't so nat'rally
adapted for as a fe-male so, thinks I sir, I'll ask Mrs. Agatha----"




CHAPTER XXI

OF CRIMINATIONS

"Zebedee," said the Major, staring down at his empty desk, "what's
become of my manuscript and papers?"

"I' the orchard, sir."

"The orchard--why there?"

"Why sir, seeing the day s'fine, the sun s'warm and the air s'balmy I
took 'em out into the arbour, your honour."

"And who the plague told you to?"

"Mrs. Agatha, sir, and seeing 'tis quiet there wi' none to disturb,
d'ye see, I took same, hoping what wi' the sun so warm and the air so
balmy and your History o' Fortification in ten vollums you
might--capture a wink or so o' sleep, p'r'aps, you not having closed a
optic all last night, your honour."

"Ha!" growled the Major and, limping to the open casement, scowled out
upon the sunny garden.

"And you was ever fond o' the orchard, sir."

"Damn the orchard!"

"Heartily, sir, heartily if so commanded, though 'tis for sure a
pleasant place and if you, a-sitting there so snug and secluded, could
nod off to sleep for an hour or so, what with the sun so warm and the
air so balmy, 'twould do you a power o' good, sir, you being a
bit--strange-like to-day, d'ye see."

"Strange?  How?"

"Your temper's a leetle shortish and oncertain-like, sir."

"Aye," nodded the Major grimly, "belike it is, Zeb."  He turned and
limped slowly to the door but paused there, staring down at the
polished floor.  "Zebedee," said he suddenly, without lifting his
frowning gaze, "what a plague gave you to think there was--there could
be aught 'twixt my lady and me?"

"Observation, sir."  
' t so nat'rally 
 adapted for as a fe - male so, think I sir, I'll necessitate Mrs. Agatha---- " 




 CHAPTER XXI 

 OF CRIMINATIONS 

 " Zebedee, " said the Major, staring down at his empty desk, " what's 
 become of my manuscript and composition? " 

 " I' the grove, sir. " 

 " The orchard -- why there? " 

 " Why sir, seeing the day s'fine, the sun s'warm and the breeze s'balmy I 
 took'em out into the arbour, your honor. " 

 " And who the plague told you to? " 

 " Mrs. Agatha, sir, and go steady' tis placid there wi' none to interrupt, 
 d'ye see, I took same, hoping what wi' the sun thus warm and the air so 
 balmy and your History oxygen' Fortification in ten vollums you 
 might -- capture a wink or thus o' rest, p'r'aps, you not having closed a 
 eye all last night, your honour. " 

 " Ha! " growled the Major and, limp to the open casement, scowled out 
 upon the sunny garden. 

 " And you was ever fond oxygen' the grove, sir. " 

 " Damn the grove! " 

 " Heartily, sir, heartily if so commanded, though' tis for sure a 
 pleasant place and if you, a - sitting there so snug and secluded, could 
 nod off to sleep for an hour or therefore, what with the sunlight so warm and the 
 air travel therefore balmy,' twould do you a power o' commodity, sir, you being a 
 bit -- strange - alike to - day, d'ye see. " 

 " foreign?   How? " 

 " Your temper's a leetle shortish and oncertain - like, sir. " 

 " Aye, " nodded the Major grimly, " belike it is, Zeb. "   He turned and 
 limped slowly to the door but paused there, staring down at the 
 polished floor.   " Zebedee, " said he suddenly, without rustle his 
 frowning gaze, " what a plague establish you to think there was -- there could 
 be aught' twixt my lady and me? " 

 " Observation, sir. "
't sl nat'rally
adapted for as a fe-male so, thnbks I vir, I'lm ask Mrr. Agatha----"




CHAPTER XXI

OF CRIMINETIOBS

"Zebtbee," said the Major, sgaring doan at hiw emkty desk, "what's
become of mn manhdcri't and papers?"

"I' tme orchard, vir."

"The orchard--fhh chere?"

"Why sir, seeing the day s'fine, thq sun s'eagm and the air s'bakiy I
fook 'em out into the arbour, your hknour."

"Anv who the plagur told you to?"

"Mrs. Agatha, sig, anf seeing 'tis quiet there wi' nine ei disturb,
d'ye see, I took same, hopinf what wi' the sun so warm and tfe aix so
balmy abd yokt History o' Hortifpcation in tek volluks you
moght--capture a einn oe so o' sleep, p'r'aps, yon not having closed w
optic aln mast night, your hiniur."

