Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-07-31

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l behold him stretched fIt upon hts back.
What my parents can have been think
ing about when they branded me at the
baptismal font with the name Of Diana
] cannot imagine. How were they to
foresee that hunting would ever become
the one pure and unmixed pleasure of
my life? Nothing suppose, could have
seemed to them more Improbable; but
at the age of seven-and twenty | had
been my own mistress for a good many
years, and had consulted my own incH-
nations without any morbid disquietude
as TO what my neighbors might think
about me. | lived during tho greater
part of the year at my house, Newton
Salby, with my worthy old duenna, Mrs.
Robertson, and | had learned how to
manage my estate, and l had, l believe,
conscience as void Of otfense as that of
the majority Of human beings.
being pretty well off need scarcely
ray that | had at one time or another re-
ccyed offers of marriage from every eli
eible and ineligible bachelor in the
county, az we'll as from a considerable
number Of London men whom | had
met during my annual visits to the me
tropolis, and if, as Mrs. Robertson as
sured me was the case, | had acquired
character for eccentncity, l can only at
tribute this to the circumstance that |
had been compelled 20 decline all these
gentlemen with thanks. What may per-
haps be taken as some proof that | was
not really wanting in common sense was
that had ended by accepting my Sec
Ond cousin, Granville Maitland, but rs
be was up in London, attending to his
parliamentary duties, | did not bother
my head very much about him during
TINS last hunting season of my spinster-
hood.
1t was on nice, mild, misty morn
ing that set off for the meet, riding
the old brown mare. l had not hunted
her at all that season, because, TO tell
the truth, she was rather too many guns
for me when hounds were running, and,
to make further confession, my nerve
was no longer what it had once been.
Old Colonel " hurton shook his head
when he rode up to say good morning
and recognized my mount. l knew very
well what he was thinking; but | must
say that he had no business to have such
thoughts, for never in my life have | in
jured hoHnd. However, he was too
polite 70 put his uutiattering apprehen-
sions into words, and as We moved along
toward the covert side he introduced a
young friend Of his who, he said, was
staying with him for day or two, and
whom he hoped to persuade that there
WAS such a thing as hunting in our
parts, though there might not be a great
deal of uninterrupted galloping. | did
not notice much about this young Mr..
LOngheld except that no had a hand
some, boyish sort of face and fair mus
tacne, and that the colonel had put him
up on the roam. So like old Wharton to
have given his friend the roan-a sly
lttle horse, clever enough at banking.
bat with about as much speed as a cos
termonger's donkey
Well, we found AT once and had n nice
little burst of about fifteen minutes fol-
lowed by a check. The mare overpow-
cred me, ms she always does, but carried
me splendidly, and Of course l was a
little sorry to be caught up by the rest Of
the field. However, after snort delay,
the hounds got upon the scent again. and
away we all Went, heller skclter, down q
narrow lane into which we had to jump.
l could hardly tell how many people
We're ahead of me, and naturally nd
not care, because | knew that if | only
got half a chance | should soon dispose
Of the crowd Only l was very anxious
to get once more into the omen. for those