The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-09-10
The Melancholy HuSSaT.
By THOMAS HARDY.

(Continued.)

(OOnllnUeU.D
but how get there?" she asked.
Phyllis had been rather amazed than
shocked at his proposition. Her position
in her fathers house was growing irk-
some and painful in the extreme. His
parental affection seemed to be quite
dried up. She was not Il native of the
village, like all the JOYOUS girls around
her. and in some way Matthaus Tina
had Infected her with his own passion
ate longing for his country and mother
and home.
But how" she repeated finding
that he did not answer "Will you buy
your discharge"
"Ah, no, he said. THAT'S impossi.
bic in these times. No; 1 came here
against my will. Why should not es-
cape? Now is the time, as we shall soon
be leaving here, and might see you no
more. This is my scheme: ] will ask
you to meet me Gil "a highway, two
miles off, on some calm night next week
that may be appointed. There will be
nothing uubecoming in it OF to cause
you shame You will not fly alone with
me, for 1 will bring with me my de-
voted young friend Christoph, who has
lately joined the regiment, and who has
agreed to assist i'll this enterprise. We
shall have come from Weymouth har-
Dor, where we shall have examined the
boats and found one suited to our pur-
pose. Christ,ph has already u chart of
the channel, and we will then go to
Weymouth and at midnight cut the boat
from her mornings and row away round
The point out of sight, and by the next
morning we are ON the coast Of france,
near Cherbourg The rest is easy, for
Ihave saved money fer the land journey
and can get change Of clothes. will
write to my mother, who will meet Us
on the way"
He added details i'll reply to her Ill
quiries, which left no doubt i'll Phyllis
mind of the feasibility Of the undertake
ing. But its magnitude almost appalled,
her, and it is questionable if she would
ever have gone farther i'll the wild adj
venture if ON entering the house that
night her father had not accOsted her in
the most significant terms.
How about the York hussars?' he
said.
''They are still at the camp, but they
are soon going away, believe.
"It is useless for you to attempt to
cloak your actions i'll that way. You
have been meeting one Of those fellows :;
you have been seen walking with him
foreign barbarians, not much better than
the French themselves! have made up
my mind-don' speak word till l have
done, please-I have made up my mind
that you shall stay here no longer while
they are on the spot You shall go to
| your aunt's.
1t was useless for her to protest that
she had never taken walk with any
soldier or man under the sun except
himself. Her protestations were feeble,
too, fer, though he was not literally
correct i'll his assertion, he was virtual
ly only half in error.
The house Of her fathers sister was q
prison to Phyllis. She had quite recent
| ly undergone experience of it's gloom,
and when her father went on to direct
her to pack what would be necessary
for her to take her heart died within
her. In after years she never attempted
to excuse her conduct during this week
of agitation but the result of her self
communing was that she decided to join
in the scheme of her lover and his
friend and fly to the country which he
had colored with such lovely hues III
her imagination. She always said that
the one feature i'll his proposal which
overcame her hesitation was the obvious
purity and straightforwardness Of his
intentions He showed himself to be So
virtuous and kind. He treated her with
respect to which she had never before
been accustomed, and she was braced to
the obvious risks Of the voyage by her
confidence in him.