Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-02-19
Continued from First pogs.)

dropped me like hot potato. Dreadfult
dreadfuil Let us pursue this painful sub
ject no further. Hal here's pretty coun-
tryl Here's nice blue sky! I adj
mire the country, miss; see so little of IL,
you know. Have you any objection to walk
along into the feldsa The fields, my dear,
bring out all the poetry of my nature
Where's the dogs Here, PIGGY! Puggyl
hunt about my man, and find some dog
grass Does his inside good you know, after
a meat diet in London. Lord! how feel
my spirits rising in this fine air. Does my
complexion look any brighter, miss! VIII
you run a race with me. Mr.. Moody, or viii
you oblige me with back at leap froga pm
not mad, my dear young lady; Pm only
merry. live you see, in the London stink,
and the smell of the hedges and the wild
flowers is too much for me at first It gets
into my head, it does Pm drunk As live
by bread Pm drunk on fresh airl Oh! what
a jolly day! Obi how young and innocent
do feelp' Here his innocence got the better
of him, and he began to sing: II wish was
q little fly, in my loves bosom for to lie!"
"Hulloi here we are on the nice soft grass!
and, oh, my gracious! there's bank running
down into hollow! / can't stand that, you
know. Mr.. Moody, hold my hat, and take
the greatest care of it. Here goes for roll
down the bankl"
He handed his horrible hat to the aston
ished Moody, laid himself fat on the top Of
the bank, and deliberately rolled down it,
exactly as he might have done when he was
boy. The tails of his long gray coat few
madly in the wind; the dog pursued him,
jumping over him, and barking with delight,
he shouted and screamed in answer to the
dog, as he rolled over and over faster and
faster and when he got up on the level
ground and called out cheerfully to his COM
panions standing above him, 81 say, you
two, feel twenty years younger alreadyP'
human gravity could hold out no longer.
The sad and silent Moody smiled and Isabel
burst into fits of laughter
There, he said, didn't tell you YOU
would get used to me, misss There's great
deal of life left in the old man yet-isnt
there's Shy me down my hat Mr.. Moody.
And now we'll get to business" He turned
round to the dog still barking at his heels
Business, Puggyp be called out sharply,
and PIGGY instantly shut his mouth. and
said no more.
s'Wel, now, Old. Sharon resumed, when
he had Joined his friends and had got his
breath again, 'let's have little talk about
yourself, miss. Has Mr.. Moody told you
who I am, and what I want with youa Very
like to be Independent, don't yous All right
Il don't object. I am an amiable old man.
lam. About this Lady Lydiard, MOVIE Sup
pose you tell me how you first got acquainted
with herr
In some surprise at this question, Isabel
told her little story. Observing Sharon's
face while she was speaking, Moody saw that
he was not paying the smallest attention to
the narrative His sharp, shameless black
eyes watched the girls face absently; his
gross lips curled upward in sardonic and
Self-satisf1ed smile. He was evidently setting
a trap for her of some kind. Without word
of warning-while Isabel was in the Aaiddle
of sentence-the trap opened, with the
opening of Old Sharon's lips
Il say!n he burst out, ''how came you to
seal her ladyship's lettes-eh9'
The question bore no sort of relation, d.
rect or indirect, to what Isabel happened to
be saying at the moment. In the sudden sur
prise of hearing it, she started and fixed her
eyes in establishment on Sharon's face The
old vagabond chuckled to himself. did
you see thata' he whispered to Moody II
beg your pardon, miss" he went on; II
won't interrupt you again. Lord, how inter-
esting it is!-ain't it, Mr.. Moody? Please to
60 on, miss"
But Isabel, though she spoke with perfect
sweetness and temper, declined to 20 on.
II had better tell you, sir, how CANA TO
seal her ladyships letter." she said. "If /
may venture on giving my opisIon, tho:
part of my stoSy seems to be the only part OF
1t which relates to your business with me to-
day. =.
Without further preface sha described the
circumstances which had led to her assuming
the perilous responsibility of sealing the let
ter. Old Sharon's wandering attention , e.
gan to wander again; he waa evidently 90 Gu.
pied in setting another trap. For the sec ond
time be interrupted Isabel in the miaesw, of a
sentence. Suddenly stopping short he
pointed to some sheep at the farther end of
the field Through which tney happened to be
passing st the moment
IAeHSs pretty sightr be. said "There
ale Inc innocent sheep a-feeding-all follow
ing each other as usual; and there's the sly
dog waiting behind the gate till the sheep
want his services. Reminds me of Old
Sharon and the public" He cfuckled over
his discovery of the remarkable similarity
between the sheep dog and hirnself, and the
sheep and the public, and then burst upon
Isabel with second question: Il says
didn't you look at the letter before you
sealed itaa
Certainly not Isabel answered.
Not even at the address,"
"No.n
Thinking of something else-ebg"
every likely" said Isabel.
twas it your new bonnet, my deara"
Isabel laughed. "Women are not al
ways thinking of their new bonnets," she
answered.
Old Sharon. to all appearance, dropped the
subject there He lifted his lean, brown
forefnger and pointed again, this time to a
house at short distance from them. THAT'S
a farm house, surely" he said I'm thirsty,
after my roll down the hill. Do you think,
miss, they would give me drink of milkg"
81 am sure they would" said Isabel. Il
know the people Shall 60 and ask thems"
Thank you, my dear. One word more
before you 60 About the sealing of that
letter; what could you have been thinking of
while you were doing it?" He looked hard
at her, and took her suddenly by the arm
WAS it your sweetheart" he asked, in a
whisper