The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-09-01

Neither size WdSUeu UlII1e. Inc Dean fho
Canon in residence and the Precentor an
active Young fellow, consulted their leeai
adviser, and talked largely of eiectma7t
title and seizin. Mr.. Swanson. hauS,s
nine points of the law in his favor. and &c
we'll Acquainted with the tenth as his ~
ponents' legal adviser, devoted himself fo
the lighter pursuit of the mallet and boon,
In a state Of felicity undreamed of before
he nlaved, or affected to play, crouueS b;o
RIGHT Hand against his left, the former
giving the latter two hoops and a cage he
0laved with a cage and a bell; it was mora
cheerful, not to say noisy.
Of course, all Bicester found occasion "a
mass through the Close and see this praat
sight, while every window in the precinets
was raised, that the deniZens thereof might
hear the tap, tap of the sacrilegious maliet
The cathedral, lawyer, urged to take some
stem. and. we'll knowing the strength of fine
enemv's position, was fairly nonplussed.
R,lt while he pondered, with a certain priY,
amusement, over Mr.. Swainson's crotchet.
which did not present itself to his legal
mind in so dreadful light as it did to Che
mind clerical, some unknown person took
action and made it war to the knife.
"Who did it," Bicester asked loudlv
when it awoke one morning, to find M.
Swanson in a state of mind which seemed
imperatively to call for padded room and
a straight waistcoat. During the NIGHT
some one had thrown down the ironrailino.
taken no and broken his hoops, crushed his
bell and snapped his pegs; all this in the
neatest possible manner, and with no dam
age to the turf. War to the knife indeed |
Mr. Swanson, like the famous Widdring-
ton, would have fought upon his stumps on
such a proYocation. ., s. ... cod.
He expressed his opinion very hotly that
this was the work of "that arrogant
priest" and he should smart for it. A
clergyman in this kind of context becomes
apriest. This is common knowledge. The
Dean said, if hints were to go for anything.
that it was a more or less direct interposi-
ton of Providence. Young Swanson said
nothing. The vergers followed his exai
pie, but smiled good deal. The Dean5s
LAWYER said it was very foolish act, who
ever did it. Mrs. Dean said she should like
to give the man who did it five Shillings.
Perhaps her inclination mastered her. The
Deans daughter sighed. And Bicester said
everything except what young Swanson
said Jit.
have not mentioned the Dean'slaughter
before. 1t is the popular belief that she
was christened Sweet Olive Buxton, and if
people are mistaken in this, and the name
"Sweet' does not appear upon the highly
favored register, what of that? 1t is but
one proof the more of the utter and tire
mendous want of foresight of godfathers
and godmothers. They send the future
lounger in st. James into the world handi-
capped with the name of Joseph or Zach
ary, and dub the country curate Tom or
Jerry. No matter; Give Buxton, whatever
her name, could be nothing but sweet. She
was not tall nor vet short; she was Just as
tall and Just as short as should have been,
with well-rounded figure anda grave car
riage of the head. Her hair was wavy and
brown, and sometimes it stTayed over a
white brow, on which a frown was so great
a stranger that its right of entry was barred
by the Statute of Limitations. There was
few frecllles, etherealized dimples about
her well-shaped nose. But these charms
grew upon one gradually: at first her suit
ors were only conscious of her great gray
wide-open eyes, so kind and frank and
trustful, and so wise withal, that they filled
every young man upon whom she turned
them with a certainty of her purity and
goodness and loveableneSs, and sent him
away with a frantic desire to make her his
wife without loss of time. With all this,
she overfiowed with fun and happiness
except when she sighed-and she was just
nineteen. Such was Sweet Give Buxton
then. If her picture we're painted to-day,
there would be this difference-She is older
and more beautiful.
To return to our plot. Bioester watched
with bated breath TO see what Mr.. Swain
son would do. No culprit was forthcom-
ing, and it seemed as if the day was going
against him. He made no sign; only the
broken hoops, the cage and battered bell,
so lately the instruments and insignia of
triumph, were cleared away and, at the
eX-Mayor's strenuous request, taken in
charge of the police. Even the iron railing
was removed. The excitement in the Close
rose high. Once more the cathedral vicin-
age was undefiled by lay appropriation,
hut ,a 40
to rejoice. The ground was cleared, it is
true, but only, as he well forsaw, that it
might be used for some mysterious opera.
tions, of which the end and aim only-his
own annOyance-were clear to him and not
the means. What would Mr.. Swanson do:
The strange, unnatural calm lasted sew.
eral days. The cathedral dignitaries
moved about in fear and trembling. At
length one night the jewellers in the Close
were aroused by peculiar hammering. 1t
was frequent, deep and animous, and came
from the direction of Mr.. Swainson's plot.
10 the nervous it seemed as the knocking
OF nails into an untimely coffin; to the
gullty-and this was very near the cathe-
dral-like the noise of a rising scaffold; to
the brave and those with clear consciences,
such as Give Buxton, it more nearly re-
sembled the knocking boarding together.
And indeed that was the very thing it was
and around Mr.. Swainson's plot.
But what a boarding! When the light OF
day discovered it to the peoples eyes, the
Deans fearful anticipations seemed slight
TO him, as the boys vision who has dreamed
he is about to be logged in Jail and awakes
to find his father standing over him with a
strap. 1t was so unsightly, so gaunt, so
implanted, so terrible; the very stones of
the cathedral seemed to blush a deeper red
at discovering it, and the oldest houses to
turn darker purple. Had the Dean pos
sessed the hundred tongues of Fame (Which
III Blcester possessed many more) and the
i've hundred fingers of Briareus he could
not hope to prevent the Marquis visitors
asking questions about that, or to divert
the attention of the least curious Ameri
can. He recognized the truth at a glance
and formed his plan. Many Generals have
formed 1T before; it was-retreat. He sent
out his butler to borrow a Continental
Bradshaw from the club and shut himself
up in his study. The truly great mind is
never overwhelmed.
The vergers alone inspected the monste,
unmoved. They eyed it with glances not
only OF curiosity, but of appreciatiye in.
telligence. Not So however, later in the
day. Then Mr.. Swanson appeared, lead.
ing by strong chain brindled bulldog
of the most ferocious description and about
sixty pounds weight. The animal contem
plated the nearest verger with much salts
faction and licked his chops; it might be at
some grateful memory. The verger, who
was in small way student of natura
history, pronounced it, however, a lick @
anticipation, and appeared ,lot q little dis
concerted. Mr.. Swanson entered with tn,
dog by small door at the corner and cam,
out again without him. The othar varoar,