Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-15

what abe at last resolved upon marked
her ss nt once the bravest and the most
sensible of women. Bat her resolution
took time for the working out. She sat or
her Stone seat and smoked her pipe. as
usual. When any boys passed her door
,be shook her stick at them, and used her
strange sea phrases, just as if nothing was
on her mind.
II grows dark in the short November
dnys soon after 4, which is the bour when
folks who can afford the luxury Of candles
light them, sweep the hearth, and prepare
the dish of cheerful tea. There was no tea
for us that year, but small ale Of our own
brewing OF buttermilk. Aud my mother
sat in geest sadness for the most part, NOT
knowing what would be the end, yet iesr-
ful of the worst, and being of feeble faith.
Certainly. there wa little to give her
cause for hope.
It was $50 or z that l heard footsteps
outside, and presently q knock at the door.
Issw, to my amszement, no other than
old Van. 1t was a cold and rainy even
ing. bat she had on nothing more than
her usual jacket and hat. A hard and
tough old woman.
sChild,n che said earnestly, ''do you
think that / would lead thee wrong, or tell
thee a lie?"
"Why, TO, Man." ..
ssThen mark me, 20 not forth tonight"
Why should l 90 forth? 1t is past
o'clock, and already dark.
'.If messengers should come Look
who is thst?"
She slipped behind the door as \ boy
came running to the door. I recognized
him for a lad, half gypsy, who was well
known to all runners and often took part
in driving the ponies. A bare headed boy
with thick, coarse hair and bright black
ewes, who was afterward sentenced to bt
hanged, but reprieved, I know not for wha'
reason and / forget now what he had done
to bring upon him this sentence.
"The fugleman says" he began at once,
seemingly in breathless haste, "that he Ii
fallen down and is like to have broken hi
back. He wants to see You at once"
"Oh," l cried, what dreadful thing Ii
this? Tell him I'll come at once. Run,
boy, run / will put on q hat and"-
The boy turned and ran gathering ~
the road and across the bridge.
Then Nan came out from behind the
door.
"It's true, then. The kidnapping vii
lains! It's true. But / never had
doubt. Go in doors, honney. Stay al
home. As for the fugleman, I'll warrant
his back TO be as sound as my own. Wait,
wait, I say, till you see Matthew's face
tomorrow. A villain, indeed!'
But, Nan, what do you mean? My
dear old fugleman a villain! What has he
to do with Mathew"
"No, child, not he. There's only one vii
lain in Warkworth, though many fools
The villain is Mathew Humble. The big
gest fool is Dan Gedge. He is such q fool
that he ought to be keel hauled or logged
through the Fleet, at least. Stay at home,
THIS is a plot. The fugleman is at the
Hermitage at work among the stuff
There to be a run tonight. Aud they
think. Avast q bit, brother. Ay, sy,
they shall have what they want. There's
a hook of salt pork and apease pudding fol
supper. l looked forward to that hook,
Never mind it. The villsin-he to run
this rig upon a girl! But old Nan knows 8
mast from a manger yet, and values moi
his anger a ropes end" Here she
became incoherent, and one heard only
an occasional phrase, such as from
the spritsail yard TO the mizzentopsail hal
yards" "a mealy mouthed swab;" "a
fresh water, wishy washy, fair weather
sailOr;;' thinks to get athwart my
hawse," and 80 forth. To all of which
listened in blank wonder. Thus having
in this nautical manner collected hel
thoughts--strange it is that a sailor car
never mature his plans or resolve upon
a plan of action without the use Of
strong words-she begged me to lend
b bfErru my aesrdsirsll nckS, hiESa arMT hood,
of which we women of Northum
bsrland stand in need for winter day
and cold spring winds. She said that she
could keep her own cloth jacket, because
the work she should do that night was
cold work, but she borrowed O wooden
wrapper which she tied over her head aut
round her neck, leaving her three cornered
sailors hat in my keeping. Lastly, .sht
borrowed and put on o pair of warm leather
gloves, remarkipg that all would be fount
ont if once they saw or felt her hand
This, to be sure, was a great deal larger
than is commonly found among women
When all these arrangements were com
plete, che put on the cardinal and pulled
the hood over her head. "Now," sh,
asked, "who am II"
Ofcourse, having my clothes upon her
and being about the same Insight, with be-
face hiddin beneath the hood, she seemed
to be no other than myself. Then with
last reference to swabs, lubbers and lane
pirates, she once more babe me keep within
doors all night, ii l valued my life aud my
honor, and trudged away, telling me moth
ing but that q piratical craft should tina
night be laid on beam ends, that her owl
decks were cleared, her guns double shot
ted, the surgeon in the cockpit, and tn,
chaplain with him, and, in short, that sht
was ready for action.
l saw no more of her that night, which
spent in great anxiety, wondering wha
this thing might mean. But in the morn
ing, fearing some mischief, l walked ul
the street to the castle. The fuglemal
was in his room; he had sent me, he said
no message at all; nor had he fallen; no
has he broken his back. The boy Cuddy,
it appeared, had been helping him ant
running backward and forward all day
When the ponies were loaded he had re-
turned to the hermitage to set all snug ant
tidy. When he came back to the castle
they were gone. But no breaking of backs
aud no sending of the boy. This was
strange indeed.
"Then, fuglemau," 1 said, "Mathev
Humble sent q lying message, meaning
mischief"
What he designed / understood in two
or three days. But for the time I coult
only think that he wished to open again
the question of his suit. Yet, why hst
Nan borrowed my cardinal and my gloves
On the way back 1 looked into Nam
cottage. The door was open, but Their
was no n in the house.
/ went home, little thinking what q mar
row escape was mine. Had l known-bu'
had / known. l should have been dividet
between gratitude to heaven and admira
ton Of brave old Nan, and detestation o
the greatest villain in England.
CHAPTER ".