The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-11-14
VIXEN
~
By Miss M. E. Brdddon.

nights or a trOuSSeau made Dy the re-
nowned Theodore
On this particular morning Vixen
was in thoughtful mood, and Arion
was lazy She let him walk at leis-
urely pace under the beeches of Gret.
nam Wood, and through the quiet
paths of the New Park plantations.
He come slowly out into Queens
Bower, tossing his delicate head and
smiling the summer air All at once a
manly voice startled the stiffness.
I've got rid of the high hat for this
year, and I'm my own man again; "
, and then a strong brown hand was laid
upon Vixens glove, and swallowed up
her slender fingers in it's warm grasp.
| when did you come back?" she
| asked, as soon as their friendly greet
ings were over, and Arion had recon
ciled himself to the companionship Of
Mr.. Vaw drey's hack.
Late last night"
"And have the duchess and her peo-
pie come back to Ashbourne?"
The duchess and her people-mean.
ing Mabel-have engagements six deep
for the next month; breakfasts, lawn
parties, music, art, science, horticul-
ture, dancing, archery, every form of
laboriQus amusement that the genius
of man has invented One of our
modern sages has said that life would
be tolerable but for its amusements.
/ am of that wise mans opinion. Fash
ionable festivities are my aversion. So
told Mabel frankly that found my
good spirits being crushed out of me
| by the weight of too much pleasure,
and that I must come home to look
after my farm. The dear old duke rec
ognized that duty Immediately and
gave me all sorts of messages and ad-
monitions for his bailiff."
And you are really free to do what
you like for a month";" exclaimed
Vixen, naively Poor Rorie! How
glad you must be-"
| my liberty is of even greater ex-
tent 1 am free till the middle of
August, when / am to join the Dove
dales in Scotland Later, / suppose,
the duke will go to Baden, or to some
newly discovered fountain in the Black
Forest. He could not exist for a
twelvemonth without German waters"
"And after that there will be a we'd
ding, 1 suppose?" said Violet
Il suppose So" answered Rorie, "a
man must be married once in his life.
The sooner he gets the ceremony over
the better. My engagement has hung
fire rather. There is always a kind of
fairness about the thing between
cousins, dare say. Neither of us is
in hurry Mabel has so many ideas
and occupations, from orchids to
Greek choruses."
"She is very clever" said Vixen.
'She is clever and good. and l am
very proud of her." answered Rorie.
Loyalty.
He felt as If he were walking on the
brink of p,ecipice, and that it need
ed all his care to steer clear of the
edge
After this there was no more said
about Lady Mabel. Vixen and Rorie
rode on happily side by side.
One evening as Vixen left the stable
she saw Bates, who was walking slow
ly across the courtyard, wiping his
honest old eyes with the cuff of his
drab coat and hanging his grizzled
head dejectedly.
Vixen ran to him with her cheeks
af1ame, divining mischief The cap
tain had been wreaking his spite upon
this lowly head.
What's the matter, Bates?"
1--WE lived in this house, Miss Violet.
man and boy, forty years come Mich
aelmas, and I've never wronged my
master by so much as the worth o. a
handful o wuts or carriage candle
was stableboy in your grandfeyther's
time, miss, as is well beknown to you:
and remember your feytber when he
was the finest and handsomest young
squire within fifty miles. I've loved
you and yours better than / ever loved
my own flesh and blood; and to go and
pluck me up by the roots and chuck
me out among strangers in my old age
is crueller than it would be to tear
up the old cedar on the lawn, which
L 'O hC4i u cOC thC 6dI QCnCl say ne dS
old as the day when such-like trees
were fust beknown in England. It's
crueller. Miss Voylet, for the cedar
amt got no feelings; but l feel 1t
down to the deepest fibers IL me-"
Bates" cried Vixen, looking at him
resolutely. Il insist upo. knowing
what reason Captain Carmichael al
legged for sending you away"
HE didn't allege nothing. miss: and
I amt a-going to tell you what he
said"
But you must. / order you to tell
me. You are still my servant, remem.
Der. You have always been faithful
servant, and l am sure you won't dis
obey me at the last l insist upon
knowing what Captain Carmichael
said; however insulting his words may
have been to me. they will not surprise
me or wound me much. There is no
love lost between him and me. Now,
Bates. what did he say?"
He said / was fool, miss, or a old
rogue. he weren't quite clear in his
mind which. I'd been actin as go be-
tween WIN you and Mr.. Vawdrey, en-
couragin' of you to meet the young
gentleman in your rides and never
givin' the cap'en warnin', as your
step-feyther. of what was goin' on be-
hind his back. He said it was shame
full, and you was maxim yourself the
talk of the county, and 1 was no bet
ter than should be for adm and
abettin' Of you In disgracin' yourself
And then / blazed up a bit, miss, and
maybe / checked him; and then he
turned upon me sharp and short. and
told me to get out Of the house this
night. bag and baggage. and never to
apply to him for character; and then
he counted out my wages on the table,
miss. up to this evening, exact to a
half penny. by way of showing me that
he meant business. perhaps But I
came away and left the brass upon the
FOL CT orfy, IN, h. g..