Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-30
ENGAGED IN HASTE.
BIZ MISS n. z. BEADDOE.
CHAPTER I.

UNDER A CLOUD.
An English landscape. 1t seemed to
WeldonStukely that he had seen nothingso
beautiful for the last seven years; and yet
he had been where nature has lavished her
richest coloring, her grandest forms. He
had been a sojourner in the ancient world,
the cradle of civilization, of religion, lam
guage, science, art, poetry, and war-the
immemorial East-from which antique
Greece. with all her glory, was but an Of
shoot. He had been a travelei in the
Himalayas, had looked upward at the un-
approachable summit of Mount Everest.
And now as the little hired landeau from
Scadleigh station came round a curve in
a wooded road, and the village green with
It's pond and herd of lazy kline drinking
breast-deep, In the shining water, its old
inn, and horse-trough, and sign-post, and
three fine elms spreading their broad shad-
ows ON the patch Of grass between the
porch and the highway, and the laborers
In their russet-brown frocks lounging on
the stout oaken bench in front of the
rough-cast wall-it seemed to the return
ing traveller as IL this simple rustic English
landscape, this little picture of homely vii
lage life, surpassed all the lowell
ness Of the tropics And yet it was such a
commonplace scene--a scene we all know,
which needs perhaps the glamour of sum-
mer sunset, the feeling Of eventide repose,
TO make it beautiful
THANK God for England" said Col.
Stukely as he looked at the village green.
While he was looking back at it the fly
drove in at the gates Of Darnel park, and a
large matron was courtsyng and smiling
at him at the gate of her tiny lodge gar
den, garden so crammed with flowers as
to leave no room for the sole of foot
"How dye do, Mrs. Drabbles' said the
colonel heartily as TO an old friend "As
young as ever. but not any thinner, see"
Mrs. Drabble laughed and shook her
head She had been a slim slip of girl
once upon a time, but it was so long ago
that she had forgotten the sensation.
Darnel park was one of those places
which leave within the mind an impress
sion of perfect beauty, especially when
seen for the first time in the summer sun
set. Fine old oaks and beeches dotted the
broad sweeps of grass. plantations of larch
and Douglas fir sheltered the park from
the outer world; while on one side of the
house there was a wide expanse of broken
ground, region of deep hollows and
craggy banks, mighty thickets of. rhodod-
endron and azalia, which Col. Stukely
called the jungle.
He was an expected guest at Darnel, but
he had arrived by an earlier train than
that by which he was supposed to travel;
hence the hired fly; and hence also the
fact that on alighting at the hall door he
was told apologetically by Purden the old
butler, that Sir Allan and Lady Darnel
had not yet returned from their drive
"There was flower show at Walton,
colonel, and Sir George and my lady were
Obliged to be present. Your rooms are
ready, colonel Shall show you to them
at once, or would you like to see Miss Oar
mel first? She is in the morning-room, ex-
pecting you"
"Miss Darnel," cried the colonel eagerly,
HMiss Grace, you mean?"
"No, sir, Miss Darnel; Sir Allan's sister,
colonel. l believe from strict point Of
view" added the butler, gravely, delber-
ately apologetically, "our own young lady
IL Miss Darnel, but Sir Adams sister
would never give in to it. should never
have the pluck to allude to her as Miss
Dora"
Purden was an old military servant of
Sir Allan's. He had known the colonel
when Stukely and Darnel were brother
officers, and felt himself privileged to
chatter
"Oh," said the colonel, "Sir Allan's sister
is in the morning room,' as if the re-
mainder of that lady's existence came
upon him like shock. ayes, will go
and see Miss Darnel before / go to my
room. My man will bring my portman-
teau on presently. | was in too great
hurry to wait for him."
He followed Purden along the corridor
and into one of those gracious, home like
interiors which are the slow growths of
generations, paneled walls mellowed by
time; old sheraton furniture; old Indian
china; flowers in profusiOn; and on
scarlet Japanese table by the window an
old-fashioned mahogany tea-tray, with
brass handles, a George III teapot, and
cups and saucers fresh from the royal fac
tory Mt Worcester. Beside the tea-table,
with her face toward the door, smiling,
expectant, sat lady whose aspect was
certainly not calculated to repel or to
alarm any man.
She was little woman, fragile, grace
fully fashioned, with a small face, deli
cately tinted, light brown hair and dark
brown eyes-fine eyes penetrating, just a
little imperiOus, the distinguishing feature
In face which might otherwise have been
insignificant. She was daintily dressed in
pale gray gown of some soft gauzy ma
terial, the low tints of which harmonized
exQuisitely with her delicate complexion
Col Stukely knew that she was eght-and-
thirty; but a stranger would as easily have
believed that she was only eight-and-
twenty. Happy result of having taken the
utmost care of ones self under all the va
ried circumstances and agitations of life.
She welcomed the traveller with gentle
cordiality, little touch of suppressed
emotion, which ought to have been de-
hghtful to any man. But the colonel was
not enthusiastic. He had thanked God
for the English landscape just now; but
he had not the air of thanking God for
Dora Darnel, He seated himself in the
low reposeful chair she suggested to him,
he took the offered cup of tea from her
hand, but he was not demonstrative of de-
light in their meeting.
II dare say you are rather surprised to
find me here en- permanence," she said,
@after Adams marriage
The colonel looked embarrassed for
moment or so; and then his natural gal
lantry came to his aid.
al am surprised TO find you still Miss
Darnel. Our unworthy sex has been sim
gularly blind to its own best interests"
"Your sex has not been neglectful of my
claims. colonel answered the lady. laugh
ing. 81 have had opportunities of chang
ing the name of Darnel-which l honor
for other names for which do not care q
straw. No, am too contented with my
fate as Dora Darnel ever to wish to
change the name for another
Il am SO glad the colonel blurted out
unawares, for he had been troubled seven