Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-01-03
CHAPTER !.


hoass betwesa I0adon and The fns
North. IN the days whsa the great
Highlands OF Ensiaad we're lively with
the romance Of travel thaa the esar
and Garter at Kirkstall.
To this day Il challenges admiratioa
for its picturesque site. It's handsome
bay windows. It's pleasant smoking.
room. and lis id-fsshioned bowling
green. which 10 still frcQuented By low
ers Of time-honored game.
From tho bright windows OF the old
Inn ono stiil looks out upon the ruins
Of tho famous Abbey. and though tho
river Aire 10 no longer clear and full
OF ash. Il flows through green meadows
and reflects such local beauties Of
Landscape a. the needs OF the buxy
town Of Leeds have not yet ANNEXED.
In these days the river IL begrimed
with dust. and elokEcd with the refuse
OF mills and dye-vorkx- when Mary
lockwood was tho belle OF the aeid and
river thescabouta. and the bright par
ticuiar star Of tho bar-parlor Of tho
local Inn. Il vas . mirror In which
Venus herself might have been salts.
ned TO cast tho reflected image OF her
beauty.
England vas . merry England then.
In spite Of the severity OF her laws. and
the constant drain which contiusntal
wars made upon the manhood Of the
nation. Troopa were continually on
the march. Highwaymen ON aeet
charger dashed along the roads and
levied toll with . pistol and an cpl
gram. Judges OF aasizs entered the
great towns In state. and left behind
them vague suatchss OF tragic stories.
and In the name Of Justice. an occa-
sioual grim sigu-post ~ . warning TO
evil-doers. On dark nights the clink-
ing chains OF the sibbet made the
chimney corners seem more than usu-
ally snug. and gave an additional spice
Of fear to the story OF the local TRACE
dy. - the goasips loved TO tell II.
while the wind whistled down the
chimney. and the rain ratified At the
easement. r,s
with all their drawbacks. these were
merry days. Men loved the country.
lived country lives. and ate plain but
wholesome fare. And what superb
women delighted the eye. You might.
nevertheless. have Travelled all over
England and never have seen . more
lovely woman than Mary lockwood.
who has been immortaiiEed BY the post
Southey ~ MARY. the Maid Of the
Inn"
She was tall and straight a. Q Nor
mandy poplar. She walked from the
hips. ~ an athlete does. Her figure
had all the graces Of . woman's curv-
ing outlines. with suggestions Of great
strength. Her arms were white - II
they knew none Of the labor OF house
hold work. Her headsrcsted upon her
shoulders with the easy pose that sug-
costs the head and neck Of the race
horse. She was fair. though her hair
was Of a rich brown. Her complexion
was heaithful rather than ruddy. her
eyes deep blue; her mouth arm. but
with O tendency as II II were to curl
into q smile. She wore a pleasant,
fearless. innocent expression.
There was no self-consciousness In
her manner. She would rather be COM
plimented upon her strength and cour-
ago than her beauty. She was i've and
twenty. and had the strength Of a man
and tho courage Of an army. She had
been brought up to rough It on a farm.
a wild girl Of the meadows. until her
uncle. Joseph Morley. the landlord Of
the Star and Garter. losing his wife.
took It into his wise old head that
Mary would be n useful girl in the
house. and would well repay the cost
of keeping her.
The girl won upon the old man, not
only on account OF her usefulness. but
for the reason that Morley. being nat
Mary an exactly opposite physical and
moral capacity. She was to him q pos
session Of which he boosted. She could
heat any OF his customers at bowls.
There was not man in the neighbor-
hood who could fling QUOT as deftly.
There was no kind Of horse she could
not ride. She had broken IN a dozen or
two of the colts up at Master Taylor's
farm: and Master Taylor had often
said 1t was a good thing for Mary he
was not a young man. for in his early
days he had been "a devil among the
women" and boasted OF 1t.
But Mary had no fear of men. There
was not one OF her acQuaintances who
had ever thought of offering her an in
suit. or who would have dared to do
it; and none OF them ever made the
slightest impression on her heart.
1t is true honest Jack Meadows had
hung about her skirts for matter Of
four years, but he was looked upon
both by Mary and her uncle. only i'm
the light OF a neighbor and friend.
Jack had never ventured to speak of
love to Mary, but he had insinuated
himself into her good graces by many
acts of consideration and thoughtful
ness.
He was about her own age, and we'll
to-do. His father had died and left
him a comfortable little farm a few