Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-01-12

hinu WIN uulueatoudDly IL very mlSerhDl
from some cause or other His head seem
quite turned"
BY this time they had reached the door
rung the bell aud waited. All the hous,
seemed to be asleep; but soon a man cam,
to them, the horse was taken away, and th,
duke aud duchess went in.
THIRD NIGHT.
There was no help for it Bill Wills wa
obliged to stay on duty, in the old shepherd
absence, this evening as before, or give uI
his post and living He thought as bravell
as no could of what lay behind the Deviri
Door, but with no great success and was
therefore relieved, even if awe-strcken
when he saw the forms of the duke anC
duchess strolling across the frosted green
sward. The duchess was few yards in from
OF her husband and tripped on lightly.
~ tell you he has not thought it wortl
while to come again !" the duke insisted, as
he stood still, reluctant to walk further.
HE is more likely to come and wait al
night; and il would be harsh treatment to
let him do 80 a second time I"
HE is not here so turn and come home
'He seems not to be here, certainly.
wonder if anything has happened to him. II
if has, shall never forgive myself :"
The duke uneasily "Oh, no, he has some
other engagement
THAT is very unlikely"
'Or perhaps he has found the distance too
far"
'Nor is that probable"
Then he may have thought better of it, .
Yes, be may have thought better Of it il
indeed he is not here all the tme-some
where in the hollow behind the Devils Door
Let US go and see it will serve him right to
surprise him
ooh, he's not there -
'He may be lying very quiet because OF
you, she said archly.
ooh, no, not because of me :"
Come then l declare, dearest, you lag
like an unwilling schoolboy tonight, and
there's no responsiveness in you! You are
jealous of that poor lad, and it is quite alb
surd of you"
"Ill come! I'll come Say no more,
Harriet And they crossed over the green.
Wondering what they would do, the young
shepherd left the hut and doubled behind
the belt Of furz., intending to stand near the
t.il.:hor uHpercoive1 B1t, in crossing the
few yards Of open ground he was for a mo-
ment exposed to view.
"Ah, | see him at last - said the duchess.
''See him Z" said the duke. "Where?"
by the Devils Door-don't you notice a
figure there 4! All, my poor lover-cousin,
won't you catch it now :" and she laughed
half pityingly. "But what ) the matter 2" she
asked, turning to her husband.
Its not he 80 cried the duke hoarsely. 1T
cant be he ~
mo, it is not he. 1t is too small for him.
1t is a boy"
"Ah, I thought so. Boy, come here"
The youthful shepherd advanced with ap-
prehension.
What are you doing here p
Keeping sheep, your Grace"
"Ah, you know me. Do you keep sheep
here every nght?'
"Of and on, my lord duke"
And what have you seen here tonight or
last night inquired the duchess. ANY
person waiting or walking aboutY'
The boy was silent.
HE has seen nothing, interrupted her hus-
band, his eyes so forbiddingly fixed on the
boy that they seemed to shine like points OF
fire. Come let us go. The air is too keen
here TO stand in long"
When they were gone the boy retreated to
the hut and sheep, less fearful now than at
first, familiarity with the situation having
gradually oyerpowered his thoughts of the
buried man. But he was not left alone long.
When an interval had elapsed of about suih-
cient length for walking to and from Vern-
direction the heavy form of the duke. He
now came alone
The nobloman on his part, seemed to hav c
eyes no less sharp than the boys, for he in
stantly recognized the latter among the ewes,
and came straight toward him.
Are you the shepherd boy spoke to q
short time ago p
II be, my lord duke"
"Now listen to me. Her Grace asked you
what you had seen this last night or two up here,
and you made no reply. l now ask the same
thing, and you need not be afraid to answer.
Have you seen anything strange these nights
you have been watching here =
My lord duke, be poor needless boy
and what l see don't bear in mind"
Il ask you again, said the duke, coming
nearer. Have you seen anything strange
these nights you have been watching here =
30 my lord duke 1 be but the under
shepherd boy and my father he was but
your poor Grace's hedger, and my mother
only the cinder- woman in the back yard Il
fall asleep when left alone, and see nothing
at all 2"
The duke grasped the boy by the shoulder,
and, directly impending over him, stared
down into his faoe. ''Did you see anything
strange done here last night l say p
80 my lord duke, have mercy and don't
stab me - cried the shepherd falling on his
knees. II have never seen you walking
here, or riding here, or lying in wait for a
man or dragging heavy load ~
HIM, said his interrogator, grimly relax
ing his hold. 1T is well to know that you
have never seen those things. Now, which
would you rather, see me do those things now
or keep secret all your life 2"
Keep secret, my lord duke "
stSura Won ara hla
sob, your Grace-try mel"
very well. And now-how do you like
sheep. keepingV
mot at all. 'Tis lonely work for them
that think of spirits. Aud I'm badly used. u
~ believe you. You are too young for it.
! must do something to make you more com.
fortable. You shall change THE smockfrock
for a real cloth jacket, and your thick boots
for polished shoes And you shall be taught
what You have never yet heard of, and be
put to school, and have bats and balls for the
holidays, aud be made a man of. But you
must never say you have been shepherd
boy and watched on the hills at night, fol-
shepherd boys ave not liked in good com
pany,"
''Tru,i me, my lord duke"
The very moment you forget yourself and
speak of your shepherd days-this year,
in your carriage twenty years henee-at that
moment my help will be withdrawn, and
smash down you come to shepherding forth.
with. You have parents, l think you sayY'
"A widowed mother only, my lord duke. VI
'1ll provide far her and make oomforta
Lle woman of herr until you speak Of
WHAT"
"of my shepherd days and what I saw
here
GOOD. II you do speak of it"
"Smash down she comes to widowing forth
with"
That's well-very we'll But it's moi
enough. Come here" He took the boy
across to the trilithon, and made him knee
down.
'rNow this was once holy place, resumed
the duke. "An altar stood here, erected TO {
venerable father of gods, who were known
aud talked of long before the God we know
| now. So that an oath sworn there is doubly
an oath. Say this after me May all the
host above-angels and archangels, and prin
cipalities and powers-punish me may ht
tormented wherever l AMIN the house o
| in the garden, in the feldG or in the roads il
church or in chapel, at home or abroad, oil
land or at sea may be afflicted in eatinl
and drinking, in growing up and in growing
old, in living and dying, inwardly and out
wardly, and for always-if l ever speak o
my life as a shepherd by, or of what hav
seen done on this VerncOmbe Down. So b.
it, and so be it. Amen and amen Nov
] kiss the stOna