UP A PLUM TREE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2629, 18 May 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

UP A PLUM TREE.

"Please sir,'' said old Zeruiah, the housekeeper, " there's a man up in tliQ plum tree !" "Up in the plum tree!" repeated Mr Brown. " And what's he doing up in tho plum tree? It ain't tho time o' year fur ripe plums." " No," said Zeruiah, giving the fiyingpan that she was cleaning' an extra scrapo with tho knife; " 'tain't timo o'year for plums to be ripe. But it's always time o' year for young men to malco fools of themselves, and the third branch of that 'ur plum tree is on a lino with the window of Arabella Ardeu's room." "Eh ? " said Mr Brown, dropping lite newspaper and opening his eyes very wide. "As true as you live, sir," said Zoruiali. " But that was precisely what my brother sent lier down here for,'' said Mr Browu, contracting his bald forehead into innumerable: wrinkle.". "To keep her out of Hubert Wynton's way !" , "Humph!" said Zeruiah. "Tl'.o world ii wide, but it ain't wide enough to keep two fools apart.'' ■' Up in a plum tree, is he?" said Mr Brown, wi'h a sardonic smile. " What sort of looking fellow is he, Zeruiah ? ' " Wall," answered the old woman, still holding tho frying-pan as Miner?* of old might have held for shield, " the leaves in thick, and my sight ain't what it was oncc ; but he's got light-coloured clothes on, as was never out in Bean Hollow ; and his hat, that lavs out on tho graw, has got a city maker's name in it." "Good!" nodded Mr Brown. "You ought to have been a defective, Ruey. They would give you good wages, I'll bet a bis apple. Where's the hat ? " " I'll bring it in and put it on the hall table," answered Zeruiah.

" Very well. Go out and chain Crosnr under the plum tree. Give him a. good length of chain, Ruey. Then oorao back and move all Arabella's things into the west bedroom. I'll take the end loom myself. If there's any serenading, or poetry reciting, or anything of that sort, I'll have the benefit of it myself." A slow ptnilo broke out over Zeruiah's wooden faco. " But whiit'H you tell her ?" she said. " Tell her ? Why, that the end room is a better aspect for my rheumatism," said Mr Brown, chuckling. " And make haste, or she'll be bach from Widow Pete's. Everything must be moved before she returns. And pull the shade down, so the city chap won't suej'iciou what we're up to." Off trudged Zerniah, who, in spite of her having first seen the light on the rugged coasts of Maine was at heart, a true Spanish duenna, and took a grim delight in frustrating the intents of Cupid. Bella Ardcn was young and pretty. Bella had dared to ridicule her oldfashioned ideas. Bella, had nicknamed her " Medusa," and, though Zeruiah had not tho least, idea who "Medusa" was, she dimly suspected that it was no complimentary term. And, therefore, Zcrtiittli was not sorry to see the pretty Boston girl " eoine up with," as she phrased it. "Why, Uncle Brown," cried Bella, when site came in, with her fair hair blown about her face and her eh aks reddened by her brisk walk across hill and hollow, " why have you changcd my room?" "Well, you see, my dear, said air Brown, craftily, " I've an idea that the. east room will suit my rheumatism better. You don't mind ?" "Oh, not in the least!" said Bella, cheerfully. " And 111 go right to work and arrange the things that that cross old Zeruiah has flung about so very recklessly. Oh, by the way, uncle, there w<i« no letter for me, I suppose ?'' _as sho glaneed at the weekly paper lying onfolded on the table, " for I see they've brought the mail.'' " No, my dear," said Mr Brown ; " 110 1 letters." And the eows eatne, with tinkling bells, home from the fern-scented pastures, and the sun sank behind the marble swamps, and the purple dimness of twilight began to brood over all things, and still Hubert Wynton, prisoned up among the tossing plum boughs, waited in vain for some prospect of bis release. " Confound these good people !" said he to himself. " What on earth have they chained that savage boast here for just now? And I believe I must have made a mistake—that is not Bella's room at all. A stout old man has sat there reading the paper the whole afternoon, and I haven't daed to stir for fear of being shot for a burglar. I've seen the darling once or twice picking llowors in the garden and bringing water from the. ■spring, but I haven't vcntiirrd to call her for f'car of betraying my hiding-place. Shades of Kpiourr.s! How good that frying chicken smells. And collee, too : I'd give a king's ransom for a cup of it. I'oor Hubert ! He could not stir for fear of rousing Csesar's deep, low-pitched bark and compromising himself and Bella, and he grew stiller and more cramped with every second of his forced vigil. '• They must take the dog to his kennel before long," he thought, as the dew suffused the air with moisture and the night-birds began to wheel about the luxuriant branches of the old tree. But presently Zeruiah came out with a tin pau of water and a platter of bones to break C-usar's fast. " Is it all right, Ruey ?" said Mr Brown in a sort of stage whisper from the kitchen door. . , " All right, sir !" Zeruiah answered. And then, in a lightning flash, as it were, Hubert comprehended it all.

