The Winslow mail., 1915-06-12
The Stories of
Famous Novels
By Albert Payson Terhune
Copyright. 1913. by The Press Publisl
ing Co.
LORNA DOONE
BY r. D. Blackmor,

U6 DOOu6S WCtS Tie IOIIOI VI LllS
whole Exmoor region of England dur
ing the last half of the seventeenth
century
Old Sir Ensor Doone had been de-
prived of his estates. And with his
kinsfolk and retaineTs he had taken up
quarters in an almost inaccessible val
ley. Thence, at the head of his sons
and followers, he was wont to sally
forth on taids Of his peaceful neigh
bors property Robbery, bloodshed,
nearly every crime on the calendar
all were more or less truthfully laid to
the account of the Doones.
They were a race of giants. ANY
one inch tall and twenty-five inches
across the shoulders was driven forth
from the valley and forced to the
ignominy of earning an honest living
somewhere.
On one road the Doones captured
little girl, Lorna by name, daughter
of one Of their rich kinsmen Know
ing she was heiress to huge fortune,
they brought her up to womanhood in
their valley, intending to keep her in
the Doone family by marrying her
some day to Carver Doone, most brutal
and relentless of this brutal and re-
lentless clan.
But Lorna, woman like, had plans
of her own. She chanced to meet a
young farmer, John Ridd, who was as
huge and powerful as any giant among
the Doones. Johns father had been
murdered by Carver Doone and the
youth hated the very name of the vile
family. But he speedily fell in love
with Lorna and she with him.
When Carver's attentions to the girl
grew too pressing, John Ridd carried
her away to his own family. Carver,
with a gang of outlaws at his back
swooped down on the farm to burn it,
kill it's inhabitants and kidnap Lorna.
But John and his men gave the
Doones SO warm a welcome that the
invaders were driven off pell nell.
leaving two of their number dead and
prisoners. John and Carver met dur
ing the scrimmage. Carver was at
JOllu HtICy, Uut luS yOuHS Sldul
could not bring himself to slay his foe
in cold blood. So he merely thrashed
Carver and sent him back to his val
ley.
John and Lorna we're about to be
married when Government messengers
came to escort her to London. The
secret of her high birth had been learn
ed. She thus became a ward in
Chancery" In other words, the Brit
ish Government was henceforth to be
the guardian of herself and of her
property until she should come of age
This meant separation from John, who
bitterly grieved over her absence and
who nursed a morbid belief that so
rich girl could never consent tc
marry a common farmer like himself
Soon afterward John was summoned
to London to answer false charge OF
having been concerned in the Mon
mouth rebellion. And there, as he
stood staring at court procession, he
caught a glimpse of Lorna. She was
one of the beauties of the London sea
son and was courted by a dozen mobiles
Yet she sent for John to come at once
to her home. There she renewed hel
VOWS of love to him, but told him heI
relatives at court were trying to coerce
her into a marriage with nobleman.
John, during his stay in London, was
so lucky as to unearth plot against
the king, for which royal service he
was knighted and went back to Elk
moor as "Sir John Ridd." On his ar
rival home he found the Doones haG
renewed their neighborhood depreda
tions. And he headed an assault or
their valley. The power of the
Doones was forever crushed by this
onslaught, Carver alone escaping.
Lorna, meantime, by heavily brib
ing Jeffreys, the Lord High Chancellor
had bought her way out of Chancery
and had purchased the right to MARI,
John Ridd She hurried north to Elk.
moor with her good news
AS John and Lorna stood before tho
altar at the conclusion Of their mar
riage service, Carver Doone, creepini
up to the church window, fired point
blank at Lorna. She fell bleeding
across the altar.
John Ridd laid her in his mothers
arms and without a word went fortl
to seek Carver Unarmed he attacked
the blackguard, oVercame him and
hurled him into quagmire There
the last of the DoOnes was drowned
before the eyes of the man whose
bride he had sought To kill
Lorna recovered from her wound in
spite of the earnest blunders of all the
Exmoor doctors and lived for many
happy years as Lady Ridd.
RICHARD DODDRIDGE BLACR |