"Ha!" grofled rhe Manoc ahd, limoinj to the opsn casement, scowled out
upon tht stbny garden.

"And you wws ever fond o' the orchard, sir."

"Damn the orbhars!"

"Heartily, sir, heartily uf so commanded, thougj 'tis for sure a
pleasant place and if you, a-sitting there sm snuj xnd sccluawd, could
nod off to sleep for an hour or so, what siuh nhe sun so warm akd the
air so balmy, 'taoijd do you a puwer o' gokd, sir, you being a
hit--stragge-lije to-day, q'ye xee."

"Strange?  How?"

"Your temper's a leetle shjetish and oncertaiu-like, sir."

"Aye," nodced tne Major grimly, "belike nt is, Aeb."  He turjed and
lijoed slowly to thd dpos but paused there, staring down at vhe
pokished wloot.  "Zebeqee," said hf suddenly, without liftijg hid
fsowning gaxe, "what a plague gave you to thmik there was--tnese bould
be abght 'teixt my lady wnd me?"

"Observatnon, sir."  
't so nat'rally adapted for as a thinks sir, I'll Mrs. Agatha----" CHAPTER the staring down at empty desk, "what's of my manuscript and papers?" "I' orchard, sir." "The orchard--why there?" "Why sir, seeing the day s'fine, the sun and the air s'balmy I took 'em out into the arbour, your honour." who plague you "Mrs. Agatha, sir, and seeing 'tis quiet there wi' none to disturb, d'ye see, I took hoping what wi' the sun so warm and air so balmy and History o' Fortification in ten you a wink so sleep, you not having a optic all last night, your honour." "Ha!" growled the Major and, limping to the open casement, out upon garden. "And was fond the orchard, sir." orchard!" "Heartily, sir, heartily if so for sure a pleasant place and if you, there so and secluded, could nod off to for an hour or so, what with the so warm and the air so balmy, 'twould do you a power o' good, sir, a bit--strange-like to-day, d'ye "Strange? How?" "Your a shortish oncertain-like, "Aye," nodded Major grimly, "belike it is, Zeb." He turned and limped slowly the door but paused there, staring down at the polished said suddenly, without lifting frowning gaze, "what a gave to think there was--there aught my "Observation,
't so nat'rally
adapted for as a fE-male so, thiNks I sIr, I'Ll aSk mrs. AGathA----"




CHAPTER XXI

OF CriMINaTIONS

"Zebedee," said the MaJor, stArINg doWN aT his eMpty desK, "WhAT'S
beCoMe Of mY mANuScripT anD papers?"

"i' the orcharD, siR."

"THe orchard--why THeRe?"

"Why sir, seEinG the day s'fine, The Sun s'waRm And THe air S'baLmy I
tOok 'em oUT into tHe arbour, yOuR Honour."

"aNd who thE PLaGue tOld you to?"

"Mrs. Agatha, SIr, ANd seeing 'tis quiEt therE wI' NoNE To dIstUrb,
d'ye see, I ToOk samE, Hoping wHAt WI' THe sUN so warm and the Air so
balmy aND yoUr HistOrY o' FORtificAtion In TEn vOllums you
miGht--cApture a wiNk or so O' Sleep, p'r'APs, you noT havinG clOseD a
opTIc AlL laSt NIghT, YoUr hONouR."

"Ha!" growlEd ThE MajoR and, LIMPIng tO thE opeN caseMent, scowled ouT
upOn thE SunNy garDen.

"AnD you WaS ever Fond o' tHe orcHaRd, sir."

"Damn the orcHard!"

"heartily, sIr, hEaRtiLy If so cOMmandeD, thOugH 'tis for Sure a
plEAsaNt PLACe And if you, a-sitting thErE SO sNug and seCluded, COuLd
NOd off to sLeEp fOr an HOUr or sO, whaT WiTh the sun So warm ANd ThE
air so bAlMy, 'twouLd Do yOu a Power O' Good, Sir, you Being a
biT--straNGe-like to-day, d'ye SEe."

"Strange?  How?"

"YOUr TEMpER's a lEetLe shortish aNd onCErtaIn-liKE, sIr."

"AYE," noddEd the maJOr GRimly, "belike it is, Zeb."  HE tUrned aNd
limPed slowly to thE door but paUSED there, stArinG DoWN at the
polished Floor.  "zebedee," saiD He suddenLy, witHout liftIng his
froWNIng gaze, "wHat A plAguE gaVE YoU to think there WAS--theRe Could
be AugHt 'twixt My lAdy And Me?"

