sensible than, What a fright / must
look, DaisyT at which evidence of re-
turning life the old attendant nodded
her head approvingly, and hustled away
to prepare US some tea, for which
thought ] at least was grateful.
As soon as the door closed and we
uoro q 1onp AdpIa cnrano nv, OIL L.N