Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-02
CHAPTER III.
How Horde John Cozened the Fuller
Of Huntington,

that lad of twenty, with young life glow
ing in his veins and all the wide world be-
fore him. should spend his first hours of
freedom In mourning for what he had left.
Long ere Alleyne was out of sound of the
Beaulieu bells he was striding sturdily
along, swinging his staff and whistnng as
merrily as the birds in the thicket 1t was
an evening to raise mans heart The sun
shining slantwise through the trees threw
delicate traceries across the road, with bars
of golden light between Away in the dis
lance before and behind the green boughs
now turning in places to coppery redness
shot their broad arches across the track
The still summer air was heavy with the
resinous smell of the great forest Here
and there tawny brook prattled out from
among the underwood and lost itself again
! I'm the ferns and brambles upon the further
side. Save the dun piping of insects and
the sough of the leaves there was silence
everywhere--the sweet, restful silence of ma
ture.
And yet there was no want of life-the
whole wide wood was full of It. Now it was
q 1.-the furtive Stoat which shot across the
path upon some fell errand of its own; then
1t was wild cat which squatted upon the
outlying branch of an oak and peeped at
the traveller with yellow and dubious eye.
Once it was wild sow which scuttled out
of the bracken, with two young saunders at
her heels. and once a lordly red staggard
walked dainty out from among the tree
trunks and looked around him with the fear
less gaze of one who lived under the kings
own high protection. .Alleyne gave his staff
merry flourish, however. and the red deer
bethought him that the king was far off, SO
streaked away from whence he came.
The youth had now journeyed consider
ably beyond the furthest domains of the alb
hey. He was the more surprised therefore
when, on coming round turn in the path,
he perceived a man clad in the familiar garb
of the order and seated in 4 clump of
heather by the roadside. Alleyne had known
every brother WELL but this was a face
which was new to hm-a face which was
very red and puffed, working this way and
that, as though the man were sore per-
picked in his mind Once he shook both
hands furiously In the air, and twice he
sprang from his seat and hurried down the
road. When he arose. however, Alleyne OBJ
served that his robe was much too long and
loose for him in every direction, trailing
upon the ground and bagging about his
ankles, so that even with trussed-up skirts
he could make little progress. He ran once,
but the long gown clogged him that he
slowed down into a stumbling walk, and
finally pumped into the heather once more.
Young friend" said he, when Alleyne
was abreast of him, II fear from thy garb
that thou canst know little of the abbey of
Beaulieu?'
Then you are in error, friend" the clerk
answered, for | have spent all my days
within it's walls
Hast so, indeed?" cried he. Then per-
haps canst tell me the name of a great
loathly lump of a brother wi freckled face
an hand like a spade. His eyes were
black an his hair was red an his voice like
the parish bull. / trow that there cannot
be two alike in the same cloisters."
That surely can be no other than Brother
john" said Alleyne. Il trust he has done
you no wrong, that you should be so hot
against him.
Wrong, quothar cried the other jump
ing out of the heather. Wrong! why he
hath stolen every plack of clothing off my
hool- hat hn hot 1nff
here in this sorry frock of white fading,
that l have shame to go back to my wife,
lest she think that l have donned her old
kirtle. Harrow and alas that ever should
have met him.
but how came this?' asked the young
clerk, who could scarce keep from laughter
at the sight of the hot little man so swathed
in the great white cloak.
ut came in this way he said, sitting
down once more: II was passing this way,
hoping to reach Lymington ere nghtfaH,
when came on this red-headed knave seat
ed even where we sitting now. l uncov-
cred and louted as l passed, thinking that
he might be a holy man at his prisons, but
he called to me and asked me if had heard
speak of the new indulgence in favor of the
Cistercians. Not l. answered Then the
worse for thy soul! said he; and with that
he broke into long tale how that on ac-
count of the virtues of the Abbot Berghersh
it had been decreed by the pope that who
ever should wear the habit of monk of
Beaulieu for long as he might say the
seven psalms of David should be assured of
the kingdom of heaven. When heard this
l prayed him on my knees that he would
give me the use of his gown, which after
many contentious he at last agreed to do on
my paying him three marks toward the re-
gliding of the image of Laurence the mar
tyr Having stripped his robe, 1 had no
choice but to let him have the wearing of
my good leathern jerkin and hose, for, as he
said, 1t was chilling to the blood and un-
seemly to the eye to stand frockless whilst
made my prisons. He had scarce got them
on, and 1t was sore labor, seeing that my
inches will scarce match my girth-he had
scarce got them on, say, and l not yet at
the end of the second psalm, when he babe
me do honor to my new dress. and with that
set off down the road as fast feet would
carry him. For myself, could no more run
than if had been sewn in a sack; so here l
sit and here 1 like to sit, before l set
eyes upon my clothes again"
Nay friend, take it not so sadly" said
Alleyne, clapping the disconsOlate one upon
the shoulder. "Canst change thy robe for a
jerkin once more at the abbey, unless per-
chance you have friend near at hand"
THAT have l." he answered, land close,
but care not to go nigh him in this plight,
for his wife hath a gibinS tongue and will
spread the tale until l could not show my
Southampton. But If you. fair sir. out of
your kind charity would be pleased to go a
matter of two bOw-shots out of your way
You would do me such a service as l could
with all my heart" said Alleyne readily.
Then take this pathway the left, 1
pray thee, and then the deer track which
passes on the right. You will then see m
der great beech tree the hut of charcoal
burner Give him my name. good sir, the
name of Peter the fuller of Lymington, and
ask him for a change of raiment, that /
may pursue my journey without delay.
There are reasons why he would be 10th to
refuse me-"
Alleyne started off along the path indi-
Gated, and soon found the log hut where
the burner dwelt He was away fagot-cut-
ting in the forest, but his wife, a rudy,
busting dame, found the needful garments
and tied them into a bundle. While she
busted herself in finding and folding sliem
Alleyne Edricson stood by the open door
looking in at her with much interest ard
some distrust, for he had never been SO nigh
to a woman before She had round, red
arms, dress of some sober woollen stuff.
and a brass brooch the size of a cheesaeaKe
stuck in the front of 1t.
Peter the fuller!" she kept repeating.
Marry come up! If were Peter the fullers
wife would teach him better than TO give
his clothes to the first knave who asks fer
them. But he was always poor, fond silly
creature, was Peter, though we are behold
en- to him for helping to bury our second