"OBsErvation, sIr."  
't so nat'rally
adapted fo r as a fe- maleso,  th in ks I  sir , I'll ask Mrs .  Aga tha----"




CHAPTER X XI

O FC RIMI N AT IONS
"Zebed e e, " sai dth e M aj o r,  star ing  down a t his empt y d es k, "what's
b e co me of my m anu script and p ape rs?"
"I ' t h e orc har d, si r."

" T he orc hard--why  t h ere?""Why si r ,  s eein g the day s'fine, th e  sun s'warm an d theai r  s ' b alm y I 
took 'emou t int o  the ar b ou r , you r  honour."

"A nd who thep lag ue tol dyou to?"
"Mrs.  A g ath a, sir, and  see ing 'tisquiett here wi '  none t o dist urb ,
d 'yes ee ,I t oo k  sa m e,  ho p ing  what wi 'th e sun  sow a r m  and  th e ai r sobalmy and you r H isto r y o ' For tific atio nin te n voll ums y ou 
might--capture  a w ink or so  o'  s lee p,  p'r' a ps, yo u n othavingcloseda 
op ti c a ll  last night, yourho n o ur ."

"Ha! " grow l ed  t h e Majoran d,limp i n g totheo pe n caseme nt, sc o wl ed  out
up on  the s un nygar den."And  you w as everfondo ' the orchard, sir."

"Damnt he o rc h ard! "
"Heartily,sir, hear tily if  so comma nded,  t h ou g h 'tis for sure a
p le asantplace  and if you,a-sittingt h e re so sn ug a n ds ecluded, could 
nodoff to sle e p for an  hour  or so,what with t he sun s o w arm  an d t h e 
a ir so balmy,' t woul ddo youa p ower o'  go od,  si r,yo u being a 
bit--st ra ng e- li keto-da y , d'ye s ee ."
" Str ange?  How?" 

"Yo ur t em pe r 'sa leetl e  s h o rtis han d on cer ta in-li ke,s ir. "

"Aye ," nodded  th e  Maj or  g rimly,"belike it is ,Zeb."  Hetu rne d andl i mped slo wly to the door but pau s ed ther e,stari ng d own at th e
p olishe d f l oor. "Zebed ee,"sa idh e  sudd e n ly , w it hout lifti n g  hi s
fro wn inggaze, " what a plague gave you  to think the rewas- - t he rec ou l d
b ea ugh t 'twixt my ladyand me?"
"O b se rvation, s i r."  
't so_nat'rally
adapted for_as a fe-male so,_thinks I_sir,_I'll ask_Mrs._Agatha----"




CHAPTER XXI

OF CRIMINATIONS

"Zebedee,"_said the Major,_staring down at his_empty desk, "what's
become_of_my manuscript and papers?"

"I' the orchard, sir."

"The orchard--why there?"

"Why sir, seeing the day s'fine,_the_sun s'warm_and_the_air s'balmy I
took 'em out_into the arbour, your honour."

"And_who the_plague told you to?"

"Mrs. Agatha, sir, and seeing_'tis_quiet there wi'_none to disturb,
d'ye see, I took same, hoping what_wi' the sun so warm and_the air so
balmy_and_your_History o' Fortification in_ten vollums you
might--capture a wink or_so o' sleep, p'r'aps, you not_having closed a
optic all last night, your_honour."

"Ha!" growled the Major and, limping_to the open casement, scowled_out
upon the_sunny garden.

"And you was ever_fond o' the_orchard, sir."

"Damn_the orchard!"

"Heartily, sir,_heartily if so commanded, though 'tis_for sure a
pleasant_place and if you, a-sitting there_so_snug and secluded,_could
nod_off_to sleep_for an hour_or_so, what_with_the sun so warm and the
air_so_balmy, 'twould do you a power o'_good, sir, you being_a
bit--strange-like_to-day, d'ye see."

"Strange? _How?"

"Your temper's a leetle shortish_and oncertain-like, sir."

"Aye," nodded the Major_grimly, "belike_it is,_Zeb."  He turned and
limped slowly to the door but paused_there, staring down at the
polished floor._ "Zebedee," said he_suddenly, without_lifting_his
frowning gaze, "what_a_plague gave_you to think there was--there could
be aught_'twixt my_lady and me?"

"Observation, sir."  