Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-29

poaching. I wish you to perform your
duties we'll armed and shoot any one
you find attempting to rob me Of my
birds. The people about here must be
taught the difference between my
property and theirs. This season there
will doubtless be more poaching than
usual because there have been hard
times and many persons will be with
out the means of buying their Christ.
mas dinners"
These instructions were given to
stoutly built young man who had ap-
piled to wealthy Lord Merivale for a
position on the latter's estate. His
lordship had tried several gamekeep-
ers of late, but had not found one who
would carry out his orders. The rea-
son was that they sympathized with
the poachers, who were very poor and
seldom had meat of any kind on their
tables. At any rate, the earl had dis
charged one after another. and when
this young fellow. George Anderson,
appeared and applied for a position he
was Immediately employed to guard
the preserves.
Lord Merivale was the meanest man
in England. Possessed of a large es-
tate stocked with more game than he
and his family could possibly consume.
he would neither sell the superiority
nor give 1t away.
His lordship occupied his domain un-
der an uncertain title. There were
five brothers of his generation, of
whom he was the youngest. OF these
the oldest had died before coming OF
age; another had died, a man. but I'M
married, while the third, soldier. had
been killed in battle. The fourth.
Ralph, being younger son and oblig-
ed to shift for himself, had gone to-
America to seek his fortune and had
never since been heard from. When
the father of these five brothers died
an effort was made to find Ralph, the
result of the investigation indicating
that he had been a cowboy and had
been killed in n fight with Indians on
1.-The plains" Charles Merivale on the
death of his father assumed the title
and the estates, offering proofs of his
older brother Hugh's death, which
were accepted by the courts.
After giving his instructions to his
gamekeeper Lord Merivale went into
the house. Anderson was moving
away when he heard a voice from an
upper window:
Don't be too hard on the poachers,
gamekeeper. Suppose you had fam.
fly Of children and nothing to give
them for dinner on Christmas. Wouldn't
you bring down a pheasant or two IL
they were at hand, though I know ii
would be wrong?"
Anderson looked up to see the sweet
face of a girl about seventeen years
old looking down upon him. The case
ment which formed n frame to the |
living portrait was itself framed by an
ivy many years old. The young man
thought that he had never seen more |
beautiful picture, though the beauty to .
him consisted largely in the sympathy |
beaming in every feature.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Maude."
Lady Maude, Lord Merivale's daugh.
ter?"
Yes"
The gamekeeper looked Mt her with
an intent curiosity.
you heard your fathers ordersT
Eyes. I heard them. Papa is rather
hard on the poachers. He doesn't in
tend to be. but he is. OF course you
have to do as he tells you, but wish
you wouldn't shoot anybody
"well. considering that Christmas is
and you've asked me not to be
too hard on them, perhaps may shut
my eyes once in awhile"
"You might fall asleep, you know"
$50 might"
The window was lowered. and An
derson walked away. saying to him
self: at wonder how so mean a man
came to have a daughter so kindly
disposed. Never fear, my Lady Maude.
There will be no shooting of poachers
by me. But IL by obeying you instead
Of the earl 1 get myself discharged
He smiled without finishing.
1t was still a week before Christmas.
George Anderson went on duty that
night with a fowling piece in his
hands loaded with shot About II
o'clock Lord Merivale heard the sound
If firearms and remarked. "That is ell
her a poacher or my new gamekeep-
,r." Hearing several more shots, he
again. IF IT Is the game
Keeper shooting I shall probably find a
lumber of dead or wounded poacbers
omorrow. unless the wounded are a BILE
o drag themselves away"
IT. the morning he called up Ander-
ION and asked him what was the firing
Turing the night
What fring?" the keeper asked.
His lordship looked at him in sur
rise
"why. man. I supposed It was you
hooting poachers. see that II was
'oachers killing my birds. Were you
sleep"
upon my word was wide awake
turing the whole night"
''Did you not hear the hringr
I'm a tride deaf, my lord"
Merivaie went into the house dis
listed. Whether an ample supply OF