Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-12-29

anu lHdl your LdlneF, our landlord
! woula never gle his consent that /
/ should wed thee No, no, Robert, we
must part for sure we must obey our
parents, though our hearts do break.
| Bursting into tears now, the youug
maiden nestled closer to her lover, the
thought OF their final separation pre-
/ venting her from Disgusting the real
state of her feelings and affections.
Long and earnestly the pair con-
versed- neither aware that, crouched
down in the adjacent cornfelds, a big
burly man was stealthily watching
/ their every actiOu
Only as they rose and walked away
in the direction OF neighbori0g lane
with pollard oaks did the crouching,
cowerita figure come out from his con
cealment
! He was a Wild Orson OF a fellow tina,
spied upon the maid and the yaung
/ farmer, man some six feet in height,
with q shock OF red hair, "a ylsage inn
pulpled with drink, aNd his whole APP
pearance forbidding and repulsive.
Raising on high his clenched fists, he
shook them sayagely and menacingly
in the direction pursued by the lovers.
! oh, oh, torest-bred vagaboud, rep
/ rebate am f? Look to urself Bob
Dormer- owes thee father q debt, and
! | owes thee now heavier-aa' I'll pay
both, / viii, wi,G interest! GlosJer be
large county, but it beant large
enough 10 hold you and l, Bob Dormer.
Oue on US will have TO go under, that's
sure! With a deep-breathed impreca-
ton, the herculean man now hurried
away in the direction taken by his
rival and his cousin shortly before
The forest Of Dene, in the western
district OF GlouCestershire, is about 20
miles long, one portion abuttiug on the
Wye, abounding in woodland scenes oi
tranquil beauty, another portion
stretching to the Severn, being boldor
and more romantic in its features. Il
was near the Severn that Farmer Dor
mers homestead was situated
Upon the borders Of the forest, aud
about a couple of miles from the farm
stood a pretty cottage, tenanted by a
Mrs. Ruth Rayburn and her only child
the charming Dolly, the belle OF the
adjacent village
The harvest moon was shining
bright and clear, when, after a clandes-
+. tine meeting in Pollard Oak lane, as ii
was called Bob Dormer, his heart full
;,,. a. : t}o t,vc,,,ig4, l1 no q ,,r,,, Prom
! his loved ones lips that she would be
his and no others, with rapid strides
made his way along the mo0a-lit glade
unconscious Of a shadoWy form that
gliding and lodging among the stunJed
dwarf oaks, logged his every footstep
Once during his journey, Jne young
farmer, fancying he heard a cracking
of twigs and a sound as though an
other pedestrian was following the
same course as himself, came to a SUD
den halt, peering intently and sus
piciously arouad
/ Aware that poaehers and dissolutC
rough miners sometimes scruped no
to waylay a peaceful wayfarer Bob
for several minutes, his hand sraspin2
his heavy-knotted walking-stick, stooJ
prepared for tussle from any foe WIKI
might start upon him; and then as th'
boot of an owl and the sweet song o
the nightingale woke up the stiffness
his own shadow alone being thrown
upon the sward. he once more hurried
on in the direction of his fathers farm
With a feeling akin to fear, tn
young farmer, continuing his way, a
length gained the summit of Beakener!
hill, and descending its rugged sides
after some more sharp walking, drew
near a mill, the stream, or mead, o
which tumbled down to a level below
and then ran smoothly on within
stones throw of the farmers home
stead
Gazing meditatiyely at the shialn!
uminaIy overhead, aud lost in plea
urable reyerie, Bob heard not
stealthy, catlike tread behind him
and in a second Of time a crushing
blow falling on his head, he staggeret
back senseless.