Page 37 (1/1)

But he had the best antidote against i on with the coffin, and for the next tenso uninterruptedly, that other sounds, if there were any, ht well be overpowered A pause caain caain Gyp howled Adaain all was still, and the starlight showed there was nothing but the dew-laden grass in front of the cottage

Adaht uncomfortably about his father; but of late years he had never come home at dark hours fro that he was then sleeping off his drunkenness at the "Waggon Overthrown" Besides, to Adam, the conception of the future was so inseparable froe of his father that the fear of any fatal accident to hiradation The next thought that occurred to hihtly upstairs, to listen at the bedrooularly

Ada to hi about to catch sight of a sound Maybe there's a world about us as we can't see, but th' ear's quicker than the eye and catches a sound froht on't too, but they'reelse For my part, I think it's better to see when your perpendicular's true than to see a ghost"

Such thoughts as these are apt to grow stronger and stronger as daylight quenches the candles and the birds begin to sing By the tiht shone on the brass nails that for foreboding froed in satisfaction that the as done and the promise redee overhead, and presently came downstairs

"Now, lad," said Adam, as Seth made his appearance, "the coffin's done, and we can take it over to Brox'on, and be back again before half after six I'll take a mouthful o' oat-cake, and then we'll be off"

The coffin was soon propped on the tall shoulders of the two brothers, and they weretheir way, followed close by Gyp, out of the little woodyard into the lane at the back of the house It was but about a mile and a half to Broxton over the opposite slope, and their road wound very pleasantly along lanes and across fields, where the pale woodbines and the dog-roses were scenting the hedgerows, and the birds were twittering and trilling in the tall leafy boughs of oak and elled picture--the fresh youth of the su, with its Edenlike peace and loveliness, the stalwart strength of the two brothers in their rusty working clothes, and the long coffin on their shoulders They paused for the last tie of Broxton By six o'clock the task was done the coffin nailed down, and Adam and Seth were on their way home They chose a shorter way homewards, which would take them across the fields and the brook in front of the house Adaht, but he still retained sufficient impression from it himself to say, "Seth, lad, if Father isn't come home by the time we've had our breakfast, I think it'll be as well for thee to go over to Treddles'on and look after hietan hour at thy work; we can make that up What dost say?"