Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04

corners. near Stickford by the East Fen.
| Taking off his hatshe prayed:
Thou just God, do Thou Judge between
| my king and myself Thou knowest that
l have striven as an honest gentleman to
| do right before all men. When I have
seen my sin, oh. Lord, I have repented!
Now have come upon perilous times, the
esta5sh are set my On
| my sake do I ask that Thou wilt be with
me and Thy wisdom comfort me. but for
| the sake of my good children. Wilt Thou
| be well formed; till the lad have the bones
| Of man. and the girl the wise thought Of
woman-for she hath no mother to shield
and teach her. And If this be wrong
prayer. oh, God, forgive it.-far I am but a
laundering squire. whose tongue tells lame
ly what his heart feels
His head was bowed over his horses
neck, his face turned to the cross his eyes
were shut. and he did not notice the
strange and grotesque figure that suddenly
appeared from among the low bushes by
| the fen near by.
It was an odd creature perched upon
! stills, one Of those persons called the stilt-
walkers. They were no friends of the
king. nor of the Earl Of Lindsey, nor of
my Lord Rippingdale, for the draining of
these fens te ok from them their means
Of living. They were messengers, post
men and carriers across the wide stretch
of country from Spilsby. even down to the
to Market Deeping and over to the sea.
Since these fens were drained one might
travel from Market Deeping to. The Wolds
without wetting a foot.
ANVIL trooble thee a moment MASTER"
said the peasant. "a stilt-walker beant
nowt + the woorld. Howsome'er awe a
woord to speak n thy ear"
EDderby refined in his horse and with a
nod of complaisance flor he was man ever
kind to the poor. and patient with those who
Jared ill in the world he waited for the
other to speak.
"Thoort the great Enderby of Enderby
MASTER, said the peasant, ducking his head
and then putting on his cap: "awve known
thee sin tina vast no bigger nor bit grass
Upper I the field. WILT tina ride long, Sir
John Enderby, and anvil walk aside thee
ma gray nag with thy sorrel."s He glanced
down humorously at his own long wooden
legs.
Enderby turned his horse round and pro-
| ceeded on his way slowly. the old man strid-
| ing along beside him like a stork.
why do you dub me knight" he asked
his eyes searching the face of the old man.
why shoul6na aw call thee knight If
the king calls thee knight? 1t is the dooty
OF common man to call thee Sir John
and tax off his hat at saying O. it, His
| hat came off. and he nodded in such an odd
way that Enderby burst out into a good
honest laugh. "Dooth tina rememba little
Tom Dowsby that went hoonting with thee
when tina vert not yet come to age?" con-
ba when. for a jest. thee and me stopped
the lord bishop. tina own uncle, in the
highway at midnight. and took his poorse
from him, and the rich gold chain from
his neck? And doost tina rememba that
tina would have his apron, too, for tina
said that II 1t kept bishop clean, wouldna
II keep h1ghwaymen clean, whose work was
derby, aw loove thee better than the king
an aw loove thee better than my Lord Rip
pin dale-ah, there's a sour heart in
goodly body.' at --,Iltz
John Enderhv rafped I'm hi, ho,,o 80
looked the stilt-walker in the face
Are you little Tom Dowsby?' said he;
are you that scamp" He laughed all at
once as though he had not a trouble in
the world. And do you keep up your evil
practices? Do you still waylay bishops ~
II aw confessed to heaven or man, aw
would confess to thee. Sir John Enderby;
but anvil confess nowt."
Enderby?" -
Even in Sleaford town aw KEN to know
1t. Aw stood no further from his majesty
and Lord Rippingriale than aw stand from
you. when the pair talked by the Great
Boar inn Where doost tina sleep tonight? ?"
AT Spilsby.'
The Wolds. 'Tis well for thee tina doost not
bide wi his majesty. Theer, awe done
| thee a servicey'
What service have you done me?'
AWE told thee that tina moost sleep
by Spilsby when the king sleeps at Suffer-
by. Fare-thee-well. master"
Dofhng his cap once more, the stilt-walk-
er suddenly stopped, and, turning aside
made his way=wfeh an almost incredible
swiftness across the fep,taking the bitches
with huge grotesque strides. Enderby
looked back and watched him for a mo-
ment curiously.
PART II.
Suddenly tina AHoan's words began to re-
peat themselves in Enderby,s head: ITO
night the king sleeps at sutterby on The
Wolds. IT'S well-fer' theesehat doost not