The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-28

i
! Lady Darne!'s eye and when she comes back to
Darnel the oddsare she will like young Colchester
| ever so much better than when she went away.
She has seen hardly any other eligible young
man for the last year and a half, and he has
| palled on her in consequence Distance will lend
! enchantment to the view"
What an old fox you are Weldon" said Sir
| Allan, smiling. eyes, / believe you are right.
Grace shall go with u.s. even if the new mare and
old Blackie have to eat their heads off while she
| is away. Perhaps you'll winter at Darnel and
| keep the stud in good working order for u.s."
"You are too good, my dear fellow replied
a winter spent with Dora. mo, shall stay in
town If / fail in finding place down here; and
| after nearly two months am as far from realiz-
ing my ideal hunting box as was when first
| came"
In the drawing room that evening Sir, Allen
was in unusually good spirits. The idea of
| getting his wife away from Darnel for a good
long time was relief to him. In spite of his
| perfect happiness in his married life, there
| were times when he felt the chilling attitude
which some of his oldest acquaintances had
assumed since his second marriage. Up to that
| time he had deemed these people his friends; and
| now they had been tested, he knew that they
| had never been more than acq1aintances. Time
had not made them loyal and true. Yes, twas
| delightful to think of being in a foreign land
with his beloved wife, amidst strange faces He
| felt grateful to Sir Clarkson for having insisted
| upon Italy. He talked of nothing but their
| journey.
| ''Grace, you are to go with u.s." he said
"Your godfather there has promised and vowed
no trouble and that you will help me to take
| care of Clare So you will have to settle your
fine points. as old Capulet says, get all your
frocks and fneries ready, alta very short notice"
| How good of you, dear fatherg
''You like to 60, then" said Sir Allan, looking
at her sharply. You don't mind missing the
hunting?'
Grace blushed at tho question, as if it touched
| a sensitive chord.
One have foxhunting any year." she
said, "but not an Italian tour"
| "And your Partisan French will be useful to
| me when Clare is not at my side said Sir Allan
| II used to spout Racine when was boy, andI
| can read French novel, but can never hit upon
| little common phrases when | am in a hurry.
| You will have to be ready in less than week.
| Grace, for ever / can put my affairs in
decent order we will be off. Clare is such an
| orderly person that she is always ready"
Il have nothing to do but to be orderly" said
Lady Darnel, smiling at him. Dora takes all
household cares off my hands, and you never ex-
| act anything from me-"
Eyes, do, my dear. I look to you for the
happiness of my life, and you have never disap-
pointed me-" answered Sir Allan tenderly
''Well, we will start directly have paid the
quarters accounts, and made things straight
| with the steward dropped in at the bank as
we drove to the station, and got four hundred in
notes to begin the war"
Just as Bismarck called in all the gold he
could get before he challenged Austria, said the
| Colonel"
II used to carry circular notes. but I have
| found of late years that your British bank note
will pass current in most parts OF the continent.
| And treated myself to a brace Of revolvers at
Lancasters-the last refinement in travelling
pistols"
Prudent man." exclaimed the Colonel. you
will be quite disappointed if there is no en-
! counter with brigands to bring your fre-ar
| into active service"
| oid tha 70
| daughter, IF you really mean cubhunting to-
morrow you had better 60 to bed. 1t is nearly
| H."
"Of course I mean cub-hunting. Do you
| think would los run now that l am to be
away all the seasonl But it hardly seems worth
while going to bed when one is to get up again
at o'clock. Good night father, and thank yon
SO much for taking me to Italy. 1t is the dream
of my life 4"
ut has been the dream of my lfe" said her
| aunt, without looking up from her work basket,
but dream which will never be realized"
This was just one of those speeches which
make every one feel uncomfortable; and for
which there seems to be no appropriate answer
| 1t was the signal for general departure.
Sir Allan Colonel Stukely and Grace were in
| the saddle before o'clock next morning and
away over the dewy uplands. and in and out of
dripping copses before 6. Grace's new mare
behaved beautifully, carried her young mistress
| as if she had been a feather weight, and evil
| II
line; Grace had her own ideas, and the Colonel
| who was not so familiar with the country, stuck
close to Grace, admiring her pretty figure and
her dashhg horsemanship, and altogether very
proud of his goddaughter
Mr. Colchester was as devoted as master of
| hounds can be, and keen observer would have
been amused to see the struggle between duty
and inclination which tore at his eart-strngs
| every time he had to leave Grace's side in order
to direct the instincts of his young hounds. He
seemed happiest when the pack was in full cry
and he and Grace were galloping side by side
| across country: Then there were gates to be
| opened, hedges to be taken first by his heavy
hunter so as to leave safer jump for Grace,
who naturally scorned such old-womanish atten-
tions infinitely preferring to have led the way
over the most breakneck point in the fence.
Colonel Stukely kept close to these two all the
time, admiring Grace's admirer almost as heart
lily as he admired Grace herself. And. indeed,
| Squire Colchester, in his gray coat and black
| velvet cap, was as pleasing a specimen of
young English landowner as anybody could de-
| sire to see: tall, broad shoudered, far-complex-
toned, with CHEEKY blue eyes and crisp brown
| hair, which would have curled all over his head
had it not been kept closely shorn. 1t was
| frank kindly face, characteristic of the man,
who was good nature personifed; but the firmly
| nodded lips and square chin told of resolute
| temper and strong will
1t was in the course of second run that an
| incident occurred which had startling effect
| upon Grace and the Colonel Thew were cross
ing common within three miles of Darnel
| Park, picturesque common on the crest of a
| hill, all hlock and hollow, crowned with
cluster of old Scotch frs. AS they galloped over
the rugged uneven ground, little recklessly on
Grace's part, Juno, the new mare, gave desper-
ate shy, for the first time since her mistress had
ridden her, and Grace looked round to see the
cause of her alarm.
A man was lying against sandy hillock, half
buried in the furze-a slender figure, in an old
| veveteen coat, travel-stained, out-atelbows, q
| dark head half hidden in soft felt hat.
AS Grace turned to look at him, the man
raised himself slowly from his recumbent posi-
ton, and looked around him listlessly vaguely
as if suddenly awakened, but not in the direction
| of the young horsewoman, who was some PAGES
away from the hillock where he sat. Still look