Innocent Her Fancy and His Fact

tary silence which followed his words. The returning haymakers appeared on the scene,

rt! Now, Robin, you must try to look very stately

nnoyed at her li

her stand!" he retorted. "You said Pettigrew's hands were always dirty-so are mine. I'd bett

n impatien

," she said-"I never thought you a bit like

tely. "Besides, you don't want m

ot!" she rep

said;-"You shall be en

dyguard. Here,

ent seated herself. The men leading the horse were now close about the waggon, and one of them, grinning sheepishly

ty, don't i

ted it wi

arry, how nice of yo

!" This with

nst her brown hair suited the hues of her complexion and the tender grey of her eyes;-and when, thus adorned, she looked up at h

t soft glance from side to side with a conscious pride in himself and his surroundings, he seemed to be perfectly aware that the kn

ast load, Mr. Cliff

u all!" answered

browned faces to the girl as she looked down upon

e forward she said almost breathlessly: "Please wish luck to Da

as if startled or surprised, then t

he master! Many good years of life

re valuable than mere hay,-and above them all smiled the girl's young face, framed in its soft brown hair and crowned with the wild roses, while at her side stood the very type of a model Englishman, with all the promise of splendid life and vigour in the build of his form, th

ed with a cheery shout by several other labourers at work, and very soon a strong smell of beer began to min

looking man who seemed to be a leader among the other

smiled and put

Landon!" he said-"I'

commented the other. "Will M

ade a wry

id-"It's horrid stuff, even when it's h

in and sipping the merest fleck of its foam. Landon watched her,-and as she returned the cup, put his own mouth to the place hers had touched and drank the

e said-"Dad must be

ly, turning her back to him so that the hem of her neat white skirt fell like a little snowflake over each rung of the ladder, veiling not

ell Uncle that you are a Rose Queen, a Hay Queen, and Queen of everything and

andon, with a quick glance, doffing his cap. "Mr.

about?" demanded Robin, turning

e him an app

ered,-and with a parting nod to the w

on, proceeded to give various orders. He was a person in authority, and as everyone knew, w

t I said just now? You mustn't expect to have it all your

anced him u

I suppose?"

ot?" sneer

n," said Clifford, carelessly, with a laugh. "And

work, stacking steadily, and singing in a fin

es a courte

aking ove

aware of a

wandering

owne a downe, h

eed, fair la

eaves that

king and w

Ladye shouldst

owne a downe, h

up at him with

e muttered, "And a whistling throstl

vaulted high and heavily timbered, she went first into the kitchen to see Priscilla, who, assisted by a couple of strong rosy-cheeke

r a farm hand! Can't sew a gown for yerself neither, but bound to send it into town to be made for ye, and couldn't put a button on a pair of breeches for fear of 'urtin' yer delicate fing

s engaged, only turning her head to look at Innocent as she appeared suddenly in the kitchen

where's Dad?

roses on yer head like a pixie out of the woods! The master? He's just wher

t, do you think?" asked

And whether it's all right or all wrong, I couldn't tell ye, for the two o' them went out together, and Mr. Slowton sez 'Good-arternoon, Miss Friday!' quite perlite like, and the other gentleman he lifts '

waited to hear

" she said, quickl

ought appeared to be working behind her wrinkled brow, for she shook her head, pursed her lips

a closed door, where pausing, she listened a moment-then, hearing no sound, opened it and went softly in. The room she entered was filled with soft shadows of the gradually falling dusk, yet partially lit by a golden flame of the after-glow which shone through the open latticed window from the western sky. Close to the waning light sat the master of the farm, still c

he said,

ed towa

ss! Wha

of his brown wrinkled hands in her own and caressing it. The silence b

ad in al

s,

wet it, and no hard w

, D

s thinking of Ned Landon. He caught the slight fa

relling wi

We're the bes

from her clasp and pa

ould be! Be friends with Robin

-gold and turned to a deeper pink the petals of the roses in the wrea

bin cro

ked up,

s Larry'

t he can eat for two and only work fo

e western gold of the sky be

then, in a low tone-"

docto

eyes for a moment flashed as though su

st expect to die? It's natural enough-only I haven't tho

ick tenderness-"You will not die yet-not for many y

d her he

uld live for ever, no doubt! But an' you were wise with m

drew down his ha

rn wisdom," she said-"I

ve y

is face and he moved unea

ll not

you

he London d

a minute's space

t now. To-night after supper

she repeated

l have to know-" Here he bro

s,

d are y

ght

he looked at her searc

ou're old eno

rn," she said-"and I like s

ly-"things that people hide away and are ashamed to speak of! Ay, poor wilding! Things that

