The advocate., 1895-10-02

speech had been deftly turned aside OK
passed over as q Jest.
This must not be, could not, should
not endure. Aside from his own head
long passion, there was Hawkins in the
background, inexorably urging him to
make hay while the sun ahone" and
limiting more than darkly the dangers Of
delay. He must speak out, speak at once,
and under such conditions as to mako
refusal out Of the question.
Hawkins easily supplied them. Upon
his motion, Mrs Townley agreed that
all her household should go for days
excursion into the heart Of the disputed
iron tract, where work had 80 long
ceased that for the most part everything
was pictureSQuely ruinouR It was re-
gion Of steep, thickly wooded hills, seam
ed through and through with hollows 80
dark and narrow that in them midday
was as twilight. A labyrinth Of paths
and cartways ran hither and yon, many
overgrown to the merest trace, others
showing still scant signs Of use by the
hill folk, squatters whose cabins clung
here and there to q hillside or sent blue
thready smoke up from some darkling
hollow.
Once all the region had been alive
with noise Of axes cutting timber for the
charcoal pit, ring and rattle Of chain,
hoof, wheel, shouts from hill TO hill,
singing and laughter Of oremen working
at the breasts in full daylight The old
folk remembered it we'll They had told
the younger ones over and over Of the
good old times when work and money
were plenty, when iron, king Of metals,
went ont and came back silver and gold
What wonder If the remnant who clung
still to the tract, getting bare subsist-
ence as best they might, sighed for the
good times gone, the friends who went
with them, or that their sons, trained
in penury's hard school, were easily
stirred to anger against the man who,
they were told, stood needlessly betwixt
them and the return Of that golden agoP
No such thought, such knowledge,
came to Dare as she rode through the
sylvan maze with the tall handsome
stranger close at her bridle rein. All the
party were on horseback, and as soon as
they were well within the hills Haw-
kins and Cleve had fallen to disputing
as to which was the better, more pictur-
esque route to the old forge, the days
appointed rendezvous Both had recent
ly spent days there in exploration, and
each contended stoutly for the way Of
his choice. Dare herself had settled the
matter by saying, with delicious smile;
There is nothing for it but to divide
and conquer both routes. Aunt Mel, we
will go with Mr.. Cleve Mr.. Hawkins
can take Mr.. Holtham and Patsey and
the dinner, and we viii see who gets
there first and easiest"
"Just what was about to propose"
Cleve said, with quick fash Of the
eye. Mrs. Townley demurred.
''I'm afraid to risk it," she said,
shaking her head ''This is a fearful
place to get lost in. You might wander
for days on one hill Of these coalingS
Bnd never find your way out. / am sure
Mr.. Cleve thinks he knows the way per-
fectly, but had rather trust Mr.. Haw.
kim" "
"Well, ] had not" Dare said willful-
". "Come, Patsey. We win follow him.
Aunt Mel, If we hear you crying in the
wilderness, we viii come and find YOU"
''That we will" Cleve said trium-
phantly, touching his hat to the others
and turning the horses heads into
track running almost at right angles to
that they had been following. A little
a IA ls11