Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-23
John HorSeleigh. Knyght.
By Tg0NAs HARDY.

Of the Havenpool marriage registers,
said the thin faced gentleman, this en-
try may still be read by any one curious
enough TO decipher the Grabbed hand
writing OF the date. took Q copy Of it
when was last there. and IL runs thus
the had opened his pocketbook, and now
read aloud tlfe extract, afterward
handing round the book to Us, wherein
we saw transcribed the following):
Mast Joha Hor,eleish. Knight. OF the p'ys-
sho % Ciyfton was Inaryd to Edith the wy6e
late OF John stocker. m chawnte Of Havcnpool
tho Kill daio of December be p'vyiegge gcvyn
BY our sup mo hedd % the chy rche Of Ingelonde
Kyngo Henry the With I59.
Now, IL you turn TO the long and
elaborate pedigree Of the ancient family
oftho Horseleighs Of Clyfton Horselsigh,
you will find no mention whatever Of
this alliance, Notwithstanding the priv
3lese given by the sovereign and head Of
the church. the said Sir John being
therein chronicled rs marrying. at o
date apparently earlier than the above,
the daughter and heiress Of Richard
Phelipson Of Montislope, in Neither
Wesscx, lady who outlived him. of
which marriage there were issue two
daughters and a son, who succeeded
him in his estates. How are We to &C.
count for these, rs il would seem, con.
temporaneous wives? A strange local
tradition only can help US, and this can
be briefly told.
One evening in the autumn Of the
year 1910 or I541 u young sailor, whose
Christian name was Roger. but whose
surname is not known, landed ut his
native place Of Havenpool, on the south
Wessex coast. after q voyage in the
Newfoundland trade, then newly sprung
into existence. He returned in tho ship
Primrose with q cargo Of 'trayne oyle
brought home from the New Founde
Lande. to quote from the town records
Of the date. During his absence Of two
summers and u winter. which made up
the term Of a Newfoundland "spell."
many unlocked for changes had occurred
within tho quiet little seaport, some Of
which closely affected Roger the sailor.
AT tho time Of his departure his only
sister. Edith, had become the bride of one
Stocker, n respectable townsman, and
part owner Of the brig in which Roger
had sailed. and it was to the house Of
this couple. his only relatives.that the
young man directed his steps. On try
ing the door in Quay street he found il
locked, and then observed that the win
dows We're boarded UP. Inquiring of
u bystander. he learnedfor the first time
of tho death Of his brother in law,
though that event had taken place near
ly Is months before.
And my sister Edith ?'''asked Roger.
shes married again, as they do
say. aud hath been so these ~ months.
! don't vouch for the truth OF, though
IL she isn't she ought to be-"
Rogers faco grew dark. He was q
man with considerable reserve of
strong passion. and he aslced his in
formant what he meant by speaking
thus.
Tho man explained that shortly after
the young woman's bereavement a
stranger had come to the port. He had
seen her moping on the quay, had been
attracted by her youth and loneliness,
and In an extraordinarily brief wooing
had completely fascinated her-had car
ried her of. and rs was reported had
married her. Though he had come BY
water. he was supposed to live no very
great distance or by land. They were
last heard Of Mt Ooxewood. in Upper
Wessex. at the house Of ono Wall. q tim
Der merchant. where. he believed. she
still had n lodging. though her husband,
IL he were lawfully that much, was but
an occasional visitor to the place.
THE Stranger" asked Roger. ibid
you SEQ him? What manner Of man was
hc?"
81 liked him not" said the other.
"Ile seemed Of that kind that hath
something to conceal. and as he walked
with her he ever and anon turned his
head and gaxcd behind him, ms il he
much feared an unwelcome pursuer.
But faith" continued he. cit may have
been the mans anxiety only. Yet did I
noe ike him."
WAS he older than my sister," Rog-
or asked
AYE. much older, from dozen to q
score Of years older. A man Of some po-
cAioh' may w. PdSHiS III dUOrOus
game for the pleasure Of the hour. Who
knoweth but that he have wife al
ready? Many have done the thing here
abouts If lale."
Having paid q visit to the graves Of
his relatives. the sailor next day went
along tho straight road. which, then q
lane. now a highway, conducted TO the
curious little inland town named by the
Havcnpool man. Il is unnecessary to
describe Oozewood in the South Avon.
IL has railway at the present day, but
30 years Of steam traffic past its pre-
cincts have hardly modified its original
features. Surrounded by n sort Of fresh
water lagoon. dividing it from meadows
and coppice. its ancient thatch and tim
Der houses have barely made way even
In the front street Tor the ubiquitous
modern brick and slate. 1t neither in
croasos nor diminishes in size. 1t is
difficult to say what the inhabitants fad
TO do. for. though trades in woodward
arc still carried ON, there cannot be
enough 81 this class Of work nowadays
to maintain all tho householders, the
fOyQSss nrot,v,d ba-,vn ,~x..-