'-" 'wiiylffW'''4Hj 7,r "'
El
EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, TUESDAY, OOTOBEB 5, 1915.
15
p THE BROAD HIGHWAY
X Talo o 19th Century England, Full of tho Thrills of Adventure and Spirit of Romance
By JEFFERY FARNOL
'L-.-i.ht. 1915, IJttl. Drown A Oo.
1 ... Ate tl.AH'jIh AflkAfftV llAjl
Sent upon " " ?lr Jlft Y,b,
lierleo tighter and ralte, couln
refer.
-nln
li.ii friend with whom he lived, Blr
Ktiiri Anitruther, decide; to so down
p,ftIHv uiii.ftv nf Kent Ahd live.
mi
kmiI Hlshnny" of Kent and live.
S" o work after the money Is rone.
u
!2ne reeeh" Sleelne-huret ylllaca. where
riwmVe a bUckamith In the employ of
fc.C. nHt. 1'eter toea to live In a
KZo.itd" houee In a hollow. The trln
kJB feature In the flret book la that Peter
intM tlmei miIKn lor ma couim
Jh The only difference between the
Jl , tbai Teter le clean ehaven and
"!' ii'.lf 'iSSfnntnr of Book If I.
RffiVnlr awakened by a man's voice call
!!cturm'n'" nuehlnar from hie bed
I, i. fin. a itrante woman about to
Kt at a man entering hie home. It la hi.
rS Maurice, whom he beata Into In
SSkilltr after a fierce etruritlo. A poa
Sen MIP rUr "move the proatrate
'nunntan Itavea durlnr the nliht, and
iSritir awaxee he flnde only a note
of Peter ha been erowlnc
italeuiy of Peter ha been growinc
SSW luddenly leavea the ehop. Pru-
IK who lovea George, cornea to Peter
,Sr ilTlce, ana tne two
EL Jo return. Oeorge, 1
IStl that Prudence end ;
kSi rtter return from
tSa!tV Oeorie. he.
IB" T' -. .., If K
Km lr.t when Charmlan meete Teter
rLIrr hgmt from work, ell le celled with
KMeS fear. She eaka Peter If he hae
decide to Induce
however, te con
Peter are In love.
r.iurna from hla vain aearch
f!7'Black" Oeorte. he flnde that Cher-
r; im come back to me nome.
1 .-t akin rliirmlin mH
Ur rnVmlte, to which he replies in the
twfiu'"
r
BOOK II.
CHAPTER XI (Continued).
NO-BUT It Is bo dreadfully still."
Now In one place the lane, nar
win j suddenly, led between high batiks
feinted with bushes, so that It was very
araTthcra. Ab wo entered this gloom
BwrmlAn suddenly drew closer to my
Mand slipped her hand beneath my
JSn And the touch of her fingers w.as
ctte Ice.
flour hand Is very cold!" said I. But
LftTnly laughed, yet I felt her shiver
La the pressed herself close against me.
Sid now It was she who talked and 1
riVtvalked m silence, or answered at
Mdom, for I was conscious only of the
Mttp of her fingers and the soft pressure
iefhlp and shoulder.
3d 'we passed through this place of
H?".111 tho hedge may no have been
Black Oeorge, after all."
,,, . t CHAPTEn XII.
"muiS tablo wobblesl" said Charmlan.
J. "It does," said I, "but then I no
tice that the block Is misplaced again."
"Then why use a blockr"
"A book Is so clumsy" I began.
"Or a book? Why not cut down the
long legs to match the short one!"
"That Is really an excellent Idea."
"Then why didn't you before?'1
"Because, to be frank with you, It
never occurred to me."
"I suppose you are better as a black
smith than a carpenter, aren't you,
Peter?" And, seeing I could find no
answer worthy of retort, she laughed,
and, sitting down, watched me while I
topk my saw. forthwith, and shortened
the three long legs as she had suggested.
Having done which, to our common sat
isfaction, seeing the moon was rising, we
went and sat down on the bench beside
the cottage door.
"And7ar you a very Bod black
smith? she pursued, turning to regard
m. chin In hand.
