Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-06-20


advises you to take loose grocery store
then. with lighter heart and a stouter
courage that the young man turned
from the Abbots room. while the lat
ter. following him to the stair-head,
finally commended him to the protec-
ton OF the holy Julian, patron of trav-
ellers.
Underneath. in the porch OF the Alb
hey, the monks had gathered to give
him a last God-speed. Many had
brought some parting token by which
he should remember them. There was
Brother Bartholomew with a crucifix
OF rare carved ivory. and Brother
Luke with a white-backed psalter
adorned with golden bees. and Brother
Francis with the Staying of the limo
cents" most daintily set forth upon
vellum. All these were duly packed
away deep in the travellers scrip, and
above them old pippin-faced Brother
Athanasius had placed a parcel of
simnel bread and rammel cheese, with
small flask OF the famous blue sealed
Abbey wine. So, amid handshakings
and laughings and blessings, Alleyne
Edricson turned his back upon Beau
lieu.
At the turn OF the road he stopped
and gazed back. There was the wide
spread building which he knew so we'll,
the Abbot's house. the long church, the
cloisters with their line of arches, all
bathed and mellowed in the evening
sun. There too was the broad sweep
of the river Exc. the old stone well,
the canopied niche of the Virgin, and
in the centre of II, the cluster OF
white-robed figures who waved their
hands to him. A sudden mist swan
up before the young mans eyes, and
he turned away upon his journey with
a heavy heart and n choking throat
1t is not, however. in the nature of
things that lad Of twenty, with
young life glowing in his veins and all
the wide world before him, should
spend his first hours Of freedom in
mourning OF what he had left. Long
ere Alleyne was out of sound OF the
Beaulieu bells he was striding sturdily
along. swinging his staff and whistline
as merrily as the birds in the thicket.
The road along which he travelled
was scarce as populous as most other
roads in the kingdom. and far less so
than those which lie between the
larger towns. Yet from time to time
the boy met other wayfareFs, and
more tnan once was overtaken by
strings of pack-mules and horsemen
tourneying In the same direction as
himself
The night had already fallen, and the
moon was shining between the riffs
OF ragged drifting clouds, befo-0 Al
leyne Edricson. footsore and weary
himself in front OF the forest inn. which
stood upon the outskirts Of Lyndhurst.
The building was long and low, stand
ing back a little from the road, with
two fiambeaux blazing on either side
OF the door as a welc~ne to the trav-
eller. From one window there thrust
forth long pole with a bunch of
greenery tied to the end of tia sign
that liouor was to be SOL within. As
Alleyne walked up to 1t he perceived
that 1t was rudely fashioned out OF
beams of wood, with twinkling hts
ali over where the glow from v hin
shone through the CHI ks. The roof
was poor and matched: but in strange
contrast to IL there ran al along under
the caves a line OF wooden shields.
most gorgeously painted with chew
ron, bend, and satire and every
heraldic device. BY the door n horse
stood tethered, the ruddy glow beating
strongly upon his brown head and pa
tient eyes, while his body stood back
In the shadow.
Alleyne stood still I'm the roadway for
few minutes. rejecting upon what
he should do. II was. ne knew. only a
few miles further TO Minstead where
his brother dwelt on the other hand
| ne had never seen tbs brother since
childhood, and the reports which had
| come 70 his ears concerning him were
| seldom 60 his advantage. BY all ac-
| II might be an evi! start TO come to
| his door so late and claim the shelter
| 81 his roof Better 60 sleep here at
this inn. and then travel on 90 Min
| stead in the morning. II his brother
would take him in, we'll and good lie
would bide with him for n time and
| do what he might 20 serve him. IT, on
/ the other hand. ne shCuld have Lard
| ened his heart against Linn. ne could
| only go on his way and do the best he
might by hip skill az n craftsman and
| n scrivener. At the end Of n YER ne
would be free 60 return 90 the cloisters
| for such had been his fathers request
| a inonklsh upbringing. one year in
| the world after the age 81 twenty. and
| then a free selection one way or the
Oeher-it was a strange course which
| had been marked out for him such
as n was. however. ne had no choice
but 90 follow II. and n he were to
| begin by making friend Of his
| brother, ne had best wait until morn
| ing before he knocked at his dwelling.
The rude plank door Of the inn was
| atar. but as Alleyne approached 10
| there came from within such "A gust Of
| rough laughter and cutter OF tongues
| that he stood irresOlute upon the
| threshold. Summoning courage, how
/ ever. and rejecting that IL was a pub
| lie dwelling, in which ne had az much
| right as any other man. ne pushed Il
open and stepped into the common
CTo BE- Continued Eest Week.