The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-07

window to window and deliberately pulled down every blind. for the master of the house--like its former glory had passed sway.
 | The hushed hustle throughout the Grange. stealthy steps, and closing doors had ceased. and Nurse Dixon and Fanny Tootle sat alone over a fru- gal supper in the wainscoted or brown | parlor.
 And about the story of this house. Fanny" said the nurse. as she stirred her second cup of cocoa.
 "Aye--sure! It was nigh going out of me headl I'll tell you as much as know. and that's as much as is known in ta village"
 l there?" remarked her companion iron- ically.
 "No--nobbut this being such a lone soort ov hole-in-corner place, the talk and the happenings never spread far; we are not even printed in the Clay. borough newspaper, seeing we've no | cricket or flower shows, and but a ] small parcel of voters--most of the folk being widow women" 1 "Yes--but about the Fordes?" urged the nurse. with a faint touch of i'm. | patience.
 Well. 1t Is true that the owd gentle man came of gude stock--Derbyshir Wdys UT 6OuLu~-dn0 nlS L4tHSt WOE rich, but a fearful tyrant When he coon into room all his children had to rise to their feet; he would send l grown folk from the table. and beat 1 big lasses and boys with a stick, and shut them up in the cellars if they went against him. seeing as they were his body and soul. He was allus talk i ing eternal punishment and hell fire, and the worm. and kep' his family half the time on their knees. This Am- prose, one of the young ones. broke out in rebellion, and cast off his fath- CT, and swore before them ali on the l Bible that he'd never own him whilst stingo, and he wer locked up and. beat l en. but he managed to run away, and wandered through the country. doing odd farnners jobs---he was a fine strong lad O sixteen--till he found himself in Shefi1eld. and, being clever and stiddy. got took on in foundry, and educated himself. Of course, he had had school ing. and Latin and Greek and a that but he learnt figuring and useful things"
 'Yes. yes" interrupted Nurse Dixon hastily; T know the old story--and be- came partner at last!"
 Better nor that! He had his own works. It took years of striving and brains; but when he was q gude bit
 
 summer. when on his holiday, he saved a young lady from drowning. andl that was nice easy sort O beginning to love affair, she being both young and handsome. Her family were one of the grandest on the border, and ter. ribly proud. but they made much of MT. Forde. seeing as he was well-to- do and well looking. When it came to talk of his folk and belongings, he just told them that he was Forde O. the firm of Forde and Pallas, and that he was his whole pedigree. He stuck to 1t. even when 1t means the young lady Of course, a man of no family was not good enough for her. who had high birth and fortune. so the Both-. wells shut the door on him .n And he climbed over the walf?" sup- plemented Nurse Dixon. 4 sustained course of novel reading had pointed to this conclusion.
 "He did. but not for a long time: she was faithful. and when her sisters were gong off she remained single for his sake. though she was the great est beauty of them all. However at last he coon along with a carriage and pair and run her away, and they were married by special license; but her family dropped her from that day. So now you see how 1t comes that Miss Hester has no relations what. ever"
 ''Yes." assented her listener, with a grave nod. T can understand"
 Miss Jubber was lady's maid, and coon with her mistress to Sh e6ield, where MT. Forde had a fine house She says they two were always like lovers, wanting no society but their own, and kept no company. Mrs. Forde was tall and dark, with carved features. and a sort O. grand air. She was main fond of books and playing the plano. and never seemed to find the time dull. It was in Sheffield Miss Hester was born, and a terrible deli cate child; by-and-by the town air disagreed with Mrs. Forde, being coun- try reared. and they searched for quiet place not too far from the works. and after bit bought this Grange. 'Tis eighteen years since the family coom here, and they liked 1t well. The garden was kep' up lovely, and Mrs. Forde had a carriage and two big shiny horses. and used to fetch him from the station most days. She made no show of visiting. but was friendly at the parsonage. The Byngs were In 1t in those days. He was a splendid preacher, too good for us. and got shifted. He had nice wife and threo children--" she paused.
 "But the Fordes7" persisted her au- ditor.
 Before the Byngs left. Mrs. Forde died sudden-like. She was never strong lady, but no one thought she'd be took off like thati It made a real stir her death, she was so good to every one and the poor. He was just crazy and demented, and the little girl, who was about seven. nearly killed herself crying. After bit. the horses were sold--the carriage is rottinE in t coach-house--the gar deners and servants sent away. He put Miss Hester to a grand school iD Harrogate and went and lived in rooms in Sheffield. leaving Miss Jubber to manage the Grange-and she has been mistress ever since: MT. FoFde and Miss Hester only coming for holidays. and every year him getting Queerer and more shut up in himselt-and ex- trodinarily saving Folk used to put 1t down to Miss Jubber; who has an awful grip on the money, and Is house. keeper; but 1t was him, too. Eight 1 years ago he coon back to live going to and fro to t station on a rusty old tricycle.; half the rooms shut up, and the garden anyhow, Miss Jubber sent for her sister Liza and got Tn Eiri to help, for you'd never believe in the dust there wur in this old house! and. whatever Jane Jubber is, she likes to see things clean, and the yearly turn out is a great rave!"
 "I suppose Mr. Forde lost his mon ey?" observed her companion.
 ''No one knows the reets O that: he is out of the works this long while