The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19

troduced an historical clement. And the criticism has been made that the story would have got along just ss well If that historical element, the Gordon riots. had been left out with the historical charae- ters Lord George, Gashford and others. But the riots not only served Dickens purpose as a part of the machinery or his story, but that incident in British history had evidently been studied by him, and nowhere can there be found such a graphic account of those singular disturbances They did not. it is true. have much to do with the tale, and in a condensation must be lightly passed over. But they are well worth reading for those who are fond of curious phases of history as anything of the sort ever written. So the raven of poor barnaby, and Barnaby himself, though dwelt on much by Dickens in his story, are Of those 'side issues of which the author was SO fond. Old John Willet and the Maypole are all Dickens, and Dickens at his best. In short, the story is among Dickens best and his best known and thoroughly characteristic.
 N the year 1775 there stood on the
 borders Of Epping Forest, at dis x tance of about twelve miles from London as London then was, a busy house of entertainment called the May pole. It was a roon1y old structure, with many gables and angles; with curious winding chinneys. from winch the smoke could by no possibility escape without taking on an extra curl as it asoended above the trees There was a great bed room in which Queen Elizabeth had once slept, and before the door the very horse block upon which the virgin majesty of England had stood the next morning as she mounted to horse and soundy boxed the ears of 8 delinquent page.
 Old John willet was the landlord of the Maypole in the year IT'S, and had been for some years previous. He was man of large girth, slow of thought and slow of speech; slow in everything except in marking up the scores of his customers into which agreeable occupation John put all the alacrity and imagination wnich he was capable of summoning up and had none left for other matters. John was a widower. with one child. a son, Joe. who although come almost to mans estate, was always to his father a small boy, firmly placed in the categoory or people who should be seen and not heard.
 Whenever Joe did venture to put in his oar," as the saying Is, he was not only rebuked by his father, but at once set upon by his fathers cronies, Tom Cobb. general storekeeper and postmas- ter of the neighboring village Of Chig- well; Long Phil Parkes. the ranger. and Solomon Daisy, the clerk and bell ringer. On a clustering evening in March of the year mentioned these cronies sat to- gether before the ample fireplace of the inn. and with them, little apart, sat two men, evidently travellers.
 One was a man of forbidding aspect, a stranger to all. This man had a large riding hat slouched down so as to con ceal part of his face, and the horseman's cloak he wore was only partially thrown back. He was armed with pistols, and sat moodily regarding first the floor and then the company. one after another "A highwayman, whispered one of the ,cronies. "Pshaw Do you think high .waymen don't dress better than that?" was the reply The other traveller was d young man of open and pleasing coun- tenance, dressed like a nan of wealth, and position, and was addressed by Wil- let with great deference. He was, in fact, Edward Chester, son of that leader of elegance and social conventions. MT. --afterward Sir John-Chester. All the people at the inn knew that he was in love with Miss Emma Haredale, that he had been over to the Haredale place. the Warren, to see her, and that the young lady. had been taken up to London by her uncle. Godfrey. that night to ball So he and his movements occasioned neither comment nor curiosity.
 But with the other man 1t was differ ent, and the curiosity of ihe croniss re- garding him soon became so great that they dropped all conversation and sat staring at him until, suddenly turning his fierce gaze full upon them, the stranger said, "wsn7" 'T-I-thought you ordered something. sir" replied wil- let as soon as he could recover from the pistol-bks shot of tho strangers aues- ton. The stranger did order some thing and young Willet served it. Then the herce-looking man-in spite of Joe s attempts to stop him by nudges, wfnking and plainly indicating that the subject would not be an agreeable one for the young traveller seated near--beGan to in- sist upon information regarding the warren--who owned 1t and what was its history. Young Chester arose, pulled his cloak about him and giving Joe piece of money for his reckoning. said that his horse had gone lame. but In spite of the inclemency of the night. he would walk to London.
 When Chester had gone Willet said the story of the Warren and the crime which was committed there just twenty-two Years ago that very night was Solomon Daisy's story and had never been told by any one else under his roof. The stranger glanced at the parish clerk impatiently as if waiting for him to begin and Solomon told his tale. He told how he having. on a wild night of which this the anniver- sary, to go to the church to ring passing bell had, as his fingers touched the rope, heard another bell ring out through the storm, one stroke only. It was the alarm bell which hung in the turret of the War ren. They found in lthe turrst chamber which he occupied, MT. Reuben Haredale lying dead with the rope of the alarm bell in his hands.
 He had come down from Londsn the day before, bringing with him two women ser wants. his steward and q gardener. After the murder it was found that . bureau had been broken open ana considerable