Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-06-06
Grips, THE CARRIER
r. D. BL A CkMORE
Author of LORNA DOONE" ALICE LORRAINE" ETC. ETC


shells and the combs of ichen-in the
middle of the whole, this foolish maid
had not one thought to throw to them.
What she was thinking of she never
could have told; except that she had a
long letter on her lap. and could not
bring her mind to it. And here in the
hollow, when the warmth came round Of
the evening fringed with cloudlets, she
was fairer than any of the buds or flow
ers, and ever so much larger. But she
| could not be allowed to bloom like them.
''Oh, / beg pardon" cried an unseen
| stranger in a very clear, keen voice; II
fear 1 am intruding in some private
grounds. l was making short cut,
which generally is a long one. If you
will just show me how to get out again.
| will get out with all speed. and thank
you"
Grace looked around with surprise, but
no fear. She knew that the voice was
gentleman's: but until she got up and
| looked up the little hollow, she could
not see any one. please not to be
frightened" said the gentleman again; II
deserve to be punished. perhaps, but not
to that extent. l fancied that | knew
every copse in the county. l have proved
and must suffer for my ignorance"
As he spoke hec anne forward on a
little turfy ledge, about thirty feet above
| her; and she saw that he looked at her
with great surprise. She felt that she
had been crying very sadly, and this
might have made her eyes look strange
Quite as if by accident, she let her hair
drop forward, for she could not hear to
be so observed; and at that very moment
there flowed a CLEAN of sunshine through
1t. She was the very painting of the pic
ture in her fathers room.
Saints in heavenp cried Hardenow
who never went further than this in
amazement, Il have found Grace Og-
lander. Stop if you please-I beseech
you, STOP"
But Grace was so frightened, and so
pledge-bound, that no adjurdation stop
ped her. If Hardenow had only been
less eager. there and then he might have
made his bow, and introduced himself.
But Oracle thought of the rabbit man.
and her promise, and her loneliness, and
without looking back she was round the
corner, and not a ribOn left to trace her
by. And now again if Hardenow had
only been less eager, he might have
caught the fair fugitive by following in
| her footsteps. But for such a simple
| course as that he was much too clever.
| Instead of running down at once 10 the
spot where she had vanished, and thence
| giving chase, he must needs try a cross
cut to intercept her.
| Chances were against him. He had an
| exceedingly strong will of his own, and
] having had the worst of this matter so
| far. he was doubly resolved to go through
with il. Without a second thought, he
ran back to the spot which he had left
so unadvisedly. There he did what he
| ought to have done ten minutes or a
quarter of an hour ago, ne ran down the
slope to the nest in the nook which had
! been occupied by Grace. Then he took to
the track which she had taken: but she
! had been much 700 quick for him; she
| bad even snatched up her letter, so that
| he was none the wiser. He came to q
spot where the narrow and thickly woven
trackway broke into two; and whether
of the two to choose was more than a
moments doubt to him. Then he SEEM
ed to see some CLINT of footsteps, and
sweep of soft sprays by a dress towards
the right; and making a dash through
dark hole towards it, vas straightway
enveloped in q doubl-u rabbit net, cast
over his hat.
Hold 'un tight, large, now thou'st got
'un," cried out somebody whom he could
not see, ''poachin' us'll poach 'unr'
'Poaching-my good friends" cried
| Hardenow, trying to lift his arms and
! turn his head round, but all vainly; "you
can scarcely know the meaning of that
word, or you never would think of apply
J ing it 70 me. Let me see you, that |
may explain. l have been trespassing,
! am afraid; but by the purest accident
allow me to turn round and reason
| quietly. | have the greatest objection to
| violence; never use, nor allow it to be
used. If you are honest gamekeepers,
| exceeding your duty through earnest zeal,
| | would be the last to find fault with
you; want of earnestness is the great
fault of this age. But you must not
allow yourselves to be misled. lou are
pulling me! you are exceeding your duty!
Is the bucolic mind so dense? Here |
am at your mercy-just show yourselves
You may choke me if you like, but the
result will be-oh!-that you will also
be choked yourselves"
"A rare fine plucked one as ever l see,"
said rabbiting George to Leviticus Grips.
when Hardenow lay between them,
senseless from the pressure on his throat;
lease him off a bit. my lad, he never
done no harm to me. They long-coated
parsons is good old women. Lay hold
right end foremost, zoon as have stop
ped 'un's preaching. Did ever you zee
such q guy out of a barrow"
Heavy-witted Tickuss made no answer,
but laid hold of the captive by his Shout
ders, so that himself might be still I'M
seen, if consciousness should return soon.
Black George tucked the feet under his
arm, and in no better way than this
these two ignorant pumpkins swung the
body of one of the leading spirits of the
rising age to the hog pound.
Thomas Hardenow was not the man
to be long insensible. Every fiber of
his frame was wire of electric life. He
was 'all thereto use a slang express
sion, which, by some wondrous accident,
has a little pith in tin about two min
utes; not a bit of him was absent; and
he showed it by hanging like lump upon
his bearers as they, fetched him to an
empty hog house, dropped him anyhow,
and locked him in; then one of them
jumped on a little horse and galloped off
to Oxford.
Oh ApTER WI