The Yale expositor., 1902-01-10

all pure ana true until he hnd crossed
her path. II the preacher drew long
draft on their imaginatlons and hopes
and enforced his text with flights OF
religious fancy that may seem out OF
place In these prosaic days. II Is still
permitted for us To hope that the an
gels did take the place OF the birds OF
evil strain and bear the suffering Mary
20 that other world. where the wicked
cease from troubling and the weary are
at rest.
Years rolled on.
The law had given a companion 10
the gibbet by the plantation near the
abbey. The man Foster had yentured
TO return TO England. and. being con
demned for some petty ofense was
taken sick In prison. Under the i'm
preston that ne was dying he con
fessed To the murder OF Squire Belling-
ham. and related the circumstances OF
the crime exactly as they had occurred.
Whether II was malignant and
avenging fate that had preyed upon his
fears TO bring him TO this position.
and then 10 restore him 10 health. II
is not for the historian 10 say; he has
simply TO chronicle events as ne finds
them in the evidence before him.
Foster confessed Co the Jail chaplain
that II was he who shot Bellingham.
and he also narrated the details OF the
tragedy 10 the warder As II the load
OFF his mind gave his physical nature a
fillip. he began 20 recover. and m due
course he was arralgned al York as
sizes Ton his own confession), upon
the charge OF highway robbery and
murder. his confession being fully sup
ported by such evidence as could be got
together
He died. as he had lived a coward.
struggling with his fate TO the last
calling himself a fool. swearing he had
been trickcd By the jail doctor into a
fear OF death. and at the last moment
denying his guilt and having 10 be sup
ported TO the scumold. miserable exhi-
hition Of judicial strangulation; but he
was quiet enough when they made a
sign OF him near the rattling chains OF
his fellow criminal. the remainder OF
whose wretched body had almost dis
appeared between the assaults OF the
wind and the rain, and the birds OF
prey and the human relic hunters.
One calm autumn evening many
year afterwards. there came an old
man to the Star and Garter.
He was tanned by wind and weather.
wrinkled with age and travel. his hair
sparse and OF an iron-grey. lie had
bright blue eyes white teeth. strong
bony hands, carried n stan like an
alpcn stock, and wore a struggling
beard.
lie arrived by coach with a pair OF
great brown leathern trunks. covered
with curious marks and letterings. as
IL they had seen a marvellous amount OF
service. lie settled down AZ the Star
and Garter, ordered a sitting room.
commanded a fire. spoke In calm but
very decisive tones. and asked many
questions about men and women who
bad been dead and gone for years and
years; the Meadowses. for instance;
old Morley. and Mary. the Maid OF the
Inn.
There was nothing odd In his inquir-
ing about Mary. because she had as II
were. become everybody's property. 4
famous poet had made a ballad about
her. ard II was a common thing for
foil, that were gifted that way 20 rccite
"a. Other less illustrious ballad mong-
crs had done the story OF Marys night
In the abbey into verse. and the chap
men al the fairs had long been selling
the last dying speeches and confes-
slons OF Richard Parker" copies OF
verses written upon his last interview
with Mary" and other literary RENT
uiscences OF the tragedy.
II was therefore. as have said. not
surprising to have a stranger ask about
Mary; but this particular stranger ask
ed all kinds OF curious questions. and
vouchsafed now and then pieces OF
curious information about events they
had heard OF az the Star and Garter
from their fathers and grandfathers
matters which seemed 10 them now to
be parts OF stories In books. or things
that belonged TO the age OF once upon
n time or incidents that the news
papers reprinted from old chronicles.
The stranger became a particularly
interesting person when he obtained
permission at his own expense 20 erect
"a special grayestone 10 Mary Lock
woods memory. and people touched
their hats 60 him all over the place
when IL was known that II was through
his influence the two gibbets had sud
denly been removed. such OF the rags
and tatters OF the poor wretches who
had been hung In chains being buried
dccently. and n few Christian words OF
hope said over them.
The old man was fond OF rambling
about the abbey. lie set up n distant
branch OF the Meadows family In the
"Hark-to- Rover" and often called and
smoked a pipe with Jack Meadows aud
his wife az the farm-the young Mead
ows. who had inherited from the son
OF the Mrs. Meadows. who was the
mother OF that Jack Meadows who left
<frNafnII aud nae - -.