'I can swing a hammer or shoo ahorse
with any smith In Kent-except Black
George, and he Is the best In all the
South Country."
"Andls that a very great achievement,
"It Is not a despicable one."
"Are you quite satisfied to bo able to
shoe horses well, sir?"
"It Is far better to fan n. irnnA h1nr.tr.
smith than a bad poet or an Incompetent
Prime Minister."
"Meaning that you would rather suc
ceed tn tho little thing that fall In the
great?"
"With your permission, I will smoke,"
said I.
"Surely," sho went on, nodding her
permission, "surely It la nobler to be a
great failure rather than a mean suc
cess?" "Success Is very sweet, Charmlan, even
In tho smallest thing: for Instance," said
I, pointing to tho cottage door that stood
open beside her, "when I built that door,
and saw It swing on Its hinges, I was as
proud of It as though It had been"
"A really good door." Interpolated
Charmlan. "Instead of a bad one!" -
A bad one, Charmlan? '
ItHriowj, walking neither fast nor slow, j "It Is a very clumsy door, and has
tad aver ner com lingers ciaspea my
(Hers, and her shoulder pressed my arm
hUe she talked, and laughed, but of
rhlt, I know not, until we had left tho
uk place behind. Then sho sighed
Hctply and turned, and drew her arm
tern nine, almost sharply, and stood
joking back, with her two hands pressed
jcri'her bosom.
KWhat Is It?"
frLookl" she whispered, pointing, "there
-where It Is darkest look!" Now, fol-
hwtnr-the direction of her finger, I saw
fMmtthtng that skulked amid tho shadows
-tomcthlng that slunk away, and vanish-
Ll ul watched.
A nian!" I exclaimed, and would have
Ittrted In pursuit, but Charmlan's hands
tetre.upon my arm, strong and com-
JAre you mad?" she cried 'angrily,
wild you give him the opportunity I
WKTented? He wns waiting there to
Meihoot you, I think!"
"And, after we had gone on some little
Wt spoke.
iwaa that why you came to meet me?"
WlV. ,
.
jAna-kept so close beside me. '
JAli.'yes, to be sure!" said I, and walk-
I1 on In silence; and now I noticed that
ke'lept as far from me as the patch
KniM allow.
fAfe you thinking me very unmaldenly
kun, alrr
JNo," I answered: "no."
.Toil see. I had no other war. Hori I
W you that there was a man hidden In
m hedge you would have gone to look,
4 then-something dreadful would have
wpened."
JHow came you to know he was there?"
WhV. after T hRfl nrnnr.i1 tmnA, T
WJbed that steep path which leads to
rrtas and sat down upon the fallen
g? ."v es there, to watch for you,
o,.m I sat there, I saw a man come
frying aown the roftd
A very blc man?"
rjf. V"y tall ho seemed, and, as I
"-. n crepi in Denina me hedge.
H I was wonderlnff at thla T linn1
PJfiJtep on the road, and you were
"i yet I seldom whistle.''
Ttwii you-I knew your step."
Ijjtj juu, wnarmiani"
Tl wish you would not Interrupt,
?ilSf?tyour Pardon," said I humbly.
men i saw you coming, and the
you too, lor ho crouched
filyl I rmiM nnln ... klM .11 ,.. I
i '. - -- . w... acq .iitii uiiiiiy ll.
Mdow of the hedge, but ho looked
iJMftChed his hldirnr.nlnp hfnrA T
Nthtnr terrible would happen, and
t Ame to meet me."
talked rlOHrt hAittrlA m n fhnf
Wft bctWaiAn ma an U -U J-... Ih
. j --" stave U I.O DIIHUUW ill
tJJI thought " I began, and
IjJ. Peterl" Here she turned, and
vw $. swift glance beneath her
lgttat It was because-you were-
?-raiher glad to see me." Char-
1 Old not nanl I.4..I u. .
rati. .V. -'"' """u "" w"
fcia. .: r wuid naye given much
t.r"r saen her turn int ihn h ih.
p21vnr dim, as I have said, more
M.? turnl her shoulder toward
.. m r'e'Ul to you," I went
ry rratefni. ,n ,.. ......
