Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-08-22
CHAPTER XIX.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE HEARsE.

THE ADVENTURE OF THE HEARSE.
The day spring came at last, ;.nd in the
sick light OF it | went down TO the cottage for
spade and pickaX. In the tumult of my
senses l hardly noted that our prisoner, the
dragon, had contrived to slip his bonds and
steal off in the night.
And then Della, seeing me return with the
sad tools on my shoulder spoke for the first
time
First, if there be a well near, fetch me
two buckets OF water, and leave us for an
hour
Her voice was weary and chill, so that
dared not thank her, but did the errand in
silence Then, but dozen PAGES from the
/ spot where Joan's father lay, | dug grave
and strewed it with bracken, and heather.
and gorse petals, that in the morning air
smelt rarely. And soon after my task was
| done, Della called me.
In her mans dress Joan lay, her arms
crossed. her black tresses braided, ana her
face gentler than ever twas III life Over
| her wounded breast was bunch Of some tiny
pink flower that grew about the tor.
SO | lifted her softly as once IN this same
/ place she had lifted me, and bore her down
the slope to the grave, and there | buried
hey. while Della l,nelt and prayed, and Molly
/ browsed, lifting now and then her head to
look.
When all was done. we turned away, dry
eyed, aud walked together to the cottage.
| The bay horse was feeding on the moor be-
| low; and, finding him still too lame to carry
Della, shifted the saddles. and, mendng the
/ hrosen RON, set her on Molly The cottage
do.r stood open, but we did not enter; only
looked in; and seeing Jan Tergagle curled be-
side The cold hearth, left him So
Mile after mile we passed i'll silence Della
riding aud pacing beside her with the bay.
AT last, tortured past bearing, | spoke;
Della, have you nothing to sayi'
For while she seemed to consider; then,
with her eyes fixed on the hills ahead, an
swered
Much, if / could speak; but all this has
changed me somehow-'tis, perhaps, that /
have grown woman having been a girl
and aeei 10 get used to it and think
She spoke not angrily, as | looked for, hut
with "A painful sowness that was less hopeful.
"But,n said J. cover and over you have
shown that am nought 10 you. Surely -
Surely am jealous} It's possble-yes,
Jack, am but a woman, and so It's certain. "
"Why, to be jealous you must love me-
She looked at me straight, and answered
very deliberate:
"Now that is what ! am far from sure Of. y
But, dear Della, when your anger has
cooled
My anger was brief; am disappointed
rather With her last breath, almost, Joan
said you were weaker than she; She loved you
better than |, and read you clearer. You are
weak. Jacl'-she drew in Molly, and let heI
hand fail on my shoulder very kindly-"wt
have been comrades for many long mile
and | hope are honest, good friends; where
fore | loathe to say a harsh or ungratefu
seeming word. But you could not under
stand that brave girl, and you cannot under
stand me; for as yet YOU DO not eSen know
yourself. The knowledge comes slowly to
man, think; to woman at one rush. Blu
when it comes believe you may he strong
Now leave me to think, for my head is all O
a tangle'
, Our pace was so slow (by reason Of th
lame horse that a great part of the after
noon was spent before we came in sight 0
, the House Of Gleys. And truly the yellow
sunshine had flung some warmth about tn
naked walls and turrets, 50 that Delia's home
, coming seemed not altogether cheereSs. Du
} what gave us more happiness was to spy, o!
the blue water beyond, the bright canvas o
, the Godsend, and to hear the cries and sti
Of Billy Potterys marines as they haule
down the sails,
: And Dilly himself was on the lookout witt
his spyglass. For hardly We're we come t
r the beach when our sgnal-the waving of
r white kerchef-was answered by another o
r board, and within half an hour a boat put
q off, wherein, as she drew nearer, / counte
eight fellows.
, They were besides Billy Matt Soames, til
master; Gabriel Hutchins, Ned Masters, tn
4 black man Sampson, Ben Halliday and tw
/ whose full names l have forgot-but on
was called Nicholas And, after many war;
greetings, the boat was made fast, and W
t climbed up along the peninsula together,
close order, like a little army.
O All this time there was no sign or SCUM
about the House of Gleys to show that an
o one marked us or noted our movements. II
gate was closed, the windows stood shuttere,
+ as on my former visit; even the chimney
I were smokeless. Such effect had this des
lation on our spirits that, drawing near, "
, fell to speaking in Whispers and said Ne
Masters;
a "Now a man would think us come to bur
somebody"
u "He might make worse guess" l al
II swered.
Marching up to the gate | rang loud pc
on the bell, and to my establishment, bofo
Y the echoes had time to die away, the gratr
a was pushed back and the key turned in ii
IA lock
- "Step yein-step ye in, good folksl A so
- ry day-a day of sobs an tears an alIlict,
>. blowings of the nose-when the grasshopp
n is burden an the mourners go about seekir
:, whom they may deyour the funeral meat
" y are welcome, gentlemen"
Twas the voice of my one eyed friend
he undid tbs bolts; and now he stood in d
- gateway with prodgious black sash aero
a his canary livery, so long that the ends Of
i, swept the fagstones.
q us Master Tlngoomb within'" l help
Della to dismount. and gave our two hors