Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-16

Il WtliIul country beauty.
Il desire not to be welded she said
biting at Il strand of her flowing dark hair
As II she had Il spite at it: 1t IS poor
business. bcsdes-''
Bravo we'll said my lass" said the Eng
liShman. shifting his knee: tbs opinion
1 have always held myself.
Hush. Umphrayi Besides what Elspie?
persisted Sir James. wishing TO hear nov
the lass would finish her sentence.
'-Besides.'' she heSitated there are man
wed who would give all they possess to d.
Cnwed again. | want. not to make ON
more
Sir James laughed outright, while hi.
two friends discreetly looked hard at tn,
table.
"A shrew1 lass: and, faith he said
very true-very true. l know some such
myself. But al the same, ii is not well be
coming in nv jurisdiction that such a pref,
ty one should lack an husband. so long
Umphray SpurWay. great English lout that
he is. hath neither wife to keep him warm
anights nor BARN to heir his goods and &"
clad in cloth OF his weaving Look to it,
nan, Look to it.'
At this the great red Engishman
laughed. being well pleased. all men do
VIXEN they rallied concerning women.
All, Sir James" he said. speaking with
a curious burr in his utterance. had l
lands and houses milns and water powers
like you, l had not so long been eating the
bread of an hireiing's baking. Elspie here
is pretty lass and an honest. but | wot
well she knows her value far too well to
nave duSHi TO say 10 an Oll gray DtdTu
Englishman!''
BY this the lass had recovered from her
first dauntiTg and found the sharp tongue
wherewith to hold her own which comes
naturally to women bred and born in inns
and obstetrics.
Never before have l gotten the chance
to say either yea or nay to that. Master
Umphray Spurway. she said, dropping her
EInafOre and standing with her hands be-
hind her a little defiantly; but. after all.
It's better late than after dark as the
saying is
Sir James laughed loud and hearty. and
even the minister chuckled over his cup of
wi,C
There you have it to the hilt. Umph-
ray" cried Sir James ''Tis fair chal
lenge. SpeCr her man. We will be your
Witnesses. bounv Lass
And by mine office 1 will we'd you here
across the table if you get him to agree
added the minister. Speaking for the first
time
t'mphray Spurway made an attempt to
Recover himself. He LAID down the small
brown-bowled witch's pipe he had been
cuntentedly smoking
Well my lass he said, listen to me.
Tell US whether you would prefer to have
me or my prentice. Henry Bowman. with
whom l saw you so canty at the gable-end
today. He is a Timber lad and likely of his
face"
Mean you for husband or for lad
to court me-" queried the girl prompt
as an echo at the woods edge.
James before the other could reply.
Then / choose Umphray Spurway, the
cloth merchant. cried ElSple BrydsOn.
Lads honny faces make lasses bare down
sitrinSs,''
a wise lass-remarkabIe" unused Sir
James, E"ddiuG SlylE to the company at
large. Then turning to the EnSlishman, he
went on ike one giving good and welcome
anElCc- Il do not think that We could do
better. Umphray. Think of it. man.
And it was while the cloth weaver hum
med and hawed and shifted his legs first
over knee and then over the other
thambing he dpttle all the time into The
bowl of his pipe that 1 first heard my
f&thers words, as l have reported them at
th- beginning.
Come your ways in here. my Joe Jar-t,''
l saw tail, Swart-visaged man standing
erect by the outer door ans reaching back
q hand I" one who stood without on the
steps half bowed to enter, yet reluctant to
descend. Philip Stansfield was of fiery
Eisage. with eyes Il little bIoodshOt, his
checks notified like day-old butchers meat
on stall, and all his gay clothing flashed
and frdyed at sleeve and braiding. Yet
through all DISCUSSES il was the face my
mother looked at every night when she
rose. SObbinS. from saying her prayers and
opened a little leathern case which lay be
side her Bible on the service stand of her
bed room | had looked at it q thousand
times when she was in the garden or gone
up to the great house, and though no one
had ever told me. | knew that the man |
looked upon was my father.
lie stood on the threshold with a nat
uralty gallant air, one hand on the hilt of
his sword and the other, as | say. reached
back TO pull his companion within.
She came, Shame-red and Sinking.
smooth-faced, appIe-cheeked youngish wo-
man. slatternly. careless of dress. short of
skirt and lavish of shoulder blue ribbon
Cris-croSsing loosely over her breast and
only half holding her bodice together. This
woman laughed Il nervous, feering laugh
when she found herself in face of the grave
trio, tod h.
one accord to look at her. Yet moment
after she seemed to care nothing for them
and centered her diSdainful attention upon
the women on the other side of the inn
Kitchen As L say. she was indeed very
buNom and hoydenish of feature. but uhis
L learned afterwardD there was no stead
fast or housewifely look in her eyes And
that after all. is the way TO tell good wo-
man
The young man with the naughty air and
handsome damaged countenance took mis-
hand from his sword and pointed scorn-
fully at the table.
Look. Janet" he cried, Took well at
them. There sit all the three For silver
groat ! would send them all to heI-aye,
ard swing for them in the Grass Mercat in
the morning, JANET
The rosy mirth of the wine heat had
ebbed quickly from my grandfathers lips
He gripped the table to steady himself-not
that he was in the least overcome with fear
or apprehension. but that he might worthily
say that which he had to say.
Philip. ne murmured, and then put his
fingers to the goffered friil of his necker-
chief Philip. my lad, you are my eldest
son Will you not take warning and lead
a new life? Gladly would | forgive you for
the sake of the BARN 1 learned to say his
prayers knecLng at my knee. Put away
this wicked, wanton woman that has made
you live like beast Return to your wife
She greets for you She prays for you.
Look upon this BARN"
My grandfather had now his hand upon
my head. for L had run to him at the first
sight of my father. He would have said
more. l could hear his heart humping in
his side and his breath wheeling dryIy in
his throat But at this moment the woma n
broke in shrili reyilings. demanding furi-
ousiy who he was thus to fitch from her
her good name.
Il would have you know that 1 am an
honest mans wife," She shouted the
words at him like throwing stones.
Slr James eyes were steady on her face
Said you by any chance" he inquired
sraVely. "A mans honest wife,"
He dropped his words quietly as a fisher
drops Il bait into a pool
Al which the woman Swore q horrid oath
and turned away as If to escape the cues
tioning eyes of those present She even
made as If to leave her companions side
ana go over to the other side of the fire
place. where Mistress Brydson still sat
knitting with her daughters gathered in he
side her like chickens when tffe hawk how