The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-10
THE SILENT GUEST.

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hedgerows and the shrieking boughs of
the naked elms, and there was sleet i'll
the wind.
For his own reasons Mr.. George Mas
tiers was avoiding the highway, prefer
ring instead to plunge in the darkness
across the fields, falling again and again
in the ruts Of sandy mud ridged with
last weeks snow, gray and sodden. He
cursed through chattering teeth as he
made for the far, twinkling light of the
Hare and Billet.
Pretty luck this for man-on Christ
mas eve tool He had spent the gray,
gloomy afternoon lying among the soak
ed gorse by the road edge with the
sleet in his ears and the steady rain
winning through the shay coat and the
greasy brown coat beneath it to the
flannel waistcoat that sheltered his PTS
tolls.
Chilled to the soul, with no dry
thread on him, he had waited faithful
ly till Squire Hales' horse hoofs splash
ed the mud over the gorse bushes, and
then the numbed finger tips crept under
the flannel waistcoat. He half rose
among the furze as the red roquelaure
went past him to the plash of the hoofs
and the jangle of the bride reins.
But when he saw the two servants
turn the corner, with holsters before
them, he sank back into his wet nest,
prey to natural annoyance.
The horses went on toward Shooters
hill, and dripping figure stood in the
way they had come, shaking helpless
fist and cursing all things below the
beetling sky. Then George Masters
tramped across the strip Of furze clad
common and flung himself through
gap in the hedge of the turnip field. He
broke into heavy run when he saw the
light from the kitchen of the Hare and
Billet blinking before him.
The unfortunate footpad unhasped
the gate and stepped forward to stand
with the host of the Hare and Billet i'll
one gathering pnddle.
"Gono by, said Mr.. Masters bitter
ly-"gone by-to Greenwich by this
time, likely-with his two bloody
minded serving men behind nina
cowardly, white livered, gold laced
hound. :"
''You re wet, George, - said the land
lord. "Come you i'll under a roof. Re
proof of Georges bitterness of speech
was i'll the tone-the tone of a man who
had his own disappointments to con-
tend with.
They came up the bricked path to the
back door and passed in under the lean
to roof of the shed. 1t was quite dark,
and they moved shutting among the
barrels of beer, the firewood and farm
tools that covered the earth floor. The
landlord raised the heavy wooden latch
of the door leading to the house, and
they passed up the two steps into the
big room-kitchen and taproom in one
and shut out the night and the cold.
A pleasant kitchen with tiled floor
and a comforting mass of red Goals
glowing in an iron basket sticking out
of the wall, kitchen with blackened
settles, long benches and tables ringed
with many ale cans; quiet kitchen,
where only one man was, and he, the
hostler, in the big armchair asleep.
The landlord reused him with his
foot, and he sat up, rubbing berry
eye with chilblained fist.
''Mr George is coming in here to
sleep tonight, Bill" said the landlord.
az take it his majesty the king won't
trouble a poor fellow Christmas eve.
Hot him some ale-a quart of ale-and
spread his coat over that chair back
main wet and main dry, MIR. George be,
I take it, -
"He'll sleep in his chair then, )" re-
turned the hostler. There's a man
above us now in the bed; a real gentle
man he is with his sword and his rock
lay-come in when You was out, when
the heavy rain come on. / showed him
up to the bedroom and kindled the fire,
and he lies there, burning two of the
big wax candles, and if he don't drink
the bottle of claret, it's opened and
will have to be paid for too. Terry
don't like him, Terry don't. Hear to
him bowling. Heth whined like that
ever sin the old gentleman come. Hank
to 'un again, now the winds quiet. -
The mongrel fastened by the front
door was baying howl upon howl. A
kick at the panel and command to
lie down from the landlord appeared
to soothe him for the moment, but the
long whines soon broke out again. The
dog walled to the wind, which answered
with fierce gusts of passion and hurting
of sleet against the lattice panes. When
the dog was silent for awhile and the
wind paused ito gather itself for new
effort, the rain battered gently, the
clock licked to the chorus of a choir Of
crickets, and East Wickham belfry
tangled in the distance.
The men in the kitchen were sitting
in the shadow of an idea
He don't seem to be moving, " said
the hostler, breaking the silence. Hes
not awake now for sure.
The others looked ut him with sud
den interest, as if the presence up stairs
had passed from their thoughts.
There's purse above stairs, make
no doubt, and a gold sneezin box up
there, ash keep awake, if they've any
sense" Bill went on, grinning at the
subtlety and success of his converse