Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-01


its jewellers do
When mammoth and rhinoceri in
stead of small prey furnished the chase,
and our sporting ancestors, armed with
Clipped flint and elegantly attired in a
summer costume Of woad, went out on
fine hunting mornings, High peak, Sal
comb, was crowned with rude forts.
but the old hunters were lazy, and left
no record Of their age save the barrows
dotted over the hilltops, and Devonshire
seems to have INDUCED in a long nap
before the galleys of Ph9nicia came
coasting round Albion in search of tin,
and touched finally at the mouth Of the
Sid.
One Of them dropped Bactrian coin
on the single, just to prove to this day
that Greek paid Us morning cali,
and then for 500 years the valley slept.
and the next corners carried the insignia
OF the eagles Of imperial Rome. They
left behind bronze centaur that had
adorned Roman standard, and some
thing better still-a wonderful piece Of
Roman road, that, having defied time,
may defy eternity. But they found the
Devonshire lanes dull, rudely christened
the place Dammonia and sailed away.
leaving things very quiet for 1000
years or SO, when, 10! Sidmouth's love.
ly valley is dotted over with Saxon wig.
vans. and actually where the church
now stands was rude Saxon prototype
Of it. though tho clergy seem to have
had an uncommonly rough time of it in
those days. if all accounts gre to be be.
lievcd.
The little party had seen vi that was
noteworthy in the neighborhood, not
forgetting BranscOmbe, that tangle of
little valleys, the horizon shut off on
| three sides by escarpments of embracing
hills, with an exquisite vista of salt
blue sea shining between two swelling
headlands. They had visited Beer, that
long fishing street running out of nat
urai harbor scooped in the chalk cliff,
beloved Of artists, who have built quaint
houses Oh the wooded combs above,
and who never weary Of making sketches
q those bold vikings who loudly regret
| the days of smuggling, when cargoes
| would be run OIL dark nights apd coast
guards pushed over the cliffs, for the
brown sailed boats nowadays bring but
scanty grist to the mill
And that's why the Teignmouth
cliffs are red." Mamie was saying one
day rs from tie brow Of the Mutter moor
they looked upon the wonderful piano.
rama spread out before them because
the vikings wouldn't let our poor Sax
ons alone. and in their biggest invasion
the cliffs ran blood, and blood colored
they are to this day
Will Cassilis laughed. He had been
offered the fourth seat in the carriage
by Lord Straubenzee and had accepted
it on the principle of half loaf being
better than no bread, though indeed the
number of half loaves he had lately re-
ceived alternately puzzled and alarmed
him.
lyon don't believe that, Mamie, do
your" he said, knowing he would not
have her less Of a little goose for the
world. Perhaps he did not know that
his very voice changed when he spoke to
or OF her. but Hagar knew it, and SO
did Nannie's father.
| "Of course do. Father. Won won't
L
and having some tea" she added, col
oring at the indecent joy which over
spread Wills face at her suggestion,
ior IN those 40 acres of pleasure grounds
might one not lose so fathers, and could
paradise itself have made more de-
licious lovers trystirg place?
with pleasure. said her father,
taxing one last look ut the Otter wind
ing III and out of the valley like streak
OF silver, the Aylesbeare hills beyond,
the Exc valley and Haldon hills. while
melting into the blue distance rose the
Dartmoor ranges that have always an
element Of savagery in their beauty. 1t
was all dear and familiar to him: 10
never wearied Of it. never ceased to
compare favorably this English Riviera
TO which the English doctors send their
wives and daughters, while to the one
abroad they send their patients.
Did you know" said Mamie to
VIII as their carriage wheels cut the
sweet springy turf and the coachman
began tho long detour to get to the town
below, that O,tery st. Mary over there
is the Clavering st. Mary of Pendennis,
Larkbeare is the original of Fairdale,
and Escot Of Clavering park? The Otter
is the river Brawl. and if you look
about you may find the very tree that
Pendennis and Blanche Amory used as
postoffice"'
She blushed, and Will smiled. So did
Lord S,raubenzee. She looked TODAY
like happy child cut for q treat. cen
stantly making blurders. yet no whit
dismayed. and might have been ten in
stead of four years younger than the wo-
man who sat beside her.
lyon didn't know Devon was so in.
teresting, did you:" said Will kindly to
Hagar. for he was growing used to her
now. and having duly inspected those
credentials that proved her to be, as he
would have put it. all right. he would
have been churl and an migrate to be
uDkind to what after all was n perpet.
ual ever varying delight to the eye.
mo, she said simply. but every.
thing seems interesting and beautiful to
me now"
1t was this directness, or what he
| .al IL