Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-05
CARROTS CONVERSION.

UoUUIV-
thrill of excitement and unhOIy curiosity
through the dull veins Of the little seaside
village. There was not IN the limits OF the
State duller spot than Holmesyllle; that
was the reason that it petted and made
much even Of such weak little mystery as
this
Holiness place" had stood empty for
years - all the HOlmeses were abroad
and rack and ruin had taken possession Of
the fine Old-fashiOned manor house, with
its green, shady grounds and its glorious
sea-VieW.
Now it was put into thorough repair. and
swept and garnished for the reception Of a
tenant; for Miss Berkeley, the mystery, OF
whom nobody knew anything whatever eX-
cept that she was young and pretty, and
had mother, an invalid lady who seemed
a nOnentity in the household, and who was
wheeled up and down the beach twice day
in a Bath-chair.
Miss Berkeley kept a man and three
maids, and was free OF her money and
nice-spOken." so the natives said; she was
quiet and stately, and rather shy; enter
tanned no company, stunned all friendly
advances, and avoided as much as pos
sible, even casual contact with the bOarders
at the Winnepurket House, who had caught
the cOntagiOn of village curiosity, and
gOssiped in their own way about the fair
tenant Of Holmes 5 Place.
The only person who had caught at
shred Of information concerning her was
Page Carol. q summer lOunger at the afOre-
said hotel sudden and violent thunder
storm was the conductor that brought them
together.
Page, driving along the unfrequentcd part
OF the beach where Mrs. Berkeley took
her constitutional, had met the maid and
the young mistress struggling with the
Bath-chair against a gale of wind, and the
poor invalid covering in the rain under a
himsy parasOl.
Carol had sprung down from the buggy,
and with about half dozen words ex-
changed on either side, installed the
mother and daughter in his place.
He lifted the sick woman safely and
strongly into her seat, put the ribbons into
the girls little drenched gray kid hands.
and saw herstart his fast mare off at a
dash1ng pace, while he took the Bath
chair and the maid under his protection,
and trudged off through the rain--WeJ, but
warmed straight through to the heart by
those halI-dOzen grateful words, and the
frank. grateful look OF those lovely gray
eyes
So by laying Miss Berkeley under a
debt OF gratitude, Page Carroll won his
way to her friendship. He was thoroughly
observation-disclosures was no disputing that
and Mr.. Carol was not a man easily
charmed, nor by any means an impulsiVe
one.
The most intolerant and fastidious of
men-a born autOcrat. and an aristOcrat in
every fiber. The idea Of his falling in love
with woman of unknown antecedents and
underlined social position would have
seemed, a month ago, the widest impOs-
sibility. Now, looking into Alice Berke-
ley's ViOlet-gray eyes, and tender, perfect
face, he forgot that she had ever had an
ancestor to question. and lost sight alto
gether OF his own lndisDutable family tree.
She was woman, simply-the ideal WOm-
an so long looked for and expected, and
Page Carols INN Ost soul did her homage.
He might have wondered or doubted a
little over her calm, courteous refusal to
receive any calls from the ladies at the
hOtel-CarrOPS friends, many of them-Or
to grant lntrOductiOnS to any of the men,
but her one simple excuse satisfied him.
she particularly wished to avoid society
this summer; her mothers health demand
ed all her time and attention. and she had
come to HOlmesvile expressly to devote
herself to that object. Perhaps it pleased
Page Carol just as we'll that he alone had
the eatree Of the old Holmes Manor.
He had kept the fact of his acquaintance
with its mistress most reigiously to him
self for time, but it came out at last, and
In this way:
Between Holiness Place q find myself
chnging to the rural nomenclature and for
getting its more dignifed title Of The
OaksO and the main road there was a
stretch of dark, shady wood. and here one
afternoon Page and his friend Colonel Jen-
nings were lettering with their cigars.
Going to town, next week. Carroll the
Colonel had Just demanded, and Carol re-
turned a dry No.
mo! The deuce you're nOtl Why, you've
been negotiating here four weeks already,
my dear fellow; what's the attraction? Not
the society, I'll swear. for you've with
drawn yourself from that like an anchOrite,
and / don't believe you've looked in the
face Of a woman since you came here"
mir. Carol smiled sedate1y behind his
7 didn't come here for society,".
only to indulge your taste for simple
country pleasures, suppose; since when
nave you developed passion Tor the pas
tOral? l remember the time when you
couldn't exist two weeks away from the
clubs and the theaters-
BAIL don't talk to me Of theaters. If ]
had hand In the government I'd burn
every one Of them!"
"Glad you're not an alderman" laughed
the Colonel Il hope you'd spare pretty
woman or two out Of the various com
panies, Page.
"Woman!" echoes Carol. with a sheer
and his voice rises a little. Don't my dear
boy; for your mothers sake, don't put q
woman and an actress IN the same breath
Any woman who exhibits herself at SO
much per head to gaping, prOmiscuOus
public loses her right to the name.
Page Carols voice was singularly clear
and distinct. but even were it less so he
must have had a second auditor just then.
There is a light rustic among the briers
and underbrush, and from a crOss-path
through the wood Miss Berkeley steps out
facing them; her large eyes meet Carols
for second, and with the color trem bling
in her face, but without a smile, she bows
gravely to him and passes straight on.
Half a dozen yards lie between them be-
fore either says a word.
BY JOvei" prOnOunces the Colonel, with
a long whistle, like note Of admiration.
Pages face is crimson with annoyance.
Solution OF the conundrum, you con
founded sly QOgl carroll now long nave
you known-hoW the deuce did you happier
to know Miss BerkeleyF
I'm the ordinary course Of events" says
PAGE, CURLY. I've known her for some
time; the precise date can't be Of any mo,
ment to you. Colonel
That night the cool and collected Page
absentfng himself from the weekly hop il
the great. hot. glazing parlors. walks GU
with his cigar into the mOOnllght-fOr what
Not to call at The Oaks-he was there las
evening. Mol like any distraught school
boy or college Romeo, he goes to stare a
light In the window.
Ieanfng on the stone fence that bounds
the side of her lawn. he can look stra3gh
into the draWing-rOOm windows and jus
above them is the window Of her room
An old-feshioned white rose-Yine elanab