Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-13
CHAPTER /.


cended by steamers as far as Nor
well, one Of the most picturesque
points on that most beautiful river.
There also, al place called New
Quay, barges discharge their burdens
of coal, bricks, &C., which thence are
conveyed by carts throughout the
neighborhood. A new road, admirable
as one Of those Of Napoleon's construc'
ton in France, gives access to this
Quay-a road constructed at the outIa!
OF Duke Of Bedford, to whom belongs
all the land that was once owned by
the Abbey Of TaVistock. This engl'
neered road descends by zigzags from
the elevated moorIand on the Devon
side OF the lamar, through dense
woods Of oak and fir, under crags OF
weathered rock wreathed with heather.
From the summit Of the moor this
road runs due north, past mine shafts
and ramps, or rubble heaps thrown
out of the mines, and meets other
roads uniting from various points IN
der the volcanic peak Of Brent
Tor, that rises in solitary dig
nifty out of the vast moor to the heigh
of twelve hundred feet, and is crowned
by perhaps the tiniest church IN Eng
land.
Seventy or eighty years ago no such
roads existed. The vast upland was
all heather and gorse, with tracks
across it. An old quay had existed on
the river, and the ruins remained Of
the buildings about it erected by the
abbots of Tavistock; but quay ana
warehouses had fallen into decay, and
no barges came so far up the river.
The crags on the Devon side Of the
lamar rise many hundred feet il
sheer prCcipices, broken by CULTS filled
with oak coppiCe, heather, and dog
wood.
In a hollow Of the down, half a mile
from the oak woods and crags, with
an ancient yew and Spanish chestnut
before it, stood and stands still, Nor
well House, the hunting lodge Oh the
abbots Of Tayistock, built where a
moor-well-a spring of clear water
gushed from amidst the golden
gorse brakes, and after a shorJ
course ran down the steep side Of the
hill, and danced into the lamar.
Seventy or eighty years ago this
house was in a better and worse con
diuoD than at present; worse, in that
it was Aorely diIapidatcG; better in
that it had not suffered tasteless mod
eru handling TO convert it into farm
with Iaborers cottages. Even forty
years ago the old banquetting ha% and
the abbot's parIour were intact. Now
all has been restored out of recognI-
ZION, except the gatehouse that opens
into The quadrangle. In the interior
of this cid hall, on the tWenty-fourth
Of June, just eight years ago, sat the
tenant: a tall, gaunt man with dark
hair. He was engaged cleaning his
gun, and the atmosphere was foul
with the OdOur eXhaIed by the piece
that had been recently discharged, and
was now being purified. The man
was intent on his work, but neither
the exertion he used, nor the warmth
of a June afternoon, accounted for the
drops that beaded his brow and
dripped from his face.
Once-suddenIy-he placed the muz,
zIe Of his gun against his right side
under the rib, and with his foot
touched the lock. A culver ran over
his face, and his dim eyes were raised
TO the ceiling. Then there came from
near his feet feeble sound of a babe
giving token with its lips that it was
dreaming of food The man sighed,
and looked down at a cradle that was
before him. He placed the gun be
tween his knees, and remained for a
moment gazing at the child's eric,
lost in a dream, with the evening sun
shining through the large window ana
iuumining his face. 1t was a long
face with light blue eyes, in which
luTked anguish mixed with cat-like
lreachery. The mouth was tremulous,
aRd betrayed weakness. l-
Presently, recovering himself from
his abstraction, he laid the gun across,
the cradle from right to left, and it
rested there as bar sinister on a
shield, black and ominous His head
sank in his thin shaking hands, and
bowed over the cradle. His tears or
sweat. or tears and sweat combined,
dropped as a salt rain upon the sleep
ing child that gave so slight token OF
its presence.
All at once the door opened, and a
man stood in the yellow light, like 4
medieval saint against a golden
ground. He stood there a minute
looking in, his eyes too dazzIed to dis
tinguish what was within, but he
called in a hard, sharp tone, Eve!
where is Eve?
The man at the cradle started up,
showing at the time how tall he was
He stood up as one bewildered, with
his hands OutspTead, and looked
blankly at the new conner
The latter, whose eyes were becom-
ing accustomed to The obscurity, aftes
a moments pause repeated his Ques
ton, Eve! where is Eve?
The tall man opened his mouth 70
speak, but no words came.
Are you Ignatius Jordan?'
I am he answered with an effort.
And I am Ezekiel Babb. I am come
for my daughter
Ignatius Jordan staggered back
against the wall, and leaned against
Y with arms extended and with open
palms. The window through which