The Delta independent., 1906-06-29

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advises you to take loose grocery store
then, with a lighter heart and a stouter
courage that the young man turned
from the Abbot's 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 Abb
bey. the monks had gathered to give
him q last God-speed. Many had
brought some parting token by which
ne should remember them. There was
Brother Bartholomew with a crucihx
Of rare carved ivory. and Brother
Luke with a white-backed psaiter
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 q parcel OF
| a small finsk OF the famous bluc-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
spread building which he knew 30 well.
| 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:
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. ana
he turned away upon his Journey with
a heavy heart and a choking throat.
It is not. however. in the nature & q
things that lad Of twenty. with
young life glowing in his veins and al
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 stan and whistlina
AZ merriiy as the birds In the thicket.
The road along which he travelled
was scarce as popu1ous as most other
roads In the kingdom. and far less 70
than those which lie between the
larger towns. Yet from time to tim.
the boy met other wayfarers. and
more tnan once was overtaken by
strings of pack mules and horsemen
journeying in the same direction A.
| himself.
The night had already fallen. and the
| moon was shining between the riffs
Of ragged. drifting clouds. before Al
L
from the unwonted exercise found
| himself in front OF the forest inn. which
stood upon the outskirts OF Lyndhurst.
/ The building was long and low. stand
i ing back q 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 q bunch OF
greenery tied to the end Of TIA sign
that liauor was to be sold within. A.
Alleyne walked up to 1t he perceived
that 1t was rudely fashioned out OF
beams OF wood, with twinkling hts
all over where the glow from " hir
shone through the chi-ks. The ROOT
was poor and matched: but In strange
contrast to 1t there ran all along undel
the caves a line of wooden shields
most gorgeously painted with chew
heraldic device. BY the door horse
stood tethered, the ruddy glow beating
strongly upon his brown head ana pa
tient eyes, while his body stood bac,
in the shadow.
Alleyne stood still in the roadway fol
few minutes. rejecting upon wha
he should do. II was. he knew. only
few miles further to Minstead. wher,
his brother dwelt. On the other hand
ne had never seen this brother sine,
!. childhood. and the reports wnich na'
come to his ears concerning him wcr'
seldom to his advantage. BY all ac
, counts ne was n hard and bitter man
It might he an evi! start TO come Il
his door so late and claim the shelte
of his roof. Better to sleep here a
this inn, and then travel on to Min
. stead in the morning. II his brothe
would take him in, well and good III
would bide with him for time ant
. do what ne might to serve him. II. ol
the other hand, ne shO ald have Lard
ened his heart against him. he couI'
onIy 20 on his way and do the best h
!, might by hip skill as craftsman an
a scriyener At the end of yefr h
would be free to return to the cloisterf
for such had been his fathers request
A monkish upbringing. one year u
the world after the age OF twenty, AM
then a free selection one way or IN
usher-it was a strange course wnic!
, had been marked out for him. sucl
a. IL was. however, he had no choic
but to follow II. and II he were q
. begin by making a friend OF nj
, brother, he had best walt until morn
tns b,fore he knocked at his dwelling
The rude plank door of the Inn wa
aiar. but az Alleyne approacned
! there came from within such gost Q
rourh laughter and cater OF tongue
, mat ne stood irresolute upon tn
threshoId eummoning courage. now
1 ever. and rejecting that u was pun
IL dweiIinr. in which he had ~ muc
. right a. any other man. ~ pusno9
/ opcn and stepped into shs commo
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