The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28

the stranger to gee him. but he felt It
was meant as an assurance that he had
fulfilled his promise.
You did it kind. sir?" he queried; but
he had no heart TO ask further. The mere
thought of Vilet lying stark at the bot
tom of the river was too much for his
hardly maintained comDosure.
Il did it kind the young man answer
ed. gently, land now 1 have obtained per
mission to take you for little drive.
VIII you Gomez
Too inert to care one way or the other,
yet responding to the kindly manner OF
the invitation, and rather amazed at 1t.
old Joe looked blankly around, as though
the walls of the ward were those of a
prison
Il dunno as I'm allowed" he began;
but Selhurst assured him again that he
was, and lost no time in leading him out
of the building to place him in low,
comfortable pony carriage. There hap
pened to be warm coat flung carelessly
on the vacant seat, and the passenger
had to take possession of it, for the even
ing air was chilly. The pleasant warmth
of the coat and the cheerfulness of being
out of doors did Joe good. and he began
to chirp a little as they traversed the
familiar road at merry pace Like most
country folk he had a knowing eye for
horse, and it did not take him long to
discover that he and the pony We're old
acquaintance.
why. sure enough. It's old squire's Sill
vertail, blint it?''
SelhurSt, VINO mad never enjoyed MINI
self so much in his life. admitted blithe-
ly that it was Silvertail in the flesh, and
Joe began to wonder whom he was driv-
ing with, although he knew 1t could not
be the young squire himself. he grew
quite chatty the pleasant motion
brisked him up. and began pointing out
the objects of interest to the stranger as
they passed them by so swiftly.
There be PitgrOun, where | did the
very first piece of pIoughin' as ever 1 put
hand to- / mind the furrQws We're
crookeder than the hind leg of doug.
Folk as knows nothing of ploughin think
it's easy done, but l low they should
try it."
Presently they were passing a copse
which was just feathering out into spring
green, and he looked at the new growth
of wood with the eye of an expert.
1--WE done a goodish bit to hurdling in
that copse; see theym givin' IL a bit of
a rest. 'Tis turr'ble rheumaticky work.
and hadn't followed it long before get
ting crippled up
But he grew mournfully silent as they
drove on by the river, and so close to the
scene of yesterdays tragedy. If that pOr-
ton of their route could have been
avoided. Selhurst would have chosen
some other way. By this time they were
close to the Manor gates. which were
protected on either side by n small and
trinity kept lodge. In one of these lived
the head gardener and his wife: in the
other. which had been tcnantless for some
was the squire himself. trying to
soothe and comfort n restless, unqJiet
cat. who had previously had her paws
buttered by the gardeners wife
in order to reconcile her to new quarters.
At the door of this lodge Silvertail drew
up with much decision. and Joe was asked
to alight Quite daZed by the eXtraOrdi-
nary things that were happening to him,
he did so, after vainly murmuring that
'he thanked the gentleman kindly, but
wasn't it time he was going backlong?'
Selhurst shook his head as he helped the
old figure and cared for 1t ten
derby.
Mr.. Thorne." he said. cheerfuily, you
are not going back any more. l want you
to understand this clearly"
Joe understood nothing: he was in 4
dream, and therefore past speech alto
gether. AS the two entered the young
welcome in his face and the restless lit
tie grey cat. which had proved verita-