The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-09-03
SIR JASPER'S ADVENTURE,

son of man who had made large
fortune in trade, and who had then
devoted himself to one of the great
political parties with so much dogged :
ness that he had been rewarded by a
baronetcy without ever having had to
expose the defects of his early educa-
tion by making long speech in the
house.
Whatever his party did was right;
that was his motto. and he had lived
up TO 1t with a simplicity which had
brought its inevitable reward.
The consequence was that his only
son was able to give up any active
share in the business, and to play at
being a country gentleman of patri-
archal descent, while his wife could
assume the airs of Lady Bountiful
on the one hand, and, outshine all the
great ladies OF the neighborhood by
her diamonds, on the other.
Peterscourt, the country seat of the
distinguished pair, was of course an
old place where many generations of
ancestors-of somebody else-had
lived lnelr llUtle uRy.
1t was a large, rambling, two-storied
building, dating from some far away
period and altered in the castellated
style in the early years of Victorias
reign.
Beautifully situated in the southern
part of the country of Dorsetshire, il
was little too far away from London
to be quite to the taste Of Lady Peters,
who was ambitious of playing great
part in society. and who would often
run up to town for a few days at n
time, while her husband was enjoy
ing his dignifed seclusion within the
well wooded grounds and park of Pet
erscourt.
II was on one of these occasions,
when the baronet was sitting in soli-
tary state in his great library after
dinner, his little electric lamp on the
table behind him and pile of litera-
ture suitable to a country gentleman
by his side, that he was disturbed
in his leisurely perusal of his paper
by the sound of a footstep on the
gravel outside.
He had scarcely raised his head,
when, TO his surprise and alarm.
man in the unmistakable dress of
convict, painting. breathess, with
starting eyes and hanging jaw, leaped
upon the window ledge from outside,
and then fell, exhausted, upon the
carpet.
by Jove!" cried Sir Jasper as he
sprang up and made for the bell
But the man was too quick for him.
Painting still. indeed, but recovering
himself sufficiently to stagger to mis-
feet and across the floor, the unwel-
come visitor threw himself upon the
terror stricken baronet, and STOPPING
at the same moment for the poker,
which he was near enough to reach,
he growled out between his set teeth
a threat to do for" that unhappy
gentleman If he so much as uttered
a call for help.
Sir Jasper gurgled out promise to
refrain, which he did not moan keep,
and the man thereuPon let him down
again into the armchair from which
he had risen. and suddenly altered his
threatening tone for one of abject en-
treaty.
Look ere. guynor." said ne, in
thick, hoarse whisper. moistening his
mouth as nc spoke, still standing near
and holding the poker in his hand,
but no longer menacing his unwilling
host. 81 don't want for to do yer no
arm. I'm not so bad as what you'd
think for to look at the dress I've got
on"
"You're c-c-convict." STAN
mered Sir Jasper, half timorous and
half surly. you've escaped from
Portland"
The man frowned uneasily.
"Well SOS a many more than me
been convicts. and a many as deserve
it a precious sight wus nor what
do" said the man. And as he spoke
he threw from time to time an an
xious glance toward the window by
which he had entered. But this amt
no time for to throw my failings in
my face. I'm a united man, that's
what | am. The warders Is after
me-"
what" cried Sir Jasper, with
something so like relief in his face
that his guest scowled him promptly
into silence.
Surely. guvnor you wouldn't go for
to berray united man, noble gentle
man like you, with everything and
some and comfortable about him! You
wouldn't go for to give up a poor
wretch that begs you to give him a
change of clothes, would you?
Ah--h---h!"
The sound he uttered was an inde-
scribable one as he suddenly straight
ened himself and listened with strain
ing ears to the unmistakable sound of
rapid foOtstep on the gravel.
They're coming. They've traced
me ERE! For mercy's sake, sir, don't
give me up!"
The, baronet looked at the close
cropped head. with the ugly ears
standing out on each side. and the