The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-11-03

\ BlackmOre kept to his quiet country
life to the last, and passed away at
TeddingtOn on JAN. 20, 1000.
N EXMOOR in the county of Som
.erset, in the year of grace 1861,
dwelt the outlawed Doones, who.
huge and brutal, defied king and COM
mon, committed brazen robberies with
impunity, and took refuge after every
outrage in the well-nigh i%mpregnable
Glen Doone. On the nearby farm Of
Flowers Barrows dwelt John Ridd, a
great limbed lad who had been sum-
moned home from boarding school in
his teens to learn that his father, q
wealthy farmer, had been slain in q
night raid by the DooneS. John, blunt
and honest, was kind to his mother
and his two sisters, did his share OF
the farm work, and, as he grew to
manhood, learned to ride a horse and
shoot 9 blunderbuss with unfailing
skill. ...
One day, while yet a boy, his fishing
excursions in Bagworthy water led
him to discover an entrance to Glen
Doone, SO secret, SO remote that the
robber band stationed nc guard there,
never dreaming that living soul would
discover it. Following a little cascade,
John emerged at last into a dell bloom
ing with primroses and beheld with
amazement q Beautiful child Of eight
with hair like a black shower and eyes
full Of pity and wonder. Her name
(pretty, like herself) was Lorna Doone
and John often had her in his thoughts
through the six years which followed.
He was twenty then and Lorna four
teen, and already John Ridd knew that
he loved her, that fate had decreed 1t
90 and that all the world was naught
when weighed against this girl.
To be found In Doone valley spelled
death for any man, but the thought of
Lorna flight and white, nimble, smooth
and elegant" filed John with yearning
and lured him to the hazard. Again
and again he sought the maid in the
primrose bower above the cascade and
then m afternoon In the splendor Of
an April sunset John once o threw
down the gauntlet which love ever
casts at danger. To Lorna's tremu-
lous, "You are mad to come; they will
kill you If they find you here" John
smiled and thought her fairer than
the primroses amid which she stood.
She lived In constant fear, she con-
fessed, for the gigantic and passionate
Carver Doone openly paid her homage
and glowered with jealous eyes at any
man who burst cast q glance at her.
II care naught for him or his
jealousy" cried John Ridd. II have
loved you long, as child, as comely
girl, and now as full grown maiden. I
love you more than tongue can tell or
heart can hold In silence" Lorna
raised her glorious eyes and, flinging
her arms about his neck, cried, with
her heart on his, Darling, I shall
never be my own again. I am yours
forever and forever" But before he
went she was In tears. "How dare ]
dream Of love? Something In my heart
tells me 1t can never be"
That fear Of his beloved's spurred
John to penetrate into Glen Doone one
might at the risk Of his life for word
of Lorna. Once q guard leVeled his
Igun at him but went on cringing at
the thought that after. all 10 huge q
forn could be only that Of Carver
Do0ne,
II was q real danger which threat
enued Lorna, for old Sir Ensor Doone.
head 81 the robber crew, lay dying and
1he alone had been her protector
Almost Incredible.