. Her face paled and her ey

anything wron

out in church on Sundays that 'The sins of the fathers shall be visited on

s,

ugh they are guiltless, they suffer most! No just God ever made su

tick near his chair, he took hold of it and stru

'tis th

ing attitude and put her arm

ou up all the wrong way! Don't think about them! Supper will be ready in a little while

bsided suddenly and his

en-then I'll tell you

of luxuriant blossom, the colours of which were gradually merging

iod. The thick gate-legged table-the curious chairs, picturesque, but uncomfortable-the two old dower chests-the quaint three-legged stools and upright settles, were a collection that would have been precious to the art dealer and curio hunter, as would the massive eight-day clock with its grotesquely painted face, delineating not onl

but when we're old we know that every hour brings us nearer to the end-the end, the en

s like a cry of suffering,

ar, what

stretched hands a

htened!-think of it!-me frightened who never knew fear! And I-I wouldn't tell it to anyone but you-I'm afraid of what's coming-o

od of cheerful light from the outside

cle! Suppe

d expression smoothed into a smile, and, loosening his h

lad! You've wor

finish stacking tomorrow," answered Cliff

ty!" said the old farme

els have been

ght laugh had a touch of scorn in it,-"he's the man fo

that. But we think we're a bit higher than the beasts, and some of us get drunk to prove it! That's one of our strange ways a

come. Robin Clifford began to carve a sirloin of beef,-Ned Landon, who was nearly opposite him, actively apportioned slices of roast pork, the delicacy most favoured by the majority, and when all the knives and forks were going and voices began to be loud and tongues discursive, Innocent slipped into a chair by Farmer Jocelyn and sat between him and Priscilla. For not only the farm hands but all the servants on the place were at table, this haymaking supper being the annual order of the household. The girl's small delicate head, with its coronal of wild roses, looked strange and incongruous among the rough specimens of manhood about her, and sometimes as the laughter became boisterous, or some bucolic witticism caught her ear, a faint flush coloured the paleness of her cheeks and a little nervous tremor ran through her frame. She drew as closely as she could to the old farmer, who sat rigidly upright and quiet, eating nothing but a morsel of bread with a bowl of hot salted milk Priscilla had put before him. Beer was served freely, and was passed from man to man in leather "blackjacks" such as were commonly used in olden times, but which are now considered mere curiosities. They were, however, ordinary wear at Briar Farm, and had been so since very early days. The Great Hall was lighted by tall windows reaching almost to the roof and traversed with shafts of solid stonework; the one immediately opposite Farmer Jocelyn's chair showed the very las

ht for us! We can kick all the rich out into the mud and take their goods and enjoy 'em for ourselves. Eddication does it! Make

r voice ringing out above the other's husky loquacity. "You're ri

ce. Then came a fresh m

oice rose

he said-"There's no reason why a well-

," said Robin-"rea

with a touch of envy,-"You won a scholarship at you

ere has it put me? Just nowhere, but exactly where I might

father either, did you, sir?" querie

wered Robin, curtly,-"a

wall!" said Landon. "Education h

esides, you've got to decide what education IS. The man who knows how to plough a field

, "is first to learn one's place in th

f the table. It was Farmer Jocelyn

children are taught, especially in small villages like ours, by men and women who often

ghter went ro

'ead off about what he's picked up here and there like, and when I asked him to tell me wher

e. Farmer Jocelyn smiled and hel

ved, with mock gravity. "And if he teaches us that Mexico is a town

hed again, an

nearly every field-hand knew how to mow,-now we've trouble enough to find an extra man who can use a scythe. And you may put a machine on the grass as much as you like, you'll never get the quality that you'll get with a well-curved blade and a

gruff voices

ster Jo

's ri

and then we got last load in 'tween sh

riar Farm hay crops anyway-all the buyers kn

the seed sown by hand and the harvest reaped by hand, and every man and boy in the village or near it h

, a

day out

, and then to play cards or football, and get drunk till the legs don't know whether it's land or water they're standing on! It's the wrong way about, boys! It's the wrong way about! You may hurry and scurry along as fast as you please, but you miss most good

of the company. Farmer Jocelyn seemed all at once removed from them to a height of dignity above his ordinary bearing. Innocent's rose-crowne

lue, and he ain't takin' sup or morsel, but we'll make him have a bite in his own room afterwards. Don't you sw

ed Priscilla's rough knuckles tenderly, but she said nothing. The silenc

rty voice-"And no one will ever beat Farmer Jocelyn at that!

were particularly unsteady except Ned Landon, who nearly fell over th

er Jo

Farm and t

and go

whole company gave vent to a hearty 'Hip-hip-hurrah!' that roused

ing his flushed face from side to side upo

leaf shivering in a storm-wind. Robin glanced at her with a half-jealous, half-anxious look, but her face was turned away from him. He lifted his tankard and, bowing towards her, drank the contents. When the

it,-that I can promise you! And the advice I've always given to you I give to you again,-stick to the land and the work of the land! There's nothing finer in the world than the fresh air and the scent of the good brown earth that gives you the reward of your labour, always providing it is labour and not 'scamp' service. When I'm gone you'll perhaps remember what I say,-and think it not so badly said either. I thank you for your good wishes and"-here he hesitated-"my little

of noisy cheering, follow

son

son

ll be

e's S

le St

with very white hair and a very red face-"ye're no

in response to this adjuration

e I

y, lad, s

pipe, and

, my bla

stature of over six feet and drank off a cupful of al

ou choos

happ

wn and the c

usan an

nny an

Harry a

arvest

ly, merri

ss give

wn as

how to go

an mil

rrow

tter an

her gre

he poultry

his is t

ubies a

hat a home

rmers

ality

oman th

arvest

rily, merr

e: Old S

entorian voices jo

an tha

arvest

rily, merr

ra

or you,

st-c

to you,

ame more singing of songs from various rivals to the tuneful Steevy. A

good and a l

is good in

ood and the pe

l good fello

disordered supper-table, the easy lounging attitudes of the well-fed men, the flare of the lights which cast a ruddy glow on old and young faces and sparkled over the burnis