The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-02
GLEN ALLEN.
by Bayard Taylor,

damp chillness pervaded the atmos-
phere; piles of sullen clouds lowered
from the frowning skies and narrowed
the already narrow horizon; veil of
moisture robed the meadows and dulled
the clatter, up the uneaven country
road. of the approach of small band
of mounted dragons.
"Haltr'
"Twas a stern, sonorous voice-a
voice that would make you lift your
eyes quickly and instinctively to scan
the owner. 1t proceeded from stern,
firm but handsome lips. 1t was en-
forced by keen glitter of pair of dark
gray piercing eyes; by the majesty of a
free commanding form and by an air
of native power entirely unassumed.
The party drew up before one of
those pretty cottages that have so nat
arally sprung up in the beautiful wilds
of Wicklow. A rustic gate stood half
open and revealed small and taste
FULLY laid out garden with neatly kept
walks, inviting the pressure of the in
Tuder's foot. A porch, half-buried in
woodbine, low windows draped in soft
folds of white lace, through which the
eye might trace faint impression of a
pleasant interior-these met the gaze
of Captain Howard as he pushed wide
the garden gate and strobe within.
The slow, irregular notes of harp, as
though the player, following a vague
fancy, wandered aimlessly over the
chords, arrested for a moment the adj
vance of the dragon. With asudden
impulse he turned backward to his
men, and merely saying, "Wait till my
return he moved with measured steps
10 the porch and knocked.
Twas strange that in the few mo-
ments between his summons and the ap-
pearance of whiteheaded domestic the
image of a sweet face he had seen and
loved in another land should present
itself so forcibly to his imagination
and stranger still that, as he lifted his
eyes from that glance into his own
hidden heart, he could almost swear
che face looked at him for an instant
ffom the diamond windows near.
Slightly moved, he saluted the porter
by requesting to speak with the master
Of the house, at the same time gently
insinuating he would bear him COM
pany,a his business was too urgent to
admit of even the delay of waiting the
yentleman's permission.
"Deed, then, I'm afeard he'll be mad
enough with me for letting you come
In unlimited, 1 may say" said the old
man; "bnt come along-and niver wei
come you," he continued under his
teeth, "you Saxon hound. See, sir
here's gentleman soldier was in sulh
hurry to see you he wouldn't wait
for me to bring in his name"
Seated in an armchair, reading OF
pretending to read, by a cheerful fire
the person addressed looked up, laid
down his book, deliberately wiped his
glasses, and resuming them, surveyed
his visitor.
Mine is an errand much to my dis
taste, sir" the dragon began" My in
trusion would be objectionable, bur
that stern duty brings me here, and
have no choice but to obey"
The occupant of the armchair mad,
An effort to speak, but, though his lip
moved, no sound escaped them. H.
was very elderly man, and very del
3cate looking, with nervous twitch
Eng, closing and enclosing of the hanc
holding the spectacles. He motionet
the dragon to a seat, and again LOOKED
IN his face interrogatively.
Captain Howard was less an,
less pleased with his mission. II
was naughty man, but with goo
and noble heart, straight-faced in out
ward GOODNESS and formality. He Wa
10 Englishman by birth, and did no
consider himself bound in any ungen
erous crusade when he offered his sci
vices 10 the Government for the pul
pose of quelling the Irish instruction
But taking the field and playing pc
lceman are two different things. A
least, so Captain Howard considered
and twas with modification be foun
that the role of dragon captain in Irt