Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-10-23

Sucus Anu suppose eXuOerant chaps,
like myself, are put In the world to
help them. l wonder whether any
woman will break my heart! / wonder
whether Miss Lucy liked any Of our
fellows, and had a hero in her eye to
make Kerr look more caitiff than he Is.
Could not be Scrammel-he is a sneak
Could not be Radiere-he is too dyspep-
tic. Nor Humphreys-too pomDous.
Nor LivingstOn-he is not sentimental
enough. Nor Skerrett-him she has
never seen and will see with his mus
tache of. All! the chief was right
when he told me l should put my foot
into some adventure up here And
now the thing is started l must set it
moving"
He walked toward Jierck Dewitt, still
on guard al the gate. His relief was
just coming up and the sentry was at
liberty.
"Did you know those two men I was
talking with by the well, Jierck?" Peter
asked.
Eyes, sir; Sergeant Dlncoln and Lady
Brothertoft's factotum. I'd like to
know what old VOltaire wanted here"
''He does not recognize the ex-Pa-
troOn," Skerrett thought. "Then no
one will. Jierck's eyes always saw
little lighter in the dark and little
steadier in a glare than the next mans.
Sorrow must have clapped thick mask
on my friends face"
Il suppose you know the Brothertoft
manor country and the manor house
thoroughly, Jierck," the major said.
nOu tho manor irf ShOnld
think so. began with chasing tumble
bugs and crickets over it, and studied it
inch by siICh. Then l trailed black
snakes ana ran rabbits, and got to know
il rod by rod. I've fShed Ia every
brook and climbed every nut tree and
pOked into every woodcock swamp or
partridge brush from end to end OF it.
1 know it, woodland aud clearing, side
hin and swale, fields that grow stun and
fields that grow corn. I've run horses
over it, where horses is to run-and
that's not much, for it's awful humpy
country, and powders won't stay put
anywhereS. Deer, too-there amt many
pieces Of woods on il where 1 haven't
routed out deerS, and when they legged
for the Highlands 1 legged too, and
come TO know the Highlands just as
well. / used TO love, when l was boy:
to 90 along on the heights above the
river, and pick ont places whore l was
going to live; but shan't live in any Of
'em now. What does a man care about
home, or living at all, when his woman
isn't true?"
Major Skerrett did not interrupt this
burst Of remembrances. "Jierck suffers
as. much in his way" he thought, Gas
the ex-Patroon." "And the house." he
said, you know that as thoroughly"
Gay, from garrett to cellar. My ia
Their, Squire Dewitt, has been In Eng
land, and he says It's more like an Eng
lish house than any he knows, in small.
From garnet TO cellar, says l. The eel
lar I ought TO know pretty well. /
lodged in there once when l was boy
hanging around the house, and got into
the wineroom and drank stuff that came
near spOilln my taste for rum forever.
l wish il had. They caught me and the
madam had me whipped till the blood
come. Mr.. Brothertoft tried to beg off
for ne. She'd got not TO make much
Of him by that time, and the more he
begged the harder she had 'em lay it on
me. But I'm talking Of, stiddy as the
North river, and you've got something
TO say 70 me, major, l know by the way
you look. What's up about Brethertoft
manOr?'
There's a British officer staying
there who has never tasted pork aud
beans. I've promised General Putnam
to bring him up here TO dinner"
"HOOrayl that's right. Give these
militia something to think about, or
they get to believe war : like general
trainin' day, and they can cut for home
when they get tired. You want volun-
teers. I'm one"
Il counted on you for my lieutenant.
Sergeant Lincoln also goes. Now l
want three men more, and you shall
choose them. Each man must have the
grit OF a hundred, and they must know
the country as well as they know the
way TO breakfast. Name three,
JierCk."
'"Rhat I'll do, bang. There's Ike Van
Wart for one. His juntO, him and
Jack Paulding and Dave Williams,
would Just make the three. But Jack
II nabbed and down to York in prison
ship. And Dawes of on furlOugh, SOW
ing his fathers winter wheat for the
cowboys to tramp next summer"
Only Isaac Van Wart therefore, OF
The famous trio, whom the muse OF ira
dition shall fondly nickname Major
Andres bOOtblack, Joined Skerrett on
his perilous service.
"Ike for one" continued Dewitt.
"Weu, Galsworthy, old Sam Gals
worthy, for two. And for three l don't
believe better man lives than Hendre-
Gus Canady, the root doctors son.
They're all Brothertoft manor boys,
built OF the best cast steel, and strung
with the wirieSt kind OF wire. Shoot
bullets into 'em, stick bsggonets into
'em; they don't mind the bullets any
more than spitOalls at school, nor the
baggonets more than witches 90 pins
"Well, Jierck, have them hero In an
hour. l will join you and talk the "Trip
over. and we will be ready TO start at
sunset"
Skerrett found himself a horse,
trotted back 70 Fishkill, wrote fare
we'll TO his Step-brOther and his mother
and scratched a few irrepreSSlole lines
TO Washington, such as the hero loved
10 get from his boys aud valued much
more than the numbering dispatches
marked official. The dispatches only
announced facts, good or bad. The
brisk, gallant notes revealed spirits
which black facts could not dsrken nor
heavy facts depreSS! $50 long as l have
lads like Peter Skerrett," thought our
George. by the grace Of God Peter Pa
trim. when he received this note, fort