The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-06
St. JOHNS eve.
From Temple Bar.

From Temple Bar
Martha Holden was the prettiest
maid in North Hants. Who shall gain
yayit? But who am I to describe hcr !?
"Aour Patty he vine enuff to be o
lady bornl" was tho oftspokon thought
of hse father and mother-thc one un-
dor gardener the other ox.laundry maid
ct the "Great House."
And, sure enough, Patty, according
to the wiseacres, had for sometime been
in . fair way to have her head turned
by SO many admirers.
A nod and chuck under tho chin
from tho young Squire" and a "Waal,
she beant nool" from John Brown
tho grizzled old earth stopper, as he
saw her whisk scross the court yard,
were perhaps tho highest and lowest
ordinations of admiration directly ex-
pressed. But even "Tho Squire" him
solf had been heard to say to "My La-
dy;;" "Egai, Jane, that Holden girl is
t!evilish pretty!" And every farmer and
farmers boy, whip and groom, keeper
and poacher, within ten miles of tho
Groat House, was worshipping, or had
worslipped to his cost, ct the shrine Of
Venus Sylvestris.
However, Patty was "going along"
eighteen, and her little heart seemed as
sound us bell; her check was round
md downy rs q. peach; her blue eyes
glanced clear and honest through the
dark lashes, and her whole demeanor
deticl the most curious of gossips to say
she had q thought other than to attend
upon her young mistress.
But innocent rs she looked-inno.
cent Us she really was-Patty, like most
of tho rest of womenkind, Rugged to
her own heart her little secret; and
though scarce ten words had passed be.
tween them, she knew full we'll as ho al
tho time our story opens, Christmas,
IL, that William Halfacre of Ever
eley, Gypsy WILL" as they used to call
him, was her accepted lover.
Simple enough, and in this wise, Lad
IL come about.
Ono day in tho August previous,
North Hants had challenged South
lIants to meet on the cricket field out
side of the garden gates of the Great
House and southampton and Lynhurst,
Portsmouth and Winchester had mus
tered against Eramshill and Basing-
stroke, the Vine and High Clere, to
try their respective wortls. No day
was it then, rs now, of white fan
ncls and straw hats, fancy club rib
hons, and silk waist lan,lkcrchicfs, oil
four balls an over, and lightning-paced
l"und-arm bowling, done by gen.
ticmanlille professional cricketers,
who make their cool hundred, and
lounge into tho marquee for cigarette
and q clarct cup. No. In black tweed
broadcloth nnd white duck trousers,
white frillcd linen shirts, and tall black
hats, did our heroes of tho close of the
ast century meet to "do each other to
death" with slow and fast underhand
bowling. And what need of o marquee
was there on that field where each
mighty linden of tho avenue on one
sitle, or massive oak along tho church
path, along the other side of the lawn,
was in itself tent for regiment:
What need of claret cup when the cold
October" foalncd in tho Great House
silver tankarls under holly bower pre-.
sided over by the brewer thcreof-thc
old family butler?
And among tho heroes of the Evil.
lows" gathered round the group Of
oldsters gravcly discussing in
the centre Of the field tho merits of the
wickets-how many runs it should be in.
to tho ditch, how many over, &C., &c
stood Gypsy Will, the fastest bowler and
hardest hitter in North Hants.
a second son of tho favorite old ten.
mt, tho Squire had o few years before
given him q start on moorland farm
much too plodding life for Will, who
soon exchanged il for IN undcrkeeper.
ship; whereat tho numberlcss nffrays
with poachers kept excitement alive and
stimulated his manhood into energy.
"Play" was at last called; and NORTH
and South Hants bowled and batted
ran and fielled, and when occasion
came for it, ate and drank as if life de
pended on it. The rector kept tho
score, and choered each good hit to tho
echo; and the old Squire made his pad
groom lift him out of his low phaeton
standing under the lime trees, and de
posit him in big arm chair, with hi.
equity foot on cushion, little nearer
the play, and even forgot to curse Inn
for clumsy fool, SO exciting was til,
game.
At last tho winning hit was madc by
Gypsy Will. But tho day was not ovel
yet, US ere tho Inst cheers for the con
querers AID conquered had died away
fiddle and clarionet struck up n coun
try dance, in which it was somehow fat
cd that Martha Holden and Will Hal
facrc should "cross hands and down the
middle"-a presage of what should fol
low.
Suffice it for tho present, that rs Put
~ walked back to the house with hin
an hour after. MS the drowsy shnrd-ba~
Ito took the place of the bees i'll tho lin.
dcns overhead, and she stole look into
Willis face aud thought of his manliness
md beauty, she loved him once and fol
all, and he looked down on her and
loved in return.
But the lime-tree leaves began to turn
and flicker down on the lawn, the bracls
eli bronzed under the sun, the last red
heather blossom turned purple, mauve
and then brown, the puppies came home
from walk, and cub hunting began
and still no sign from William.
November and the opening meet O
tho season brought its houseful O
guests-its breakfast table set in til,
great hall, gay with pink, green ant
black coats, white breeches and boots
iangling on the stone noor-the hounds
iroiickinS round the Auntsmen on TIT
lawn, save only one, old "Harbinger
tho squire's pet, that was snoozing a
the old mans knees inside-and brought
for Patty its helter-skelter run with bel
young mistress along the grass ride t.
get before tho rush Of horsemen to til.
old summer house, where, cncased il
sturdy velveteen, gun on arm and re
trievor at heel, stood Gypsy Will.
Tho sign came! A bow and blush
for "my young lady," a blush, bow, {
sudden dropping Of the eyes for Patty
She was content! and repaid oil three
with interest; butno word yet.
Tho hunt is up! Tho "dappled dar
nngs" arc leaping madIy thseugh tht
brown bracken, the glen rs.echoine
their maddening melody. Tho last
faint note of the horn has died away in.
TO the dark bank of fir woods; but til,
beauty of all around her is lost to Patti,