The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-10
CHAPTER TX.
Continued

WAoS ~
ing to do with you? Take you round
by the Red Scaur and break your
,neck?" Tom said to Janet.
"Oh!" cried Janet to Tom, with
wide-open eyes; then added in a low
tone, that was where father was
killed. I have never been there"
And I'm not going to take you
there. It's all shut up ever since.
But I'll tell you what We'll do, Jan.
Well have a long spin-as far as
Blackmore's farm"
"Blackmore's farm! That is the
place"
He gave a loud laugh.
well, and what then? A thing
may happen nee and not again. They
were tremendous friends of fathers.
1 don't mean friends like-like the
Erskines and so forth. Blackmore's
not a gentleman, but he's a rafting
good fellow. And you should just see
his stables! There's one hunter I'd
buy in a minute If ! had my liberty.
It's ten miles, OF perhaps a little
more. Perhaps you're not up to
that?"
"Oh, yes, I'm quite up to it. But I
wonder If W. should go-it gets dark
so soon-and perhaps mother"
"Oh, bother mother" cried the
boy. I'VE can't, at our age, be al
ways stopping to consider what an
old lady thinks"
Mothers not an old lady, Tom"
"She's a great deal older than We
are, or she couldn't be our mother.
Come, Jan, are you game for a long
spin? It's almost the last time these
holidays. Hurrah! then, off we go!"
And off they went in a wild career,
Janet following, breathless, gasping,
her dark hair flying behind her, her
hat often in danger, wherever he led.
She would not allow that she had any
fear; but it vas a long ride, and the
way was confused by the cross cuts
which Tom knew only imperfectly,
and which made it longer, besides
leading them over moors and across
fields which excited their horses and
kept the young riders at a full strain,
to- which Janet's immature powers
were quite unaccustomed. She was
greatly dfshevelled and shaken to
pieces upon their arrival at the large,
rough establishment to which her
brother had already paid many visits,
and where they were received by q
chorus Of innumerable. dogs and
lounging men whose appearance was
very alarming to Janet. They looked
like keepers, she thought, or grooms;
not like people who would be greeted
as friends, which vas what Tom was
doing, shaking hands with the big
and bearded master of the house and
the younger man, presumably his son,
and calling out salutations in as good
an imitation of the broad country dia-
lect as he could accomplish to the
others. Janet was aware that nII
own aspect was very wild, and she
was very tired, but she chung to her
saddle, when that big gamekeeper ap-
protched with a mixture of pride and
shame.
$50 this is your sister, Master
Tom? Charlie, cry on your mother!"
cried the man. The mistress will be
here in a moment, missile. Let me
lift ye down"
No, no." Janet said, I'VE can't
wait long. We must soon go back, it
will be dark. Oh, Tom, we must go
back"
Nonsense, Jan! Now I've got here
! mean to stay awhile. And Black
more's awfuly jolly; he'll take you
through the stables. Come, jump
down"
Cry upon your mother, Charlie
said Blackmore again. THE young
leSdy thinks we're a mon folk here,
and she's frightened. But We must
not be frightened, my bonnie doc.
Hey, Marget, where's the mistress?
And the powney's in a lather. Pit
your hand upon my shoulder if you'll
no let me lift We down"
t.. When Janet saw a woman appear
at the door, hurrying out in a cap
and a white apron, she allowed her
self to be lifted from her horse,
feeling all the time as If she had
fallen into some strange adventures
such as were described in books, not
anything that would happen to girls
like herself in common life. She did
not know that she might not be de-
tanned, locked up somewhere, forced
to sign something, or to come under
some fatal obligation as happened to
the heroines Of some old-fashioned
novels which she had found in the
library at The Towers. The mist of
fatigue and alarm N her eyes made
her even more confused than It was
natural she should Re in so new and
unexpected a scene. And the rough
and dingy house, the clamor of the
dogs, the heavy steps of the man who
followed her in, the sense of her own
d~ishevelled and disorderly condition,
and of the distance from home, quite
overcame poor Janet. "Oh, Tom, let
us go home" she cried. in an agony
Of conjunction and fear.
rs it Miss Torrance from the Tow
ers? Dear me, but it's a long ride
for her-over long and a wild road.
But you must rest a little now you're
here, and I'll get you a cup of tea"
said the woman of the house. She
was a fresh-colored, buXom woman,
not at all like a brigand's h~ousekeep-
er, and she smiled upon Janet with
ancnnraeine kindly lnnks I'm real