National Republican., 1884-09-13
LUKE STANDS.
MY LAnY,s CHAPEL.


by the stream which falls headlong from
the hills to the bowlder-broken channel
where the water fumes and froths and
rushes by, q mass Of seething silver ir
the sun. Tho hotel does well in the
summer time, because there are curiosi'
ities in Folspar, and tourists and geolo'
gists come to see them; because there are
fine bits of English hill scenery and
woodland, pine trees and the white weird
tors, and artists come to paint them
because the guide-books have written NJ
Felspar, and 1t is fashionable to see it,
and fashionable folk, being sheep-like
come Ia droves in the season with odd
looking shepherds to keep an eye upon
them sometimes. But our story Is oil
Felspar before IL woke up and found
itself famous, and of certain humble
individual who helped to make 1t famous,
and who, without dream Of greatness,
fortunate fellow that ho was had great
ness thrust upon him. There arc some
lucky people in tho world-even of a
world not lying back moro than fifteen
years from the present date.
Fifteen years ago, then, Felspar was
only known to q few in tho county in
which IL was hiding. and to the people
who lived and died in the little nest of
cottages clustered by the one-arched
stone bridge crossing the babbling brook;
to the inhabitants Of the bigger village
ten miles away, and to few folk in the
nearest town, twenty miles Off as the crow
flies, the town that had railway station
oil to itself and was hourishing place,
and had waters which cured gout and
rheumatism and general bone disarrango.
ments, and was AZ all timos and seasons
running over with every variety Of
cripple and oontortionist.
Felspar fifteen years ago was only run
ming over with every variety of beauty
which 1t had completely, which those liv-
ing in it day by day did not seem to
value, for they were homespun, matter
of-fact lot, whose only thought was how
to live, but who clung to the place be.
cause their fathers and grandfathers had
clung to 1t before them. struggling in the
summer on ow-shillings-a-week's wage
to rear large families-and rearing them!
and fighting with tho winter always
very desperately, and dying in tho fight
now and then.
1t was getting on for winter, when the
days were cold and tho nights set in very
early in the Felspar valley, although tho
the trees, and there were raro autumnal
tints about for those who card to notice
them, and nobody did care. Leaves
brownish" was the one verdict, and there
was an end of it, just as in the city some-
times moneys tightish," !" and then there's
an end of that.
And yet il any one noticed the beauty
IF the autumn in the valley 1t was Peggy
8rantwell, pretty girl, acclimatsed to
much out-of-door occupation, with her
gr sndfather's pigs and poultry to look
after, and two cows to milk, and her
grandfather to keep in a good temper,
and make sure that his poor old legs took
him up safely to bed in the early evening,
before "a sight Of candle light" was
wasted. Peggy was beauty in her way,
or, rather, had been beauty in her day,
for she was seven-and-twenty now. She
was favorite with Felspar folk, who
thought her grandfather was hard upon
her, and put upon her, like an old cur
mudgeon as he was, they say, old Brant-
we'll being as generally disliked as are
most people who give themselves airs and
are better off than their neighbors. Why
Peggy had grown up so amiable and love-
able little woman under the guardian
ship of Matthew Brantwell no one could
exactly mako out, and why, when 1t was
rumored he was not kind to her, aud said
hard things, and taunted and suspected her
and threatened even with turning her
out of her house and home, she did not
take him at his word, and "get oop and
DOT o. it," the Felspar community did
not understand. But the Felspar COM
munity was not quick of comprehension;
they were fully certain Peggy could have
done better for herself than remaining all
these years her grandfather's drudge
Lady Glide up at the Hall would have
been glad long ago to have had her for
lady's maid, and trained her for lady's
maid; they did not think it possible that
there could be any affection for an irrita-
table. rasping, ungenerous old hunks
who gave nobody good word; she might
be waiting for her grandfather's money
which, with his usual spirit of contrari-
ness, he would be sure to leave elsewhere
but it was impossible to say what she
was waiting for. Unless--she was wait
ing for Luke Stands, which we may say
once was exatt y the fact OF the case
Perhaps, to put it more politely. IL
would have been graceful to say Luke
Stands was waiting for her; but as they
were waiting for each other, it matters
not great DEAL and looking at it either
way is to look at it in the right light.
Matthew Brantwell, however, did not
look at it in the right light at all; they
were waiting till he was dead, he said
he was sure they were waiting till he
was dead and gone, but he wasn't a-going
to die to oblige either of them. His
father had lived till ninety-four and hs
was only seventy-three next bean feast,
and bar his cussed legs, he was as good a
man as any in Felspar; and If they were
waiting for his death and his money,
never were two people more mistaken In
their lives, as they would see-see if they
wouldn't, rabbit 'em for a selfish, aggra-
waiting, greedy pair
But we are not waiting for your death,
Peggy said on the autumn
day to which we have alluded II shall
be only too glad If you'll live to be as old
as Methusaleh."
IL shouldn't be surprised If did"
NO" said Peggy, laughing.
There's been some wonderful ages in
my family. | don't see anything to
laugh at in the idea," said Mr. Brantwell.
"Oh, you're not an old man yet, grand
father" said Peggy. as she hustled about
the room preparing the afternoon tea for
her relative. "There are plenty in Fell
spar older than you, and plenty younger
who look as old already"
because they never took care of them
selves" he said, "but sotted away their
time at the Quarry inn, and sat up till 8
or 10 night after night, like them rackety
Londoners. Because--but amt you in
q mortal hurry to got tea over tonight 2"
''What question p said Peggy, briskly;
''is it any earlierW
TITS good bit earlier" said her obser-
want grandfather; "the shadow across the
door was longer yesterday afternoon by
fourteen inches afore the kettle billed"
81 neyer notice the shadow" said
Peggy.
but 1t was"
"Indeed?"
"Very well--it was, then. And it was
ater In the afternoon, o. course. And you
know it was later. And you had reason
'or its being later yesterday or earlier |
.o-day, and it's no use trying to trick |