Year: 1870

OF beauty. VIII 1t please your highness to
show me the way out of the wilderness?
Nay" he added, as Jessie shrank back rath
er than advanced, and dropping her hand
let branch fall between herself and the
earl, NAY. if you will not descend to me, |
must for dear life's sake ascend to thee.


And springing up the bank, he caught
hold of her hand.


Flesh and blood is it! Veritable though
of the brownest; and veritable blood, warm
enough and red enough to make one forget
what blue is wanting. Ten times better
than a fairy, this, and who are you sweet
heart? and how far am | from the grosser
world? Not that care much so long as |
have your sweet company.


Jessie looked perplexed she did not un-
derstand such high flown language, and was
half inclined to think the wonderful knight,
who is said to have slain the dragon of the
forest. had come to life again; but then
he was dressed like fine gentleman she saw
about the Squire S, and his hand-that was
human, there was no doubt of that pradu
ally she began to see how it was, and con-
scented to show him the way out of the for
est


During their walk. which, though pret-
ty long one, was all too short to please the
earl. Jessie learnt that her companion was
a poor gentleman, soldier, and obliged to
conceal himself at present. She learnt, too,
that he was fond of riding in the forest, and
that he would not be less fond of it now he
might meet her. For her part she told him
where she lived, and the story of her faith
er's death, and havi 1g led him to what was
called ''The Hollow Ash, great weather
beaten haunted monarch of the forest, she
pointed out the pathway. and stood there
watching as he rode away, turning from
time to time to wave farewell


Jessie had not seen him again until the
day of the games" and yet there was
not day that he was not in her thoughts +;
day after day she had gone to the Ash
and sat there hutterlng and shaking at
every sound; sat there teaching her
heart what love must be, and dreaming,
as only the innocent and loving can do, of
the bright days to come-dreams. hopes, and
visions which seemed all on the point of re-
alization, when he told her that he had
made plan by which he would see her ev-
cry moment of the twenty-four hours. Jes-
sic could only see one answer to this, and
that answer made her heart sink in the very
fullness of happiness, and chased the warm
blood from her cheek, leaving her what some
of our poets have described so exquisitly as
passion pale" What long day that was
after the games. Jessie could not rest; she
wandered about, tied and united her hat
strings, gathered bunch after bunch of wild
roses, and, as they withered, threw them
away for fresher. until at last the sun began
to put On the golden glory of evening. and a
purple and gold canopy was spread round
his departed pathway then Jessie tripped
down the forest path, and reaching the ash
tree, sat down upon its gnarled and :fantas-
tic roots to wait and watch. Not very long,
! however, down the valley road her lover,
! and poor little Jessie was happy. This
meeting was followed by many another.
| Summer came and waned; and the ''Hol
| low Ash was still the trysting tree. y
Christmas was drawing near, when one
night, as they stood by the tree" he told
her the time had come when he must leave
| her and travel into a different part of the
| country, where his regiment then lay; moi
alone, however He had no mind to leave
Jessie behind and Jessie, poor child. hac
! long had no mind but his. So it was ar
ranged that they should meet the mex
night, and that she should go away with
him.


The ground was already covered with
snow, and great feathery fakes began tt
float down while they we're speaking.


You'll not lose your way. darling, y saic
Jessie lover, as he held her in his arms a
parting. Il cannot rest content in letting
you go alone


mo, no, Hugh, you must not come; 10,
may be home, and he watches me day ant
night know every inch of the way"


So they parted; and Jessie, holding he
shawl tightly over her head, ran down tn
path. Suddenly the sound of gun-sho
came muffled through the snow. Jessi


started the poachers were at work again
she thought, and Joe would, if at home, b
on the lookout; so leaving the direct path
she turned into another, which brought he
round to the back of the cottage, and find
ing the door unlocked, and her mother sit
ting fast asleep by the kitchen fire, she go
safely into her bedroom.


The appointed time came at last, an
Jessie left her home; there were no tear
then but hot flush on either cheek, and


wild dilated look in her eyes that told G
mortal grief, if not despair,


\ More snow had fallen; not footprin
had marked the smooth white pathway
and all untroddeu was the ground besid
the ash tree.


! 1t was perfectly still night; not move
4 ment in the forest, not sound to be heard
and Jessie shuddered as the rising moo


threw the great weird looking shadows c


the leafess trees across the road she wa


watching SO anxiously. An hour, at Least


passed, and still he did not come straug
fears and horrible suspicious began to eros
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