"'of youl" """ ""
w you, sir," she answered In a
twui voice, and I more than
I t .1 " WBa laughing at me.
E any real danger."
- you mean?" she asked
that, in all nrnhahltltv. h
iJJw was Black George, a very
Sfia Of mini u.1.m i...t ..
TtZ: 1 "J "UI a K"lge against
neither bolt nor lock.'
"There are no thieves hereabouts, nnd,
oven if there were, they would not daro
to set foot In tho Hollow after dark."
"And then, unless one close It with
great care, It sticks-very tight!"
"That, obviating tho necessity of a
latch, Is rather to be recommended," said
I.
"Besides, It Is a very lU-flttIng door,
Teter,"
"I havo seen worse."
"And will be very draughty In cold
weather.
"A blanket hung across will remedy
that."
"Still It can hardly be called a very
good door, can It, Peter?" Here I lighted
my pipe without answering. "I suppose
you make horseshoes much better than
you make doors?" I puffed at my pipe In
silence. "You are not angry because I
found fault with your door, are you,
Peter?"
"Angry?" said I; "not In the leaBt."
"I am sorry for that."
"Why sorry?"
BAre you never angry, Peter?"
"Seldom, T hope."
"I should like to see you so Just once."
Finding nothing to say In answer to this,
I smoked my negro-head pipe and stared
at the moon, which was looking down at
us through a maze of tree trunks and
brsjiches.
"Referring to horeshoes," said Char
mlan at Inst, "are you content to be a
blacksmith all your days?"
"Yes, i think f am."
"Were you never ambitious, then?"
"Ambition Is like ratn, breaking Itself
upon what It fnlls on at least, Bacon
says, and"
"Oh, bother Bacon! Were you never
ambitious, Peter?"
"I was a great dreamer."
"A dreamer!" she exclaimed with fine
scorn: "are dreamers ever ambitious?"
"Indeed, thoy are the moat truly ambl
tlfus," I retorted; "their dreams 'are so
vast, so Infinite, so far beyond all puny
human strength and capacity that they,
perforce, must remain dreamers always.
Kplctetus himself"
"I wish," sighed Charmlan, "I do
wish-"
"What do you wish?"
"That you were not"
"That I was not?"
"Such a pedant!"
"Pedant!" said I, somewhat discon
certed, "And you have a way of echoing my
words that Is very Irritating."
"I beg your pardon," said I, feeling
much like a chidden schoolboy; "and I
am sorry you should think me a pedant."
"And you are so dreadfully precise and
serious," she continued.
"Am I, Charmlan?"
"And so very solemn and austere, and
so ponderous, and egotistical, and calm
yes, you are hatefully calm and placid,
aren't you, Peter?" '
And, aftsr I had smoked thoughtfully
awhile, I sighed.
"Yes, I fear I may seem so.
"Oh, I forgive you!"
"Thank you."
"Though you needn't be so snnoylngly
humble about it," said Bhe, and frowned,
apd, even while she frowned, laughed
and shook her head.
"And pray, why do you laugh?
"Because oh, Peter, you are such a
"So you told me once before," said I,
biting my pipe-stem viciously,
"Did I, Peter?"
"You also called me a lamb, I remem-ber-at
least, you suggested It."
nld I. Peter?" and she began to laugh
'again, but stopped all at once and rose
to her feet,
"Peterl" said she, with a. startled nota
In her voloe, "don't you hear some
thing?" "Yes," said I.
"Some one (s coming!"
"Yes."
"And-thoy are coming this way!"
Yes."
"Oh how can you sit there so quietly?
Do you think" she began, and stopped
staring Into the shadows with wide eyes.
"I think," said I, knocking the ashes
from my pipe, and laying It on the bench
beside me, "that, all things considered,
you were wiser to go nto the cottage
for a while."
"No oh, I couldn't do that!"
You would be safer, perhaps."
"I am not a coward. I shall remain
here, of course."
"But I had rather you went Insids."
"And J much prefer staying where I
am." . ...
"Then I must ask you to go Inside,
Charmlan." .... , ..
