Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1905 — CRIPPS, THE CARRIER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CRIPPS, THE CARRIER

BY R. D. BLACKMORE

Author of “LORNA DOONE,” “ALICE LORR Al N E,” ETC., ETC.

CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued.) “Weil. Mr. Overshntc, 1 have met with « good deal of rudeness in iny ’early •iays; before I was known.'as lam now. Xi was worth my While to disarm it then. It is not so now, in your case. You selong to a very good county family: ami although you are committed to inferior Bands, if you had come in a friendly spirit, I would have been glad to serve you. As it i« 1 can only request you to say what your purpose is. and to settle it.-” “Youepuzzle me, Sharp.” said Overithiite -T.ibout the worst thing he could •Have said: and he knew it before the iwords had passed. 1“ am called, for the most part, ‘Mister Sharp,’ except by gentlemen of my »«n age, or friends who entirely trust me. Mr. Russel Overshute. explain how i have puzzled you.” “Never mind that. You would never understand. Have you any idea what Sas brought me here?” “Yes. to be plain w Hit you, I have. One of your least, but very oldest tenants, has been caught out in poaching. Sou hate the game laws; you are a radical, ranter, and reformer. You know that your lawyer is good and active, but tool well:kuowm7aSX _ Liiierai. It requires a man of settled principles to contest with the game laws.” “You could not be more wide astray!” aried young Overshute. “No, no, thank goodness, we are not come so low that we cannot get off our tenants, in spite of any evidence: yon must indeed think that *ur family is quite reduced to the dirt, if we can no longer do even that much.” “Not at all, sir. You are much too iiot. I only supposed for the moment that your principles might have stopped you.”

“Oh, dear no! My mother could not Sake it all in that way. Now where Stave you put Grace Oglander?" Impetuous Russel, .with his nostrils quivering. and his eyes,fixed on the lawyer’s, and his right hand clenching his Steavy whip, purposely tired his question thus, like a thunderbolt out of pure heav«qi. He felt sure of producing a grand effect; and So he did. but not the right “Von thpxitcn me. do you?" said Mr. Mfcirp. "• drink—that you make a mistake. young titan. Violence is objectionable in every way. though natural with fools, who believe they are the stronger. 1 am sorry to have spoiled your "hip: tint you will acknowledge that the fault was yours. Now. I am ready for reason —if you are." With a grave bow, I,tike Sharp offered Russel the fragments of his pet hunting *rop. which he had caught from his Wand, ami snapped ligo a stick of peppermint. as he spoke. Overshute thought Winiself a tine, strong fellow, and will, very good reason: bitt the quickness of iis antagonist’ left him’gasping. “I wat.it no apologies." Mr. Sharp nonttinned. going to Iris desk, while the young ■>sn looked sadly at l;is brazen-knockered iitilt; “apologies are always waste time. Ton have threatened; me. ami you have found your mistake. “You never could do that to me again." “Very likely pot. I shall never care ft. try it. Physical force is always low. #ut, ns a gentleman, you unmt own that yoa first offered violence. “Mr Sharp. I confess that I did. Not iri word, or deed; but still my manner Xiuly imported it. And the first respect 1 *»er felt for you. I, feel now. for your «|MM-kiiess and pluck.” “1 am phased with any respect from jvh; because you have little for anything. Kwh repeat your question, moderately." “Where have you put Grace Oghmd«r “Let me offer you a ehltir ag i in. Stri<iabout w ith frozen feet is almost the want thing a man can do. HoWeter. *»c seem to be a little excited. Have you brought me a letter from my client. sothorize this inquiry?" “From Mr. Oglander? Oh, no! he hat •• idea of my being here.’’, ”We will get over that. Yon are a Brirwi of Ilia, and a noighbor. He has ■*fc*i you, in a genet al way. to help tts*, in this sad, great trouble?’’

"Not at all. He would rather not have my intelfereuce. He does not like its motive.” “And the motive is. that like many ether”’ people™you were :i ; inched to fhW young lady?" "Certainly, I am. I would give my life at any moment for her." “Well, well! I will not speak quite so strongly as you do. Life grows dearer as it gets more short. Hut still. I would give my best year remaining to get to the bottom of this problem.” “You would?" cried young Overshiite, looking at him. with admiration of'his strength and truth. "Hive me your hand, sir. I have wronged you. I see that I am but a hasty fool.” “You should never own that," said the lawyer. CHAPTER VIII. Meanwhile, all Beckley and villages around were seething with a ferment of excitement and cont radict ion. Esther Cripps had been strictly ordered by the authorities to hold her tongue: and so far as in her lay she did so. But there were others —the squire’s three men. and even the carrier himself, who had so many things to think, that they were pretty sure to say some of them.. Now, Mrs. Fcrmitage having been obliged to return to Cowley, Mary Hookham’s mother had established her power by this time, ami was in charge as the squire's housekeeper. She plainly declared Esther's tale was neither more nor less than a trumpery cock-and-lmll story. She would not call it a parcel of lies, because the por girl might have dreamed it Walking in the snow was no more than walking in one’s sleep. Depend