Tic was entrapped ! That wea/.en-faced old woman and the malicious elderly uncle of itis beloved were in league to be his gaolers. lie whistled softiy to himself. (J.irsar, from below, left oil' crunching his bon-s, and uttered a deep thunderous growl at the sound. From the di.4ancc fhe echo of voices reached him—cureless lauirhter and stray sentences hero and | thero. . | " It's IV'lton and llalph Weir coming back to the inn after their days sln.otinh," he thought, "if I could only get word to them !" lie tore a leaf from his pockot-bcolc, scribbled a lino or two on it as well as he could in the uncertain dusk, and wrapding it around his watch, fluug it as tar as his arm could reach towards the swamp. " Matters are getting serious, ho said to himself. But the missive had not been without its use. " Hello," said Weir ; " a shooting

star." . "A whito bird!" exclaimed Belton, cheeking his long swinging stride, ''No," it isn't either, " It's a watch with a, lettei wrapped round it." And then, iu the swampy fastness, by the light of a few matches they deciphered the cry for aid which had come from tho plum tree. " Whew-w-w !" said Weir, " Let us go and shoot the dog." "Let's do nothing of tho sort," said Belt™, "What would we—or poor old "Wynton either—gain by declaring direct war in that way? Let's be polite or nothing." And he fired his riflo three times into the air, a cortof signal recognition of his imprisoned friend. " What's that ?" said Mr Brown, who was computing the interest on a promissory note at the sitting-room table by the kerosene lamp. "I dunno," snid Rue, "unless its Deacon Hall shooting weasels in his hen roost. " Oh, Uncle Brown," saifl Bella, with clasped hands, "I hope there are no burglars around." " Never heard of such a thing 111 all Bean Hollow, my dear," said the old man, , In the dead of that same night, however, two masked men appeared mysteriously, in Mr Brown's bedroom. " Your money or your life," said one

of them. "Miser, unhand your treasures! shouted the other. Old Mr Brown lay quaking there, quite hopelessly, when, in an instant, a lithe form sprang through tho open window, balancing itself a second 011 the sill, and then hastened to the rescue. A brave struggle ensued ; but at last the masked burglars fled precipitately, Cn'sar barking wildly at them, and straining his chain to the utmost in his endeavours to wreck his vengeance upon them. " Young fellow," cried the old man, scrambling out of bed, " you've saved my life, besides the Government coupons which wero under my pillow. What can I do to reward you ?" He was very pale, and trembled violently *

"I'd like something to eat, if you please, sir," said AVynton. "To tell the truth, I've just conic out of the plum tree." "Yes 1 know," said Brown recovering himself. " You're the fellow that is in love with our I'ellrt, ain't you ' "I don't deny it." said Wynton. boldly. " Well, you deserve her," said Mr Brown ; " and you shall have Itwas I who ordered tho dog to bo chained up to the plum tree. I meant to baulk you if I could, but I've changed my mind, f should have been a dead man, young fellow, if it had not been for you. Come 1 iirht downstairs this moment. Nothing in this house is too good for you."

And he wrung Wynton's hand until it seemed as if it' wero grasped in an iron

A strange midnight collation that was —t.ho coffee and cold fowl, and biscuits and tougue, eaten with Bella nestling close to his side, and Mr Brown heaping all sorts of indiscriminate dainties upon liis plate, whilo old Zemiah's face glowered out of the darkness of the kitchen like a badly lighted polvopticon. But a happy one—yes, a very happy one. 'The constabulary force of Beau Hollow were promptly notified the next morning, and a si' irch instituted, but to no avail. Nothing was ever heard of the two masked burglars. But when Mr Wynton came back to the Bja 11 Hollow Inn the following day to order his portmanteau to be removed to the Brown farmhouse, and bid his late colleagues adieu, he wrung Bolton's hand alternately with that of Weir. "I don't* know that I can ever thank you, boys," ho said. " Not for the rescue from a rather sorry plight —brute force could have done that with a blow on the dog's head, Imt for the manner of it. I'm a great man now iu old Brown's, estimation, and Bella thinks I'm a hero. And it's all owing to you." "Oh, don't mention it old fellow! said Weir. " How do you like me as a lirst-class rulliau V" "By the way," added Belton, '' I've burned the masks. Circumstantial evidence, you know, They might get us into trouble." " You'll invite, us to the wedding, of course queried Weir. '' Ob, ves, " s lid Wiutoti, beamingly. "And L may k'us the bride?" asked B.'Ron. '■ Uf e inrsn yoa uny I'' said Wynton. And ji.-itou observed, thoughtfully, tliai, he considered that reward enough lor any b.Mng. Boston Hndget.