Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13

few clouds had gathered AS she walked
on down the long, winding avenue, the sky
became Overcast-and IN one OF those
strange contrasts of the English climate,
the glory OF the whole day went out with
the sunshine. The woods suddenly became
wrinkIed and gray, the distant hills SOM
Der. the very English turf beneath her feet
grew brown; mile and a half away.
through the opening of the trees, the west
part of the priory looked crumbling, ivy
eaten ruin. A few drops of rain fell She
hurried on. Suddenly she remembered that
the avenue made a long circuit before ap-
preaching the house, and that its lower
end where she was walking, was but a
fringe of the park Consequently there
must be a short cut across some heids and
farm buildings to the back Of the park ana
the priOry She at once diVerged to the
right presently found a low fence, which
she clambered over, and again found
footpath which led to a stile. Crossing
that, she could see the footDath now leo
directly TO the priory-now a grim and au-
stere-lOCking pile in the suddenly detected
landscape, and that IL was probably uSed
only by the servants and farmers a gust
of wind brought some swift needles of ram
to her cheek; she could the sad hills
beyond the priory already yelling their
faces; she gathered her skirts and ran
The next field long one, but beside
the further stile was small ciump OF
trees the only ones between her and the
park. Hurrying on TO that shelter she
saw that the Stile was already occupied by
a tall but bent figure, holding long stick
in his hand, which gave him the appear
ance, against the horizon, Of the figure OF
Time leaning On his scythe. As she came
nearer she saw it was, indeed, an old man,
half resting on his rake. He was very
rugged and weatherbeaten. and, although
near the shelter of the trees, apparently
unmiudfui of the rain that was falling on
his bald head, and the limp cap he was
holding useless in one hand. He was
staring at her. yet apparently unconscious
of her presence a sudden instinct came
upon her-it vas "DsbS."
She went directly up to him, and with
that frank common sense which ordinarily
distinguished her, took his cap from his
hand and put it on his head, grasped his
arm firmly. and led him to the shelter of
the trees. Then she wiped the raindrops
from his face with her handkerchief, shook
out her dress and wet parasOl, and,
propping her companion against tree,
said:
There. Mr. Debs. I've heard OF people
who didn't know enough to come in when
il ra!ned. but l never met one before"
The old man started. lifted his hairy,
siuewy arm barred to the elbow, and wiped
his bare throat with the dry side OF II
Then a look of tntelligence-albeit half ag-
greSSiVe-came to his face. 'Wheer best
tina going?" he said.
Something In his voice struck Sadie like
q vague echo. Perhaps il was only the
queer dialeet-or some resemblance TO his
grauddaug hter's voice. She looked at him
a little more closely, as she said:
ITO The priory.'
She pointed with her parasol to the gray
pile in the distance. 1t was possible that
this deInented peasant didn't even under
The hail? o. ayr Suddenly his brows
knit oninously as he faced her. An was
sist tha' dom dresst oop In this foinery:
Wheer gettest thee that goawn? Thissen,
or thy naester? Nowt, even n'apron, dt
for thy wark as maid at serviss; an par
son a gettin tha' place at hall So thou'It
be high and mOity. will tina! Thou'lt not
walk wi maids, hut Jrapse by this sen like
a slut I'm the toon-dang tina"
Although it was plain to Sadie that the
old man in his wandering perception had
mistaken her for his granddaughter in Sary-
ice at the priory. there was still enough
rudeness in his speech for her TO have re
scented it. But. straI &c TO say, there was
a kind of authority I 1t that touched her
with an uneasiness a I'd repulsion that was
stronger than any other feeling. II think
you have mistaken me for some one else"
she said hurriedly, yet wondering why she
had admitted it and even irritated at the
admission: Il stranger here, a visit
or ct the priory. / called with Miss Arne}yn
at your cottage and saw your other grand
daughter; that's how l knew your name
The old mans face changed. A sad. senile
smile of hopeless bewildernent crept into
his hard mouth; he plucked his limp cap
from his head and let 1t hang submissively
IN his fingers as If it were his sole apol-
ogy- Then he tried TO straighten himself
and said, Nav oftins, miss, nav offlnsl II
ina knawS mea tha'N knaw I'm grand
feyther to two gals as noight be tina owern
age; tha'H tell ee that old Debbs at haaty
years as warked and niver lost a day as
man or boy has niver coone oopen EN- for
ha-porth. An ell keap out o. warllIs TIL
ne doy. An 'ee's put by enow to 10y wi
MS own feythers in Lanksheer an not
hggen aioane IN Parsons choorchyardr
II was part Of her uneasiness that scarce
~ understanding nor. indeed, feeling any
interest in these maunderfne details sbs
sun seemed to have an odd comprehension
OF ms character and some reminiscent
knowledge Of him, as if she were going
through the repetition of some unpleasant
cream Even his wrinkIed face was he
coming familiar 10 her. Some weird attrac-
Iioh was holding her; she wanted to get
away from 1t as much as she wanted 10
aHa4yze It. She glanced ostenta tiously at
me sky. prepared to open her parasoI and
began TO edge cautiously away
said suddenly ~
no. no. she said quickly and emphat-
1caly-''nO. I'm an American.
Inc OLD man started and moved toward
her eagerly, his keen eyes breaking tbrouph
the MIN that at times Obscured them ..NJer-
rlkan! tina baist Merriam? Then tina lxnaws
ma son John, ZEE war nowt but a batrn
N Snsn RretheT DICK took I'm to Merriky:
Ma" Nav. that wOr fifty years senI-niyer
wroate 70 his old feyther-nfyer nooroed
JACK E-e Wor tall-ioike, an thea said %
tedEored mea- He stopped threw IN his
hl elr
ms long struggling locks from his spnIer,
cheeks and stared in her face The c1,ict
FansIuon Of fascination, repuisfon sbocL
ehd lndefinable apprehension made ~
laugh Historically. To her terror he to,nsd
IN IT, and eagerly clasped her wrists lE,L
lass! ina knaws JOkn-tha cooraes from M,
20 Oh Granddaughter, Who-rr-ui Favi b,,t
ina mot TO fool mea- did tina lass7 V-bov
kroa"ed tha voice. for a. tina foine nas
COCK feathers. So tina be Johns cell co.,,
from Aerriky. Dear. dearl COON neanr
!,ss- Let's see what tha's Ioike. Fh~hnf
thou II Kiss tina Granddaughter severely,
A VIII terror and underlined consterna+tor
had completely overpOwered her Rut sbs
mace a desperate effort TO free her wrists
and burst out madly: '''
Lex me goi How dare wont dom.
Kho" you or yours! I'm nothing 10 Won or
your Kin! Ny name is Desboroueh-io yo,,
gnd5 rstand.do you, hear me, Mr.. Debs?N
so thoult call acknowledgements
wilt tha? Let tell tina then tn,
DeDs. 'Debbau,' Debbrook' and sDashor
oCgh are all the seanei Ay! Thy fevtba-
and thy feyther's f>ytheri Thou'r he q
Des-borou8h, Will tia? Dang thai And
look doom on tina kin, and dress thissen In
silks o. shamei Tell zee thou'rt an ass geJit
Don't tha' hear? An asst For all tha' hear
Johns BARN. An ass! That's what tha'