Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-27


How good of you, dear father
you like to 90. them said Sir Allan,
looking at her sharply. "You don't mind
missing the hunting?'
Grace blushed at the question, us if it
touched sensitive chord.
zone can have fox hunting any year,
she said, but not an Italian tour"
"You will have to be ready in less than
a week, Grace; for soon as ever | can put
my affairs in decent order we will be off.
Glare is such an orderly person that she
is always ready
~ 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 exact anything from me-"
ayes, | do, my dear. look to you for
the happiness of my life, al you have
never disappointed me- Answered Sir
Allan, tenderly. well, we will start di-
rectly; have paid the quarters accounts,
and made things straight with the stew
ard ! dropped in at the bank as we drove
| to the station and got 400 in notes to begin
the war"
"Just as Bismarck called in all the gold
he could get before he challenged Aus
tria, said the colonel
IL used to carry circular notes, but
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 Lancaster s-the
last refinement in travelling pistols"
prudent man" exclaimed the colonel.
You will be quite disappointed if there is
no encounter with brigands to bring your
firearms into active service
Grace" said the colonel turning to his
goddaughter "if you really mean cub
hunting tomorrow you had better go to
bed. 1t is nearly H."
"Of course mean cub-hunting Do you
think would lose Il run now that | am to
be away all the season? But it hardly
seems worth while going to bed when one
is to get up again at o'clock. Good
night, father, and thank you so much for
taking me to Italy. 1t is the dream of
life"
at has been the dream OF my life" 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 appro-
pirate answer 1t was the signal for a
general departure.
Sir Allan, Col. Stukely and Grace were
in the saddle before O'Clock next morn
ing, and away over the dewy uplands and
in and out of dripping copses before q.
GraCe's new mare behaved beautifully
carried her young mistress as if she had
been feather-weight, and evidently rev.
eled in her work
Mr. Colchester was devoted as a master
of hounds can be, and a keen observer
would have been amused to see the strug
gle between duty and inclination which
tore at his heart strings 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 i'll full cry
and he and Grace were galloping side by
side across the country.
Col. Stukely kept close to these two all
the time admiring Grace's admirer al
most as heartily as he admired Grace her
self And, indeed, Squire Colchester, in
his gray coat and black velvet cap was a:
pleasing a specimen of a young English
landowner nS anybody could desire 10 see
tall broad-shouldered, fair-compleX
toned, with CHEEKY blue eyes, and crisl
brown hair which would have curled al
over his head had it not been kept cloSel.
, shorn 1t WAS frank, kindly face, char
aCteristic of the man, who was GOOD
nature personiied; but the firmly molde'
: lips and square chin told of a resolut
temper and Il strong will
: 1t was in the course of second run tina
an incident occurred which had startling
f effect upon Grace and the colonel. The.
/ were crossing "A common within tire
+ miles of Darnel park, picturesque com
a mon on the crest of "a HILL all hillock an
, hollow, crowned with a cluster OF oil
Scotch frs. AS they galloped over tn
J., rugged, uneven ground, little recklessl
on Grace'S part, Juno, the new mare, gay
- desperate shy, for the first time sine
+ her mistress had ridden her, and Grac
:. looked round to see the cause of he
alarm.
A man was living against sandy hill
II ock, half buried in the furzc-a slendt
II figure. in an old velveteen coat trave
d stained out-at elbows, Il dark head ha
4 hidden in Il soft felt hat.
o As Grace turned to look at him, the ma
raised himself slowly from his recumber
Il position and look round him listlessl
vaguely, rs if suddenly awakened, but NJ
d in the direction of the young horsewoma
e who was some PAGES away from the hi
- Ock where he sat. Still looking baC
r at him, she gave faint half-stified or
a lust as young Colchester came galloplI
a across the common, almost brushir
against the man on the hillock and DO
v. Grace and the colonel along with him,
n ON the wings of a whirlwind.
t They're running like old boots in q
IL copse, he cried, pointing with his whip
e, "Godfathcr," gasped Grace, trying
h. hold her horse back rs they were gallo
lc ing along II lane, 80 AS not to be heard
T. the master, did you see that man on t
er cOmmon?'
ly He is not tramp. He is Victor
bit Camillac. Oh, how i'll and wretched
IL looked. | should have stopped II that he
on rid man hadn't come rushing by. DO
al back to him Ask him where he is ste
er ping-why he has come here. Do, colon
er for my sake. And have you any mon
les about YOU
i'll 1.-TWO or three pounds, perhaps"
er Give him all you have, please, for II
en- He looked so poor
Tor "Come along, Miss Darnel," shouted y
ed Colchester they've got him"
III And Grace cantered after him with