The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-02
THE KNIGHT OF DARCY.
ny q. A, PEASE.
HH Gs As ThASHF |, Copyright, 1905. by Daily Story Put
 

Copyright, 1905. by Daily Story Pup
 fishing Companyo
 Hiram Skelley had loved Margaret Buck long and well. All the country side about Darvy knew that. And all the countryside knew that Margaret was not wholly indifferent to Hirams persistent wooing. They had been at 1t since they were small children these two, and it had been looked upon as a settled match for years.
 This was before the serpent entered the garden. The serpent appeared Tn the form of F. Wallace Fitzgeraio' who came into the little valley from the great outside world in searcn - Q, res, an and health, and incidentally keeping an eve open for local color" For MT. Fitzeerald was addicted to literature and in his seething fancy he nourished aspirations regarding the great Ameri- can novel," In the meantime he wrote short stories and doggerel for news paper or two and eked out the remain- der of his living by systematlc pom bardment of the magazines with matter of various kinds most of which came hack in self addressed envelopes, but some of which stuck and was paid TOT at very good rate indeed. In fact' MT. F. Wallace Fitzgerald had made several good hits with his stories, ana some of his verse had been so kindly received that ne ndu Ucch Ou " as poet" So it may be set down as a fact that he really had broken into literature and, to a degree, was entitled to the airs he gave himself and not wholly unwarranted in taking himself seriously.
 Among his other accomplishments MT. Fitzgerald possessed excellent taste respecting feminine charms, and that was what made all the trouble in Darcy l11 ko fnSDlre0 the story. For Margaret Buck was very pretty and a very charming girl and MT. Fitzgerald was not long in finding it out. Whereupon he proceed ed to fill her ardent young head with all sorts of romantic notions, the like of which she never had dreamed or before
 Oh, the world of knighthood and chivalry of gallant knights and proud maidens, of the gloves of fair ladies and daredevil acts of courage in con nection therewith-oh, the dreams and the nonsense, the aspirations and the folly he succeeded in stuffing into that pretty head of Margarets-it was scarcely to be believed.
 The serious, part of 1t all was that Hiram Skelley-honest, common sense, devoted Hiram-who really would have laid down his life for her in any old prosaic kind of a way, was ignominous- ly showed into the background. Now Hiram was a plain, simple minded sort of a lad, but possessed of hard head withal and not devoid of natural shrewdness, and the new complication pleased him not at all In due time when he esteemed that patience had outgrown virtue he went to Margaret in a manly fashion and plead his cause.
 "MarEery, dear.' said he. you ain't goin' to throw me over for a stranger, are ye?''
 Throw you over. you great goose" replied Margaret. tossing her pretty \head. You seem to assume, sir, that you have some claim on me"
 q sure thought I had" replied Hi- ram sturdily. "Ain't we been keepin' company for as long as you can re- member? And ain't we both said a hundred times that we'd be married as soon as I got that forty acres paid for?"
 'oh. that was all foolish boy and girl talk" replied Margaret. Why, Hiram, have only of late found out that I am a woman and have only caught a glimpse of the great world outside where people live for things worth while. where men fight and die for their lady loves and-and-oh, Hi- rau vou never can understand, but YOU ought to read about 1t all in the books"
 "You don't mean to say you are go- in to give me the mltten because of all these tom-fool notions this dandi- fled city feller has been putin into yer purty head?" demanded Hiram.
 Then Margaret rose to the full pos sibiuty of the occasion, and all the stories Fitzgerald had told her and all those she had read at his behest surged through her young mind.
 Hiram" she said severely, but with A kindly accent withal. T shall ever respect and honor you as sincere and honest man. shall always be sis ter to you and hope to be your very best friend. But IS to marrying you cannot. was born for better things. My soul yearns for its true mate-1 must pursue my destiny"
 Hiram remained in a brown study for a moment.
 How're ye goin to know him when ye see him?" he asked.
 "Oh. you dear old stupid" replied Margaret; you don't know anything but crops and stock and the like. Come over and listen to some of the stories of real life. MT. Fitzgerald reads to me aloud nearly every evening. Come over and listen and you will under stand"
 By gum. I will" replied Hiram, his square jaw setting. Tonight" So Hiram Joined the literary seances. not altogether to the liking of F. Wal lace Fitzgerald. Not that the latter was jealous of Hiram, but he consider ed him distinctly as a superhuity and wholly in the way. Hiram listened q intently to the reading and the first night said nothing at all. Nor the second. On the third session at which I he was present, wherein the fair maden had been ravish ed from the arms ' of her people by her ardent lover and carried off willy-nilIy. to the geat de- S light of Margaret Hiram blurted out: Do ye think that's the way for a man to do his courtin'?'
 .. wAiiaes Fitzgerald regarded him