Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-18
CHAPTER xxxIy.

be growing paler every day. Oh, Peterl
you be like a man as is dyin by inches
II I Is any o. my doin'-"
Nonsense. Georger I broke in, with
sudden ssperity, II am we'll enoughr
Yet I've seen your 'ands fall a-trem-
bling sometimes Peter-all at once. An
You missed your stroke yesterdav~con,e
square down on tn anvil-you can't ha'
forgot?"
| u remember" I muttered; II remem-
| ber"
An twice again today. An you be
silent, Peter, an don't seem to ear when
spoke to. an short in your temper-oh.
you beant the man you was. I've see II
a-comin ON you more an more Oh,
| man. Peter!' he cried turning his hack
upon me suddenly. you as ia let walk
over me-you as I'd be cut in pieces for
| IL IL be me as done It.
mo, no, George-it wasn't vou-of
course not. II 1 am little strange Il Is
probably due to lack of sleep, nothing
more"
"Ye see, Peter, I tried so ard 70 kill
doin' it" '''e"
But then, you didn't quite manage n ="
1 cried, harshly-"wouid 10 God Won had
of 1T" an enu
Iwere woundy blow I give ZEE
that last one! I'll never forget the look
your face as you went down Oh
Feter! you've never been the same since
1t De all my doin-I know IL. I know
IT, ana sinking upon the Ancient's stool
| face. MS
Never think of It. George" I said.
laying my arm across his heaving
shoulders; that is all over and done
with, dear fellow, and would not have
II otherwise, since it gained me your
Irlenoship. 1 am all right. well and
strong; II is only sleep that l need,
| George only sleep"
upon the still evening air rose the
sharp tap, tap of the Ancient's stick.
whereat up started the smith, and. COM
ing TO the forge. began raking out the
hre with great dust and clatter. as the
| old man hobbled up, saluting us cheerily
| as he came.
| Lord'' he exclaimed pausing in the
doorway to lean upon his stick and glance
| from one to the other of lis with his
| quick, bright eyes Lord! theer bean't
two other such fine, upstandin' likely
| lookin' chaps In all the South Country
| as you two chaps be-no. nor such smiths,
II du warm my old cart to look at zee
| Puts me In mind o. what 1 were myself
ages an ages ago. / weren't quite so
tail as large, p'r'aps, but about-say
'alf-a-inch, but then. I were wider
wider. ah. sight wider in the shoulder,
an so strong as-four bulls! an wi eyes
big an sharp an piercin'-like Peters
only Peters beant quite so sharp, no.
| nor yet so piercin'-an' that minds me as
I've got noos for zee. Peter"
What news?" said I. turning
"Sprisin' noos It be--ah! an 'stonishln'
tu. But first of all, Peter, 1 want to ak
| ZEE a question"
What is IL. AncientP"
why, 1t be this, Peter" said the
| old man, hobbing nearer and peering up
| into my face, lever since the time as
went an found ye, I've thought as theer
was summ'at strange about zee. what WI
| your soft voice an gentle ways; an Il
| came on me all at once-about three o. the
clock s AFTERNOON. as you might be a
| dook-in disguise. Peter Come now, be
| ye a dook or beant ye-yes or no,
Peter?" and he fixed me with his eye.
NO Ancient" l answered. smiling
| I'm no duke"
"Ah welll-a earl, thenT"
Nor an earl"
"A barrynet. p'r'apsf"
mot even a baronet."
"Ah" said the old man, eyeinE me
doubtfully. i've often thought as you
might be one or t'other of 'em-Ispecially
since bout three o. the clock g arter-
noon"
"why so7"
why. that's the p'int-thats the very
noos as I've got TO tell ZEE" chuckled the
Ancient. as he seated himself in the cor
ner. You must know, then" he began,
with an impressive rap on the lid OF his
snuffbox. "'bout three O'Clock g arter-
noon were sittin' on the stile by Simon's
fve-acre field when along the road comes
a lady, 'an'some an proud-looking, an
as fine as fine could be, a-ridln' OF a 'orse.
an WI a servant ridin' another 'orse
behind 'er. AS she comes up she gives me
a look out o. 'er eyes. soft they was, an
dark. an up / gets to touch my at. All
at once she smiles at me, an 'er smile
were as sweet an gentle as 'er eyes; an
she pulls up 'er 'orse. wy, you must
be the Ancient says she. wy, so
Peter calls me. my leddy' says 1. An
'ow is PeterT she says. quick-like; low
says 1; eats well an sleeps sound says
1; lis arms is strong an is legs Is
strong. an e aren't afeard o. nobody
like a young lion be Peter. say I. Now,
while I'm a-sayin' this. she looks at me,
soft an thoughtful-like. an takes out
a little book an begins TO write In IL.
a-wrinklin' er pretty black brows over
Il an a-shakin' 'er cad to 'erself An
presently she tears out what she's been
a-writin' an gives II TO me. viii you
give this 10 Peter for mer says she.
That will. my leddyl says /. Thank
eel says bnos bhliiin again. an Ol0ln
out 'er w'lte an to me. which / kisses.
Indeedl' says she. 4 understand now
why Peter Is 80 fond OF you. think
could be very fond OF ZEE tuP says she.
"An 30 she turns er 'orse. an the
servant ,e turns rs an on they go; an
ERE, Peter-'ere be the letter" Saying
which, the Ancient took a slip OF paper
from the cavernous interior OF his hat
and rendered Il 10 me-
With my head In a whirl. crossed 70
the door, and learned there awhile, star
ing sightlessly out into the summer eve
ming; for Il seemed that In this little slip
OF paper lay that which meant life or
death TO me. 30. or a long minute
leaned there. fearing 70 learn my fate.
Then / opened the little folded square OF
paper. and. holding Il before my eyes.
read
"charmian Brown presents CThis
scratched out) while you busied Vour-
SELF forging horseshoes. your cousin. Sir
Maurice, sought and found me- i do not
love him. but
Farewell tThis also scored out.)
CHAIRMAN"
CONTINUED roMcRRows