Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-11-15

pect | loathed. and / had not been al
lowed to see my sweetheart even to say
goodby; sufficient reasons. all of them,
for gloomy thoughts.
My meditations. however, received a
somewhat rude interruption. I had let
the reins fall on my horses neck, and
he was jogging along quietly with very
little guidance froS me. when the
sound Of something moving in the
hedge at the side of the road made
him swerve violently to the other side
and start suddenly forward. 1 was
taken unprepared, and, being an un-
skillful horseman at the best of times,
was deposited with more violence than
grace on my back in the middle of the
road. | lay there for a few seconds
dazed with the shaking, and when l
got up and looked about me to see
what had caused my uncomfortably
Yapid dismount, there was Alec stand
ing looking at me, with his face all
twisted up in the effort to look con-
cerned. when Us a matter OF fact he
was shaking with laughter at my IN
diGnified maneuver.
Hurt. .Iack?' he asked at length,
with exaggerated solemnity.
No | answered shortly. Was it
you who frightened my horse"
81 suppose So but as you're not hurt
1t does not matter"
Doesn't it: 1t only means that l
shall have a pretty chase before catch
him again. That's nothing. is it?'
Willie has caught him." said Alec.
Willie Trehalion here too!"
"Yes. oh. Jack, you did look ridicu-
lous. To see your big. numbering car
cass roll over the horse's tail was q
sight for little fishes. Don't be angry,
but can't help laughing"
"Oh, pray go on, | answered loftily
and turned to take my horse from VIII
lie Trehalion who had come up while
we We're talking.
When saw that his face. too, wore
a comically deprecating look of amuse-
ment. | was just beginning to lose my
temper with them both, when the
thought of the iudicrous figure | must
have presented struck me forcibly. My
anger suddenly melted, and | laughed
as heartily as either of them.
Come Master Topp," said Willie
when we found our breath again; bet
ter to laugh even it the jokes agin
yourself than to wear that glum face
you were carrying before we came an
upset your gravity. You might have
been attending your own funeral by
the look O. you
Did you give lneZ my message|
asked, turning TO Alec.
Yes. and very nearly fell foul of
the Spaniard in doing It."
what did she sayP
"She cried"
"But the message. Didn't she send
me a message?" l asked impatiently.
NO said Alec innocently. did
you expect one?" And then, seeing
my look of disappointment, he added
quickly: There, Jack, | won't tease
you longer. She didn't send a mes
sage, but she did better; she gave me
a letter for you"
Now. | don't intend to tell what was
in that letter. 1t was the first one l
ever received from my sweetheart, and
it kept me happy for the rest of the
journey. Need | say more?
They waited patiently till had fin
ished reading. and then Alec asked me
what my plans were.
Cambridge. suppose" | answered
ruefully.
"Parson?" he asked, with a mis-
chievous grin.
$50 my father says"
Are you quite resigned to your
fate?'
"Reslgnedr' l cried impetuously.
mo, but now that Pm separated from
Inez and you | don't much care"
81 am your sworn shipmate, Jack.
Don't forget that"
81 don't forget it, Alec" said, TAX
ing his hand.
Pardon me; think you do"
"How?"
"You say that we shall be sepa-
rated"
"Wen, so we shall. Cambridge and
Whitby are surely far enough apart"
I'm coming with you"
"Alec! Do you mean it" l cried in
delight
Never desart q sworn shipmate,
Master Topp," put in Willie Trehalion
sententiously.
Eyes. I'm coming" said Alec, but
don't mean to turn parson for all that"
"Wish | needn't" l grumbled.
"Why need you?"
"Father's commands. What else takes
me to Cambridge|
"Why go to Cambridge at all? don't
mean to-"
"What?" cried. IL thought you said
you were coming with me-"
$50 am, but not to Cambridge"
"Where. then?"
London"
"To London! What fors 1 don't un-
derstand you, Alec"
London is port"
"Well?
ports contain ships. Ships go to sea.
We go to sea. It's simple enough.
Why, Jack, you don't mean to say you
are willing to give up our plan Of sea-
faring life without struggle"
NO" | said, but l hadn't thought
of running away to sea-"
"Why not? You'll never go in any
other way if your father is set on put
ting you into the church. Now is the
time to take our fortunes into our own
hands,"
But, Alec
"Will you do itT'
l thought for a moment before l an
swered. a vision of the dull round of
books and lectures that was waiting
for me at Cambridge rose before my
eyes. | had just succeeded in throw
ing off the bondage of one schoolmas-
ter, and it seemed to me that | was on
my way to put myself into the power
of seven others worse than the first.
That thought decided me. YES" !
said, 81 will go with you"
Now, during this discussion Willie
Trehalion had been darting question
ing glances at us out OF his solitary eye
and rubbing his fur cap refectively
backward and forward on his bald
pate with his hook, a habit he had
when anything exercised his mind.
Now he spoke.
Masters" he said, shaking his head
vigorously, ''it won't do. 'Tis ten thou.
sand shames that a lad like you.
Master Topn should no mcJa n no rcon