The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-06-30
CHAPTER XII,
The Shoot,

I"E 0nOOCs
Tuesday morning was bright and
f1ne-one of those fair days of the
early spring that this climate of sur
prises sends to delude US into the be-
lief that April is close at hand. It
smiles serene and sunny, and the next
step is a snowstorm or a blizzard.
There is skating tomorrow on the
meadows where to-day we looked for
young buds are nipped and shriveled,
and the birds stop their courting in
dismay.
Winstanley, walking his horse in the
dog cart slowly as he approached the
level crossing at Cosham, saw that
the gates were shut, glanced up at the
green slope Of hill beyond him, where
the white chalk pits yawned like snow
caverns. and felt his heart light. He
was bound on that most agreeable of
all errands to loyer-the errand that
takes him to the house of the woman
he loves. 1t had come to that now
with Winstanley; there was no more
delusion of himself in the matter. He
knew that unless he could win Ursula
Hamilton for his wife he would never
be content. He was all impatience for
the chance to tell her ,how he loved
her; he was incapable of keeping his
own secret from her any longer. AS
he looked up the hill behind which she
waited for him, he could hardly" wait
for open gates.:f ~, ~ 90 s Z
The station gates were closed, and
while Winstanley halted for them to
swing open, once the lingering goods
train had taken itself off, he was
aware Of figure approaching with
some haste from the nearer platform,
and holding up hand to attract his
attention. It was, in fact, the figure of
Baron TaXOna, attired in shooting
garb. He was correctly English for
the most part, shooting coat and Anick-
erbocker sand CATERS; his only devi-
alton from conventionality was an en-
broidered game bag. He held up one
hand on high to arrest Winstanley,
somewhat unnecessary proceeding, as
the gates did that on their own ac-
count. He ran along the platform and
through the little ticket gate with
speed that made the porters turn to
look at him-a gentleman in such a
hurry must be a little strange.
"Ah, it is you!" he cried. as he came
rear the dog cart, and found his breath
and his voice. II was sure of it, even
from that distance. I said to myself,
I will go and ask my FRIEND You can
tell me which is the way to get to
Nutfeld II is over that high hill, is
1t not? Is there far to walk? l am q
poor hill climber. Or can one take one
take one of these carriages?"
BY this polite term he designated
one of the shabby, rafting wagonettes
which lay in wait round the station pre-
cincts to take stray exc1ursionists TO
Watehlooville
II shall be very glad to give you a
lift," said Winstanley. There was vir-
tually nothing else to say. He could
not possibly know that the baron had
been lying there in wait for him for
the last three-Quarters of an hour,
though it did strike hi mthat he was
rather openly limiting at his readiness
to be helped.
"Thanks-a thousand, a thousand!
will then fetch my gun and the rest"
The baron ran back to the platform
with alacrity, and returned carrying
his own gun-case. Winstanley's groom
jumped down, rather shocked, to take
it and put it beneath the seat Win
stanley, though as fond of waiting on
himself as any man, thought the baron
remarkably averse to using the serv-.
ices Of porters. Some one had told
him that when one travelled abroad
one had to do lot of that for oneself.
Probably the baron had not been long
enough in this country to understand
what porters were meant for in this
country. ...
"Ah, now, this is good!" exclaimed
Baron Taxona, with an air of satisfac-
ton, as he settled himself in the seat
beside Winstanley and accepted the
half of the fur rug "a friend in want
is real friend-is not that your Eng
lish saying? I shall have pleasant
company up the hill now, and my legs
shall be saved. It was. great good for
tune that sent me by this train from
Southsea, instead Of by one Of the slow
trans.
"Train?" echoed Winstanley, vague
ly: II didn't know there had been "a
train from Southsea for the last hour.
You surely haven't waited all this time
ne Cosham Station without being able