No, Indeed, my mind Is made up."
"Then I Insist, Charmlan," ,
"Mr. Vlbartl" sho exclaimed, throwing
uu her head, "you forget yourself. I
think. I permit no one to order my going
and comlnr, and I obey no man's com
mand," "ThenI beg of you."
"And I refuse, sir my mind Is made
up."
"And mine also!" said J, rising.
"whv. what-what are you going to
do?" she cried, retreating as I advanced.
toward her.
"I am going to carry you Into the cot
tage" x .
"You would not drt"
"If you rfu to walk, how else cart
hijiklzigf. pur, tt h- Awr, awaew t, fanHgnaUwa, tUl
J hurt."
y should he hide
In the
he commit,,, ,,- .mi..i.
J town Beadle over the
rfr.r , consequently, in
LV the present."
i an Ill-sounding name,"
IDA manlfa- .. a
Meet few rA.-' TYL"
'Woo." x "' ""' "'"
L,f. wrseyerlngly she kept the
rMi S. .W ""I Mr .!
Mr head was bent, and thus I
t Out rmaa ,- iisAi. i-
v.i ""- ' mu vuni aim
a Hair liDOn hf itaAlr urhnsa
t stemed to be, to make the
uuff,"J2":....-
UW.; 'ot whJt yo'S
Ie??!l.n teaJt ry that was
iiV "' "upper," i answered
- lusouacious.
ieiaV' Inured, "what were
mT,,.., -W ,n her e'" "he faced
m. but anger most of all.
.Min".0)1 W.?"Id not darel" "he said
Jf. i .d wl,h n tamp of her foot.
M.-l' - ' .f es'' I nodded. And now her
.irX. j u Dcneath mine, her head
?h??Pwd.,,na:,.w,tn n e,rBni "tile sound
v.? ....ufllh'r a laun nor a sob, and
Hi mMthln,r of. ftch' an turned upon
iumeS,,...raJ? lnt0 lhe cottaso and
slammed the door behind her.
CHAPTEn XIII.
THE cottage, as I have satd, was en
tlfely hidden from the chance observer
oy reason of the foliage; ash. alder, and
brambles fluorlshed luxuriantly, growing
very thick and high, with here and there
a creat tree; but, upon one side, there
was a Uttlo grassy glade, or clearing
rather, some ten yards square, and It
as towards this that my eyes were dl
r'f.i ." ' reated myself upon the
settle besides the door and waited the
coming of the unknown,
Though the shadows were too deep for
my eyes to serve me, yet I could follow
the newcomer's approach quite easily by
the sound he made: Indeed. I wns par
ticularly struck by the prodigious rustling
of leaven. Whoever It was must be big
and bulky, I thought, and clad, probably,
In a long, trailing garment.
All at onco I knew I was observed, for
tho sounds ceased, and I heard nothing
savo the distant bark of a dog and the
ripple of the brook near by.
I remained therA fnr. m.vh. ..ii
minutes, very still, only my fists clenched
themselves as I sat listening and wait
ing and that minute was an hour.
"You won't be wantln' ever a broom,
now?"
The relief was so sudden and Intense
inat i nad much ado to keep from laugh
ing outright.
"You won't be wantln' ever a broom,
now?" inquired the voice again.
"No." I answered, "nor yet a fine
leather bejt with a steel buckle made In
Brummagem ns over was."
"Oh, lt'B you. Is It?" said the Peddler,
and forthwith Uabbllng Dick stepped out
of tho shadows, brooms on shoulder and
bulging pack upon his back, at sight of
which tho leafy tumult of his approach
was Immediately accounted for. "So it's
you, is It?" ho repeated, setting down his
brooms and spitting lugubriously at the
nearest patch of shadow.
"Yes." I answered, "but what brings
you here?"
"I be goln' to sleep 'ere.ny chap."
"Oh! you don't mind the ghost, then?"
"Oh, Lord, no! There be only two
things as I can't abide trees as nln't trpps
Ms one of om, an' women's t' other."
"Women?"
"Come, didn't I once tell jou I were
married?"
