The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-16

admit the Impeachment, but neither did
he reject u. He tossed his head and look-
ed arrogant whenever The subject was al
luded TO n his presence. Too proud to
deny, he was too cautious 10 boast. Meriel
would stand by and admire him silently.
II was not MeriePs way 20 be 5e7.onsira-
tive either OF affection or admiration. crly
by the quick twitch q her bloodless in
gers. by the knitted brow. by the eyrs
steadily fixed on her chosen hero. could
one tell how immense was her admlrs tion
for the man who nad defisd the whole
banded power OF the Law and the county,
and exposed himself TO the risk Of q rope
for his last portion. Her fists would clinch
themselves TIL the nails dug into the
palms and almost drew blood. while Joe
talked In dark hints OF some li.lle brush
with Sir Walters keepers. or vaguely al
lUded with picturesque mistiness OF
thought and language 10 some fight with
the police over a brace or two OF pleas
ants. For, brought up as she had been.
passionate RIGHTEOUSNESS was almost a
necessary feature of Meriel Stanley's char
acter She hates law and order with the
natural hatred OF hunted creature. What
have they ever done for her and hers save
harry them into prison or hound them TO
the wOrkhouse? The gentry in her eyes
are so many oppressors Of her wild, free
kind: they would drive ell the world from
the heath and the copse into service or the
factories. Meriel wants none such. For
her, the open moor and the wide air Of
heaveni
Joe. for his part, did not readily dis
cover that Meriel was in love with him.
Joe is not by nature 2n'intuitive creature.
He can read the tracks Of bird and beast
in the snow far more easily than he can
read the marks of human feeling or hu-
man passion. And Meriel is not the sort
Of girl TO fling herself at any man. She
falls in love, it is true, easily and rapidly;
her passions have the barbaric quickness
and certainty. Almost at sight, she says,
II love that man." or II do not" But
she says it TO herself alone. Torture
would not draw from her the overt con-
fession. In that. once more. she Is thor
oughgoing savage. Your savage woman
loves desperately. but in silence. She is
coy and maynard. She flies like a SPUR
rel from him who pursues, and then turns
and smiles. not because she wishes 10
escape. but because some deep instinct OF
her race teaches her that to fly is the
from an early point in this growing pas
sion how Meriel was letting her love for
Joe swallow up her entire nature. She
would sit on the logs by her fathers
house when Joe came round, with her
strong, small chin poised on her open
hand, and listened while Joe talked to
Septerius Stanley, as rapt as If Joe's few
jerky, inarticulate sentences were the
nc hun L;
ever man talk like Joe? Did ever man
look like him? Six feet two-though a trifle
hulking and stumbling in gait must ad-
mit-with a scar on the left cheek won
in open fight with those oppressors of
the human race, the police. and with
courage enough to go on to the bitter end
till fate landed him at last in that lofty
position In death he was bound to occupy
Meriel looked and sighed. He was a king
among poachers.
Night after night she would creep out
by the copses where Joe might be found,
and as he skulked past her with his blear-
eyed ferret, would suggest to him cas-
ually in careless voice where the best
pheasants were likely to be found. or
point out which path the keeper had last
taken on his even round through the
chestnut plantation. She knew as much
Of woodland lore as Joe himself, fancy.
and Joe accepted her hints with ungrace
ful country awkwardness Still. he
thought her "a knowing one" and told
her so sometimes. MeriePs brown cheek
flushed red through the russell at words
OF praise from her hero's lips. Anybody
but fool-or Joe-would have known she
was IN love. But joe though a sharp
hand at trap or a net, is not remark
able for the Quickness of his instincts.
AT last enc evening as they stood to-
sether by the copse Ghe merry small
rabbits gambling all round them, and the
corncrake rattling), Meriel told him some
points she had observed about the hare's
forms IN the heath; a new wrinkle even
10 the experienced poacher. Joe gazed at
her and smiled-smiled from ear 10 ear
Win expansive appreciation. "Meriel
maald,' ne said slowly, with open mouth
and hanging lip. zee do know a thing or
TWO, zee do! There bain't Gree maids on
GreydOwn hill knows as much as thee.
maid. If thee an me was to come to-
gether, us 'ould do good TRADE in the
pOachin, 'ouldn't usw'
MeriePs heart beat high; Merieps cheek
flushed crimson. He had recognized her
at last, then; this prince of men had
spoken! She drew away a step or two.
with her quick squirrel glance "Doan't
ZEE talk like that, joe she said, and gave
little toss of the proud black head-yet
her voice was tender. Il bain't one for
the men, They'm all deceivers."
1t daWned across Joe as she withdrew
her face, that Meriel really liked him. Joe
was lady's man in his way; but his way
was not MeriePs. He slipped his arm
round her waist. Meriel tried to evade
him. though twas a formal evasion. The
proud heart was won long ago. Tears
stood in MeriePS eyes. Joe Arundel had
chosen heri
After that they met nightly on the
moor among the tall green gorse, or else
in the copse where Joe killed the keeper
That thrill of romance and terror suited
Meriers fancy well; she felt about the
copse as some Homeric maiden of Ilion
might have felt about the spot where her
lover had slain in open fight a mighty
man among the Myrmidon. Educated and
cultivated, she would have wandered by
herself and read Shelley and Rossetti; as
1t was. she stole off TO meet Joe in the
copse which had been the scene of his
greatest and most successful encounter
with the despotic forces. By and bye, she
began 10 talk TO him tentatively of mar
ria6e. Joe didn't think much of that
Joe was not by nature a marrying man;
he took il they might get along we'll
enough by themselves without the passon
and the passon's fees. But there, Meriers
VIII was iron. All the Stanleys from all
time had been duly married in church, and
she wouldn't go back upon the tradition
of the family. 'Passon 10 Upton Parva
won't want 10 marry We" Joe objected
grinning. Then US can go to Exeter"
Meriel answered with grave earnestness.
but married l will be. and to none but
thee. Joe Ar'ndel" After that, Joe felt
that there was nought for 1t but TO give
way. He gave way with a bad grace. and
entered a church for the first time sinca
his christening. 1T pleases 'er, an il
don't hurt me- was the explanation he
gave 10 his poaching pals of his unsports-
manlike conduct At the same time he