The Indianapolis journal., 1899-12-10

upon cousin OF her own-a lieutenant in
the navy-but this may have been mere
gossip. What is certain is that the poor
girl seemed TO be without any will of her
| own, so far as resisting her parents wishes
| was concerned.
| The engagement of Juliet to Jermyn
seemed to make no difference in the friend
| " relations that existed between the baro-
net and his cousin. II was reported TO me
| that Sir Gaspard had said with sneer,
! speaking of the engagement. that ii was
| only what was to be expected. And 1t was
| also said that he was TO give UP the abbey
| to the newly welded pair, and betake him.
| self to his foreign haunts once more. The
marriage was fixed TO take place in Feb
| ruary and Sir Gaspard issued invitations
for one oil his bachelor parties for the last
night of the old year
| There was no talk now of the baronet's
giving his invitations by word of mouth, so
as to rive them better chance of being
| accepted. He had become popular in the
country: and il was openly regretted by
some people that he was being practically
forced to abdicate his place as head of the
family to his cousin.
| 1t was a large and merry party that
gathered round Sir Gaspard's board on the
last night of the old year. Never, surely.
since those ancient walls were raised from
the grouno had louder laughter or more
rollicking songs echoed under the oaken
ceiling The host was the life and soul Oh
| the party; and even the thin, weakened
face of Jermyn Hawke seemed to catch
something of the merriment that prevailed.
We did not break up till long after mid
| night and the horses breaths rose like
| steam in the frosty air we assembled at
the porch in front of the abbey TO mount
the various carriages that were in waiting
for us.
''What is this they tell me. Jermyn?"
said Gaspard to his cousin, as one guest
after another came up to shake hands with
him. "Coverdale says that your old screw
has fallen dead lame, and is unfit TO carry
you home"
Let me see her." cried the little man.
excitedly. 1.-The mare was all right as we
came along tonight" He pushed out into
the open air, where a shabby-lookins mare
stood harnessed to a shabbier-looking dog
cart.
The man touched his hat gravely. Il
can't think what's gone wrong with the
mare. SIR he said, in an apologize tone,
"but she's gone dead lame. She must nave
run a nail into her hoof, 1 fancy
| There
The poor creature would scarcely allow her
off hind foot to be touched.
I'm sorry l can't put you up tonight,
old fellow" said the baronet, coming to his
cousins side; "every bed in the house Is
occupied, as several of the men are stay
ing overnight But I'll tell you what III
do. I'll drive you home in my dogcart.
No trouble, 1 assure you. The night air
will do me good. Here, Coverdale, tell
them to put Black Bess in the dogcart."
Black Bess was Sir Gaspard's best ami
mal-a fine, spirited creature, which he sell
dom used in harness.
lone of the grooms can drive me, If you
really can't put me up" said Jermyn in
grumbling tone. "or perhaps one of the
others would give me lift"
"Get lift If you can. but 1 fancy they
haven't a vacant seat anywhere" said his
cousin. "And as for the grooms, / wouldn't
trust one OF them with Black Bessto-night.
She is a bit fresh, after all the frost We
! have had, and the roads are slippery
Most of the guests had by this time div
en- off, and none of the others felt inclined
to go out of their way so late at night to
oblige Jermyn Hawke. who was no favor
ite especially as Sir Gaspard had offered to
take him home.
1 was driving old comrade, who was
my guest for the time being and we started
before Black Bess and the dogcart had been
brought around. For the first three miles
our way was the same that which Sir
Gaspard would take in driving to Chichester.
About a mile after leaving the Abbey the
road crossed the Brent deep, fast-lowing
4 rix Ax,o
The banks either side of the stream
were steep, especially on the side nearest
the Abbey. but the road was wide, so was
the bridge, and with careful driving there
was no danger. What danger there was
that night arose from the fact that as the
wall flanking the bridge on the left as you
came down the hill was being repaired
there was only a thin wooden fence between
the road and the river a. that point.
We passed the bridge in safety and were
climbing up the opposite bank when we
heard in the keen frosty air the sound of
Sir Gaspard's dogcart laundering down the
iron-bound road the other side Of the
river.
IF Hawke doesn't mind he will throw
that horse down." said my companion as the
sound of galloping hoofs came clearly to
our ears. We heard the rattle of the wheels
on the hard road and the shout of the
driver. do you think Sir Gaspard is quite
sober?" asked my friend.
Sober judge" said L
AS the words left my lips a shriek-an
awful shrek, a cry of a soul in agony
pierced the stiffness of the night. Then a
loud crash. Then silence
Good heavens. What has happened?' I
cried, and turned my trap round In a
very few minutes we were at the bottom of
. the HILL There a great black hole in
the ice just at the corner of the bridge,
and We could dimly see Uark figure climb
ing slowly up the bank. 1t was Sir Gaspard.
What has happened? Can we do any,
thing?' 1 yelled out as we uashed across
I the bridge
There's nothing to be done-they must
be half mile down the stream by this
time-under the ice, too!' painted the baro-
t net. He sat down by the wayside to get
his breath. We could see that he was drip
ping wet from head to foot. We peered
over the parapet but not vestige of man,
horse, or cart was to be seen
BLACK Bess was so fresh" said Sir Gas
pard that 1 could scarcely hold her In
from the start Latterly she got beyond my
| control altogether. L think the slippery
, | state of the roads frightened her. At any
. | rate, as we came down the hill she holted