"You did." Vp
"Very well then! Trees as ain't trees Is
bad enough, Lord knows! but women'a
worse nh;" said the Peddler, shaking his
head, "a sight worse! Yo see, trees ain't
got tongues leastways not as I ever
hcered tell on, an' a tree never told a lie
or ate a apple, did It?"
"What do you mean by 'ate an apple'?"
"I means ns a tree can't tell a He, or
cat a apple, but a woman enn tell n He
which she docs frequent, an' as for np-pies-"
"But-" I began.
"Eve ate a apple, didn't she?"
"The Scriptures say so," I nodded.
"An' told a He arterwards, didn't she?"
"So we are given to understand."
"Very well then!" satd tho Peddler,
"there y' are!" and he turned to spit Into
the shadow again. "Wot's more," he con
tinued, '"t were a woman as dono me out
o' my birthright."
"How so?"
"Why, 't were Eve as got us druv out o"
the Gardin o' Eden, weren't it? If it 'adn't
been for Eve I might ha' been llvln' on
milk nn' 'oney. nh! an' playln' wl butter
flies, 'stend o' beln' married, an' peddlln'
theso 'ere brooms.
"Don't talk to me o' women, my chap;
I can't abide 'cm bah if theer 's nny
troublo afoot you may take our Bible
oath ns theer 's n woman about some'eres
theer alius Is!"
"Do you think no?"
"I knows so; ain't I a-'earin' nn" n-sceln"
such all day, an' every day theer 's
Black Jarge, for one."
"AVhat about him?"
"What about "Im!" repoatod'the Pedler;
"w'y, ain't 'Is life been ruined, broke, wore
away by one o' them Eves? very well
then !"
"What do you mean how has his life
been ruined?"
"Oh! the usual way of It; Jarge loves
a gell gell loves Jar Re sugar ain't
sweeter very well then! Along comes
another cove a strange cove a cove wl'
nice white 'ands nn' soft, takln' ways 'a
talks wl' 'er walks wl' 'er smiles at 'er
an' pore Jarge ain't nowheeres pore
Jarge's cake Is dough ah ! an' doughy
dough at that!"
"How do you come to know all this?"
"'Ow should I come to know It but from
the man 'Isself? 'Dick,' says 'e" (baptis
mal name .Itlchard, but Dick for short),
" 'Dick,' says 'e, 'd'ye see this 'ere stick?"
an' 'e Bhowa me a good, stout cudgel cut
out o' th' 'edge, an' very neatly trimmed
it were too. 'Ah I I sees It, Jarge,' said
I. 'An' d'ye see this un?' says, 'e, 'oldln'
up another as like the first as one pea to
Its fellow. 'Ah I I sees that un, too,
Jarge,' says I. 'Well,' says Jarge, 'one'B
for 'Im an" one's for me 'e can take 'Is
chlce,' 'e says, 'an' when wa do meet, It's
a-goln' to be one or t' other of us, 'a
says, an wot's more 'e looked It I 'If I
ave to wait, an' wait, an' foller 'Im, an'
foller Mm,' says Jarge, 'I'll catch 'Im alone,
one o' these fine nights, an' It'll be man
to man.' "
"And when did he tell you all this?"
"'8 marnln' as ever was."
"Where did you see him?"
"Oh, no!" said the Pedler, shaking his
head, "not by no maqner o' means. I'm
married, but I ain't that kind of a cove I"
"What do you mean?"
"The runners In artor Mm lookln' for
Mm Mgh an' low, an' though married, I
ain't one to give a man away. I ain't
a friendly covo myself, never was, an'
never shall be never 'ad a friend all my
days, an don't want one but I like Black
Jarge. I pities, an f despises Mm."
"Why do you despise him?"
"Because 'e carries on so, all about a
Eve w'y, theer ain't a woman breathln'
as Is worth a man'a troublln' Ms ead over
no, nor nevor will be yet 'ere 'a Black
Jarge ready ah I an' more than wlllln'
tjo pet Msself 'ung, an' all for a wench
a Eve"
"Oet himself hanged?" I repeated.
