Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-02-21
pie $i1enee Of
Dean QaitIand.
B>f WExMELL GREY.

| he got through his task in n couple OF
hours, swept the turf clean, nailed up
II crecper or two, and did one or two
odd Jobs about the place for the dam
sci who had dismissed him with such
Til after dark.
Whenever he paused in his work
and looked up, he saw Mrs. Everard's
eyes bent wstfully upon him, and
knew that she was comparing his
features with LcslIe's. Marion had
not recognized the play fellow and
companion Of her youth, but this wo-
mans eyes were made keen-sightcd
by love and sorrow, and traced ont
the ordinary fratcrnal resemblance be
meath the disguise Of the weather.
Drowned, tattered vagrant. His heart
warmed to her and to the child, who
ran about, prattllng and getting in the
way Of his unsupported kinsman. If
Leslie had been alive, he felt that he
could have asakcd him for succor.
That night he passed on n halfmade
rick OF hay, u fragrant, warm, and
luxurious cOnch sheltered from the
sky by sheet OF sail-cloth spread
! tentwlse TO keep off showers.
He thought 1t better not to seek
work so near the town, since he had
whcrewith to get food for the day so
he set Off nOrtllward, and walked as
far rs his wounded leg would let him,
revolving many schemes for escape
N hla mind hn alnnu Ia
took out his tract, "Plain Words for
Plain Men" and read 1t with inward
sarcasm. 1t was beautifully written
and lucidIy Expressed; by the Rev.
Canon Maitland, Rector OF st. Swth-
un's, at some country town, Rural
Dean; author OF several religious
works set down in due order.
$50 he Is canon. Is he" muttcrcd
Bvcrard nercely, as he llmpcd along
in the burning :S1..salnc GLOW long
does 1t take to saV2 into an arch
bishop, | wonder? And how much
damned hypocrlcy and lying and
trcachery does II take to make onc?"
and he tore the paper into hundred
fragments and dashed 1t into the road
dust, where he stamped savagcly upon
it. Then he thought of Marion and
the sweet children who were kind to
the ragged vagrant, and his heart con
tractcd with wild pain.
A thick underground of huzels made a
shelter from eyes as well as from the
sun. On the mosscd and tangled roots
Of nm asl-trcc, he sat at the edge Of
the hazel wall. just where the ground
sloped down to a little stream, which
blckcred over It's messy pebbles with n
pleasant sound, and caught In its tiny
wave the cool lights CHANGING through
the wind,stlrrcd boughs above 1t.
This was better than prison. Evcrard
thought, as he stretched his weary,
hot limbs Mt length on the dry. short
grass, and gazcd up through the gently
waving, sun-stecpcd leaves at gllmpscs
Of blue sky, and listened to the
brooks low and soothing song and
the Whispering Of the laughing leaves,
and smcllcd the vague, delicious scent
OF the woodlands, and forgot the ach-
Ing OF his wounds and the cough which
had shaken him since the chills OF his
night In the wet clmtrcc.
For the moment he wanted nothing
more. 1t would be sweet, after those
long years of toll and prison to wan
der thus forever I'm the beautiful sum
MGR weather quite alone, his whole
being open to the halfforgottcn innu-
cnccs of free earth and sky. fields and
streams and woods, and Srnrlses and
sunsets and solemn nights marked Ivy
the quiet malShalllng of the stars. TIL
he was healed of the grcvious hurts
of his lotS agony, Even the hunted
feeling, the necessity for hiding and
being ever on the alert even the dan
ger that logged every step, was re-
freshing and stimulating This wild
life was fun of adventure, and reused
his faculties, which the iron hand of
bondage had henumbcd
The simple meal he had purchased
tasted dcllcously the brooks water
was like sparkling wine In comparison
with that OF the prison. For company
his cell hoaStcd ut most an occasional
spider; while here In the wood were a
thousand friendly guests, flying, creep
ing, swimming. humming. popping at
him With bright, shy eyes, chirptug
and even singing fragmcntary song
In the MONDAY heat.
\ wren hrguilcd by his long stiffness
and the tempting crumbs he strcwcd
h"pped up Within an inch OF his mo-
tionleSs hand, and pecked pertly at the
unusual dainty Evcmrd remembered
the wren he had seen OH his last day
of liberty. the wren which nestled on
lilian's mutl and let her touch him.
while he and Cyril looked on, and Cy-
I'll said that II was l.ilian's guilcless.
ness which gave her such power over
dumb creatures. He remembered ask
Ing Cyril how he. who was equally
gullelcss, had lost this power, and Cy,
ril's acquitted rcIolndcr Henry. | am
a man"
CHAPTER vi.
After his simple meal, Eyerard
spread his treasures on the grass be-