Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-04-11
CHAPTER XIV.

III Aprl, Wnen tne sunny DuuS were
showing forth their little friIls; and birds
that love to hop sideways and try the
liberation of the sprays that they are
picking at, were almost too busy to chirp,
and hung as happily as possible upside
down, shaking the iutter of young green
lace; while at the same time pigs reared
aloft little corkscrew tails, and scorning
their nose rings, employed them as Thin
bles for making punch in the broidery
OF turf; also when ducks and geese, and
cocks and hens, and even the dogs were
all, without knowing it. beginning to wag
themselves as they walked or waddled,
and to shine in the sun, and to look very
large in their own eyes; neither was there
any man who could ride a horse without
knowing how, at this young jump of the
year and of life. Grace Oglander wanted
to go for a walk.
She had not by any means been buried
in the haunted Quarry; neither had she
as yet required burial in any place. On
the contrary, here she walked more
blooming and lovely than even her Gus
tom was; and the spring sun, glistening
upon the gold letters of her tombstone
at Beckley, the same sun was pleasantly
making and taking light in the fiuctua-
tons of her growing hair.
Her bright hair (Which had been 60
cruelty cropped instead of being the
worse for the process, was waving and
glowing again in vast multiplicity of
vigor; like a specimen golden geranium
shorn, to double the number of its facets;
and the blue in the spring of her eyes
was enough to dissatisfy the sun with
his own sky. However, he showed no
discomfort, but filed the young wood with
cheerful rays, and the open glades with
merriment, and even the somber heart
of laboring man with streaks of liyeli-
ness. For here were comforts that come
in, without the eye considering them: and
pleasures, which when thought of fly;
and delicate delights that have no idea
of being delightful
Grace rambled on, as a school girl does
when the hours of school are over Every
single fall or rise of nature's work was
kind to her, and led her into various
veins of inductive uGphilosophy. The
packing and storing Of last years leaves,
as if exceeding precious. gathered to-
gether by the wind and land in some rich
rustling corner; the fitting of these into
one another wonderfully compact, as if
with the hammer of soldbeater. or the
unknown implement wherewith a hen
packs her Matched eggshells; the stiff up
standing of fine young stuff, hazel. ash,
and so on, taperiDg straight as fishing
rod, and knobbing out on either side with
scarcely comfortable bulges; over and
above, and throughout all, and sensible
nf fhai Ia ho do
Of great trees, just breathing their buds
on the air again, but not in a hurry to
rush into perils of leafiness-pleased
with all these proofs of soft revival and
tender movement, the fair maid almost
forgot her own depression and perplexi-
ties.
Grace wandered at her own sweet will,
within the limits of her own parole. She
knew she was in seclusion here, by her
fathers command, for her own good and
much as she yearned, from time to time,
to be at home, with all the many things
she was so fond Of she was such a
dutiful child, and so loving, that she put
her own wishes by, and smiled and sigh
ed instead of pouting 1t could not be
very long now, she was sure, until her
father should come home, and call for
her, as he had promised, and take her
once more to beloved Beckley, after this
mournful exile.
Full as she was of all these thoughts,
and needing her own ways but little, so
long as she kept within the outer ring of
fence allowed to her. she fell into a lit
tie stupid fright, as she called it after
wards; for which there was no one but
herself to blame. Only yesterday that
good Miss Patch cher governess and
sweet GUARDIAN had particularly begged
her to be careful; because the times were
now so bad, that lawless people went
everywhere. Miss Patch herself had
heard several noises she could not at all
account for; and while she considered II
quite a duty TO trace up everything to
its proper source, still there are times
when it cannot be done; and then the
right thing is to keep within sight or call
of a highly respectable man.
This was exactly what Grace might
have done, and would have done, but for
the tempting day: for truly respecta-
BILE man had been near her. when first
she began her little walk; man whom
ways at little distance: a tall. stout
man, according to her distant ideas OF
him, always busy In quiet way. and Al
most grudging the time TO touch his
broad tapped hat without lifting hi:
head when he saw her in the wood
land. Grace had never asked him who
he was, nor been within talking distance
of him: at which she was almost sur
prised, when she thought how glad, as 8
rule, are all 0xfordshire workmen 4
have a good excuse for leaving off. How
ever. she was far beyond him now. wher
she met another man who frightened her
This was a fellow of dark complexion
dressed in a dirty fustian suit. and bear
ing on his shoulder a thick hedge-stake
from which hung a number of RABBI
skins. His character might be excel
lent; but his appearance did not recon
mend him TO the confidence Of the public
Grace shrank aside, but his quick eye
had spied her: and. indeed, she almos
feared, from hts manner. that he ha'
been on the watch for her. So she pu
the best face on it. and tried TO pas
him. without showing any misgivings.
But the rabbit man was not TO be thu
defrauded of his right To good society
With a quick. sharp turn he cast of tn
skins from his staff. and stretched TIA
Shiny implement across the way.
ALLOW me to pass. if you please. sai'
Grace. attempting 10 look very resolute
these are our grounds You are tres
passing
Now. my purty young lady. said tn
rabbit man. coming 50 close that 81.
could not fy; s'you wouldn't be too hard
could you nows / sees & great man.
young maids about-but what be they {
compare with your
Il am sure that you do not mean. an
harm" replied Grace. nobody does an
harm to me. hvt every one Is so kin
TO me. Ny father e so good to all wh
get into any treubie. I am not wort