A GIRL OF THE
COMMUNE
BY
G. A. HENTY
AUTHOR OF "IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE," "WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA," ETC.
NEW YORK
R. F. FENNO & COMPANY
9 AND 11 EAST 16TH STREET
Copyright, 1895
BY G. A. HENTY
A GIRL OF THE COMMUNE.
CHAPTER I.
Jeremiah Brander was one of the most prominent personages in theCathedral town of Abchester. He inhabited an old-fashioned, red brickhouse near the end of the High Street. On either side was a high wallfacing the street, and from this a garden, enclosing the house,stretched away to a little stream some two hundred yards in the rear; sothat the house combined the advantage of a business residence in front,with those of seclusion, an excellent garden, and an uninterrupted viewbehind.
Jeremiah Brander enjoyed, in a very large degree, the confidence andrespect of his fellow-townsmen. His father and his grandfather had been,like himself, solicitors, and he numbered among his clients most of thecounty families round. Smaller business he left to the three younger menwho divided between them the minor legal business of the place. He in noway regarded them as rivals, and always spoke of them benevolently asworthy men to whom all such business as the collection of debts,criminal prosecutions, and such matters as the buying and selling ofhouses in the town, could be safely entrusted. As for himself hepreferred to attend only to business in his own line, and he seldomaccepted fresh clients, never, indeed, until a new-comer had taken hisplace among the accepted society of the county.
In the public business of the city, however, he played a very importantpart. He was Town Clerk, treasurer of several so[Pg 6]cieties, solicitor tothe Abchester County and City Bank, legal adviser of the CathedralAuthorities, deacon of the principal Church, City Alderman, president ofthe Musical Society, treasurer of the Hospital, a director of the GasCompany, and was in fact ready at all times to take a prominent part inany movement in the place.
He was a man of some fifty years of age, inclined to be stout, somewhatflorid in complexion, and always dressed with scrupulous care. There wasnothing about him to indicate that he belonged to the legal profession.His talk as a rule was genial and almost cheery, but his manner variedaccording to the circumstances. In his capacity as treasurer he wasconcise and business-like; in matters connected with the Church he was alittle given to be dogmatic, which, considering the liberality of hissubscriptions to all the Church objects and charities was but natural.
As president of the Musical Society he was full of tact, and acted thepart of general conciliator in all the numerous squabbles, jealousies,and heart-burnings incidental to such associations. In every one of thenumerous offices he filled he gave unbounded satisfaction, and the onlyregret among his fellow-townsmen was that he had on three occasionsrefused to accept the honor of the Mayoralty, alleging, and with a fairshow of reason, that although ready at all times to aid to the utmost inany movement set afoot for the advantage of the city, it was impossiblefor him to spare the time required to perform properly the duties ofMayor.
Jeremiah Brander had married the daughter of a gentleman of an oldcounty family which had fallen somewhat in circumstances. It was rumoredat the time that he had lent some assistance to the head of the family,and that the match was scarcely a willing one on the lady's part.However that might be, no whisper had ever been heard that the marria