The Penn's Grove record., 1885-08-01

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it a bit. You're not strict enough,
either, about the preserves, Adam; the
beggars know that, instead of prosecu-
ting them for having a fat hare In their
pockets, you'll believe any cock-and-
bull story of 1t having jumped in of Its
own accord, and let them off scOt.tree.
| can't see the use of game laws, for
my part, if they're not to be enforced. y
The speaker is Anthony Barre. The
three brothers, Just returned from
pheasant-shooting in their own woods,
are seated round their Widespread table
in the waning light of the October af-
ternoon, doing ample justice to the
viands before them. Fine men truly
are the three brothers, the two elder
Adam and Anthony, gigantic of limb
and stature, the youngest, Adrian, OF
less powerful build, but 1.-THE and active
and siuewy as a panther. Assembled
there, clad in rough suits of ~yeiveteen
with CATERS of Unframed leather and
heavy shooting-boots, their untTimmed
boards reaching far down their massive
chests, their appropriateness of the
nickname they have earned i'll the
country is very apparent although,
despite their u~ncouthness, their loud
laughter, their uncult1red habits, ma
ture has set her i~netfaceable stamp of
gentle birth upon them al.
"Ican't help it." answers the eldest
brother, in response to the remark that
Anthony has just made. Upon my
soul, | cannot find 1t in my heart to be
hard ON the poor beggars for helping
themselves, if they're hungry, to any
wild creature, furred or feathered, that
the Almighty has made lit for food
A pheasant or a hare more or less is OF
no such great consequence to us, after
all; and think of the spite and ill-will
one brings oneself by being too severed
Old ~lfarcourt would never have had
hts ricks fired il he hadn't Great
heavens, what's thatp"
He pauses suddenly in his speech,
the Drumming silver tankard he holds
arrested midway between the table and
his lips, his eyes fixed in amazement
upon n of the large arm-chairs on the
hearth, over the back of which appears
at this junction a rough and very vel
low mass of curls, framing a pair of
large innocent gray eyes that are sur
veying the three brothers with an ex-
preston of the utmost perplexity and
disappointment.
"Oh, please" says the intruder,
scIambling down from her hiding-place
and advancing with the courage of de-
spair to where the three men are sit
ting petrifed with establishment at this
invasion of their privacy-"oh, please
will you forgive me for coming here
like this-for indeed l did not mean to
be naughty | wanted to see If you
really were the three bears, the same
as in my book. Bridge said you were
and, when l got here, you were out,
aud / came in by the window; and the
supper looked so like the picture; and
| climbed into one of the chairs ard
pretended to be Golden-H Hair, and wait
ed"
The small voice is choked with a sob
which is drowned by the uProarious
laughter of Freda's listeners; while
Adrian, who has an undisguised fond
ness for children, hits the small tress-
passer on to his knee and places a huge
bunch Of purple grapes before her with
one hand, while with the other he wipes
away the child's tears adroitly with his
own silk handkerchief.
Don't be frightened. little one; the
three bears won't eat you this time, l
promise you" he whispered encourage
Ingly; while Adam and Anthony, great
ly diverted with what they call the
''pluek of the little creature" press
every dainty on the table upon their
unwonted visitor, and o 10 draw from
her a full account of the circumstances
that have led to her appearance at the
Den.
II must go home to mother now"
she announces at length, sliding down
from Adrian's knee, while she holds up
a confiding face to his rough beard for
a kiss. II shall tell her how nice and
kind you are-not a bit like bears, but
better and gooderi "Yes, l will come
and see you again some day soon; and"
slipping her hand coaxingly INTO
Adrian's-"I will let the little bear
walk down the avenue with me, be-
cause, although | am not frightened,
it is rather dark, and because like HIM
a little the best, you knowl"
Winter is gone. A long hard winter
it has been, and a damp unhealthy
sprl G has succeeded it. Round about
Uppingham, just as the primroses are
peeping forth from the brown earth, a
low anguish fever finds its way, claim
ing here and there a victim, and max
ing the houSeholders curious concern
ing the quality of their drinking. water,
and especially particular respecting the
condition of their dus.-bins and similar
sanitary matters.
1t Is a wild wet evening, like a
night in January than one in April, and
Adrian Barre is seated in the library at
the Den, mending a whip-lash by the
lig' t of a reading lamp. Save for the
presence of two favorlte dogs, a brown
daehshund and an Irish setter, which
lies watching him with faithful intelli.
gent eyes, he is alone, for his brothers
are absent attending a horsefair in a
neighboring county, and are not expec-
ted to return for some days. Near HIM
and looking strangely incongruous
amidst the litter of straps, bits Of leather
sportlng-papers, and the like with which
the table Is strewed, stands a china jar
containing a large white hyacinth just
opened into perfect bloom, its scented
breath perfumIng the whole room with a
delicate fragrance; Adrian himself has
brought in the flower from the green
house to-day, intending it as a gift for
Freda.
Since her first memorable visit Miss
Golden-Hair has paid the three bears
many an afternoon call during the win
ter, always sure of a welcome from her
strangely chosen friends, who indeed
We'd with each other to gain the fore
most place in her favor, anu who after
a time grew fond enough of the little
child to await her coming with a sort
of anxiety, a. some change and varia-
ton in their rough unsoftened lives.
Oflate however these visits of Freda's
have mysteriously ceased, and, as FIVE
weeks slip by and she still remains in
visible, the three brothers comment a
good deal on her absence, and act SO
strangely at variance with their usual
habits as actually to ride past the cot
tage on several occasions, with an Idea
that they may perhaps catch a glimps
of the little figure they miss 80 greatly
No signs of Freda however reward this
effort on their part; and on this very