"Ah 'ungl w'y, ain't e a-waltln' an' a
waltln to get at this cove this cove wl'
the nice white 'ands an' the takln' way,
ain't 'e a-watchln' an a-watchln' to meet
em some lonely night and when 'e do
meet Mm The Padler sighed.
"Well?"
"W'y, there'll be blood shed bloodl
quarts on Jt buckets on Itl Black Jarge
Ml batter this 'ere cove'a 'ead soft, so sure
as I were baptized "Itlchard 'a Ml lift
this cove up In Ms great, strong arms, an'
a Ml throw this cove down, an' e 'll gore
Mm, an stamp Mm down under Ms feet,
an' this cove's blood Ml go soakln' an'
a-roakln' Into the ' grass, some'eres be
neath some 'edge, or tn some quiet cor
ner o' the woods and the birds Ml perch
on this covo'a breast, ann flutter their
wings In the cove'a face, 'cause they Ml
know as this cove can never do nobody
no 'urt no more, ahl there '11 be blood
gallons of Itl"
'I hope not!" said J.
"Ye do, do y?"
"Most ferventlyl"
"An' 'cause why?"
(CONTINUED TOJaOSBOW.)
COt 4V 9 I jfdtltoieaaW
mmmJimJamlllim
SCRAPPLE
3
. .i I b .
BkeUh.
His Faithful Hound I wish to good
ness he'd give up whistling "Fall In
and follow m"l
London Opinion,
THE SPECTATOR.
THE ANTI-ZEPP FIRE-ESCAPE
w
THE PADDED CELL
Punch.
Jones (practicing "easy" descents) Oh, why did I leave that book of di
rections at the ton7
j U 3S cm ? CSp CS cg (
FIRST AFTC.R-01MME.R
SPEECH
Wlfey Harold, my mind is made
Hubby Mercy! Is that soT I had
hoped, at least, that your mind waa
your own.
In Court
f Bfjkrm
"Do you know the nature ot an
oath, madame?"
"Well, I ought to sir. We've Just
moved and my husband has been lay
ing the carpets!"
AMATEUR NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
raUrr I (L TESSIE GETS I gViOTS-m CHARGE?-! ? WWMBOVJflUEri & 9OO0FlrtEAKD
TERROR Ipf arose "sggjL J$ 3KK cooler.
?ORTQHSOF"JUSTtCEOUT WWKL iBL wU
-pgEQUA,L -0VJ5TK:& (300K GRACIOUS &-v WCKW POKD ULUES rmS SOOO BUCKS TWE NtxTrriMEYOU WAWT AMY
& VOtALLS. JAY. o7 VTS UUCLE ABaK: v UtTHE PARK. .feScyjL AVD ia.YEABSMTHE J& FLOWERS. ILLBuY
M MEIC? CASE A VOTCHA1;7 W URHO(,OWSS. MPAYmRHE"' "'L 'EW FOPLYOU-rcs
Fast Enough
Purchaser You said this mule was
fast. It does nothing but klckl
Truthful Dealer I was referring .
his hind legs.
Good Night t
rV-
m
i 'PrmfT'
mtm tfp
:;
. 1 , t
IvC
"That's a good Idea, ma'am, ha Yin'
soda and water In them bottles with
the squirts. I've done, the floor In no
time, and there's three bottles left out
of the doien yet."
AND THE WORST IS YET TO COME
1 n 1
MORE LEG PULLING
Von Tlrpltx-Qood news, sire, Wa have sunk another great llnerl"
Kaiser (aside) Not so loud. Iv Just promised my friend 'Wilson X
wouldn't do It agalnl"
Too Airy
3?4tmv
'"makJ7,v 4Tk
W&
"Mrs. Massey has had the earache
ever since moving Into the (new flaU."
"Yes, I guess the keyholes are too
draughty for herl" ,
TMmy' ElghteeHtk QumUbw
"Pa, who waa the most patient
man?"
"Job umi im W
FastMieiM
"Hqw to your c9e4 hnlatt4 -ting
aloiw, Mrs. JUkar
VOh, fee's all right, bat ' awfully
fue)1 'bout ti aUar Wky, he want
a dean napUa twc a wk. a4
-V,