upon it, she had seen a bush, if indeed she did see anything, and being so dazed by the weather, she had gone and dreamed the rest of it. "Now. sir," she cried, rushing in to the squire, with a basin of first-rate ox-tail soup, upon that melancholy New Year’s Day, "you have been out in the snow again! No use denying of it. sir; I can see it by the chattering of your teeth. I call it a bad. wicked thing to go on so." "You are a most kind and .good soul. Mrs. Hookham. But surely yon would not have me sit with my hands eroosedd, doing nothing." “No, no; surely not. Take the spoon in one hand, ami the basin in the other. You owe it to yourself to keep up your strength, and to some one else as well, good sir." "1 have no one else to owe it to,” the old man answered, sadly flicking his napkin into his waistcoat pockets. ■'Yes, yon have. You have your Miss Gracie, alive and kicking, as sure as I Bp." _ | “\\ by do you talk so about my darling?" "Because, sir. please God. I means t«. see you spynd many a happy year together. Oh. my! How that startled 'me! Somebody coming the short way from the fields' That wonderful man. as is al ways prowling about, unbeknown to any one. They don’t like me in the village much, civil as I am to all of them. But as sure as six is half-a-dozen, that Smith is the One they ought to hate." "If he~is there, show him in at once," slid the squire; “and let no one come interrupting its." This was very hard upon Mrs. Hookham; and she could not help showing it in her answer: "Oh. to be sure, sir! Olf. to be sure not! What is my poor opinion, compared to his? Ah, well, it is a tine thing to be a man!” The man, for whose sake she was thus cast out. seemed to be of the same opinion. He walked, and looked, ami spoke, ns if it was indeed a flue thing to be a man; but the finest of all things to be the man inside his own cloth and leather. Short and thick of form he was, and likelj to be at close quarters a dangerous antagonist. And the set of his jaws, and the glance of his eyes, showed that no want of manhood would nt the critical moment disable him. His face was of a strong red color, equally spread all over

7 ft, hs if he lived much in the open abr, and fed well, and enjoyed his food. “John Smith, yeprr worship— John Smith.” he said, without troubling Mrs! ' Hookham. “f'diope 1 see your worship better. May I shut the door? Oh, Mary, your tea is waiting.” "Mary, indeed"' cried Widow Hookham, ungraciously departing; “young n an, address my darter lints!" "Now what have you done, Smith, what have you done?” the old gentleman asked. "Or have yon dime nothing at-, all as usual? You te.ll me to have patience every day, and every day 1 have less and less." “The elements arc against us, sir. If the weather had been anything but what it is, 1 must have known everything long ago. Stop, sir. stop: it no idle excuse, as you may seem to fairy. It is not the snow that I speak of. it is the intense and deadly cold, that keeps all but the very strong people indoors,__ How can any man talk when his beard is frozen? Look, sir!” From his short brown beard he took lumps of ice, beginning to thaw in the warmth of the room, and cast them into the fire to hiss. Mr. Ciglander gaz.ed as if he thought that his visitor took a libel ly. "Go on, sir, with your report,” ho said. “Well. sir. in this chain of crime,” Mr. Smith replied in a sprightly manner, “wo have found one very important link-” “What is it. Smith? Don't keep me wailing. Don't fear inc. I am now prepared to stand anything whatever.” "Well. sir. we have discovered, at last, the body of your worship’s daughter.” The Squire bowed, and hid his face. By the aid of faith, he had been hoping against hope, till it came to this. Then he looked up. with his bright old eyes for the moment very steady, and said with a firm though hollow voice: “The will of the Lord be done! Th» will of the Lord be done. Smith.” "The will of the Lord shall not ba done.” cried Mr. Smith emphatically, and striking his thick knees with his fist, “until the man who has (lone it shall be swung. Squire, swung. Make up your mind to that, your worship. You may safely make up your mind to that.” “What good will it do me?” the father asked, talking with himself alone. “Will it ever bring back iny girl—my child? Bereaved I am. but it cannot be long. I shall meet her in a better world, Smith."

"To be sure your worship, wil. with the angels and archangels. But to my mind that will not be satisfaction, till the man has swung for it.” “ExcustTTfie fori;a moment,Will you, Mr. Smith, excuse me? I have no right to be overcome, and 1 thought I had got beyond all that. Ring the bell, and they will bring you cold sirloin. Help yourself. ami don't mind me. I will come back directly. No. thank you: I can walk alone. How many have had much worse to bear! You wijl find the undercut the best.” As tgimi as Mr. -Snrirh had appeasedthe rage of hunger, t-he Squire-came back calmly to talk with him. Mr. Oglander bad passed the bitterest hour of his long life yet;'filled at every turn of thought with yearning to break dbwji amTweep. Sometimes his min 1 was so confused that he- did not know how old he was, but seemed to be in the long past days, with his loving wife-upon his arm. and their Gracie toddling in front of them. He spoke to them both as he used to do, and speaking clean'd his thoughts again; and he shook away the dreamy joy in the blank forlorn of facts. At last he washed his Imo. and brushed his silver Iwtir and untended beard, and half in the lookingglass expected to see Iris daughter scolding him. because he knew that he had neglected many tilings she insisted on. "I hope you have been treated well,” he said, with his fine old-fashioned bow. “I do not often leave my guests to attend to themselves in this way.” “Don't apologize, Squire. I beg you. I have done first chop, I assure you, sir. 1 have not tasted real mustard, ground at homo as yours is. since I was up in Durham County, where they never grow it.” “Well, Mr. Smith,’ said the Squire, trying to smile at his facetiousness, “I am very glad that you have done well. In weather like this, a young man like you must require a good deal of nourishment. But now, will you—will you tell:, mo ” "Yes, your worship, everything. 0£ course, you are anxious: and I thoroughly enter into your feelings. I just resolved to beat the weather, and have it out with everything. So I communicated with the authorities in I.om|on.” (To be continued.)

“YOU THREATEN ME, DO YOU?” SAID MR. SHARP. “I THINK THAT YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOUNG MAN.”