The Press., 1893-05-18
CHAPTER I.
THE NEWCOMERS.

of you please, num-" said the voice of domestic from somewhere round the angle of the door, "No. 3 is moving in."
 Two little old ladies, who were sitting at either side of table, sprang to their feet with ejaculations of interest and rushed to the window of the sitting room.
 "Take care, Monica, dear," said one, shrouding herself in the lace curtain; "don't let them see us."
 -.sNo, no, Bertha. We must not give them reason to say that their neighbors are inquisitive. But think that we are safe if we stand like this"
 The open window looked out upon a sloping lawn, well trimmed and pleas ant, with fuzzy rosebushes and star shaped bed of sweet william. It was bounded by low wooden fence, which screened it off from broad modern new metaled road. At the other side of this road were three large, detached, deep bodied villas, with peaky eyes and small wooden balconies, each standing in it's own little square of grass and of flowers. All three were equally new, but Nos. 1 and 3 were curtained and sedate, with a human sociable look to them, while No. 8, with yawning door and unkempt garden, had apparently only just received it's furniture and made itself ready for it's occupants. A 4-wheeler had driven up to the gate, and it was at this that the old ladies, peeping out birdlike from the curtains, directed an eager and ques- tioning gaze.
 The cabman had descended, and the passengers within were handing out the articles which they desired him to carry up to the house. He stood red faced and blinking, with his crooked arms out stretched, while male hand, protruding from the window, kept piling up upon him a series of articles, the sight of which filled the curious old ladies with bewilderment.
 My goodness mel" cried Monica, the smaller, the drier and the more wizened of the pair. What do you call that, Bertha? It looks to me like four batter buildings"
 "Those are what the young men box each other with" said Bertha, with 8 conscious air of superior worldly knowl- edge.
 And thoseY'
 Two great bottle shaped pieces of yell low, shining wood had been heaped upon the cabman
 "Oh. l don't know what those are" confessed Bertha. Indian clubs had nev- CT before obtruded themselves upon her peaceful and very feminine existence.
 These mysterious articles were fol- lowed, however, by others which were more within their range of comprehen- sion-by pair of dumbbells, purple cricket bag, set of golf clubs. and a tennis racket.
 Finally, when the cabman, all top heavy and bristling, had staggered off up the garden path, there emerged in a very leisurely way from the cab a big, powerfully built young man, with bull pup under one arm and pink sporting paper in his hand. The paper he crammed into the pocket of his light yellow dust coat and extended his hand as if to assist some one else from the vehicle. To the surprise of the two old ladies, however, the only thing which his open palm received was a violent slap, and tall lady bounded unassisted out of the cab. With regal wave she mo- tioned the young man toward the door, and then with one hand upon her hip she stood in careless, lounging attitude by the gate, kicking her toe against the wall and listlessly awaiting the return of the driver.
 As she turned slowly round and the sunshine struck upon her face, the two watchers were amazed to see that this very active and energetic lady was far from being in her first youth, so far that she had certainly come of age again since she first passed that landmark in life's journey. Her finely chiseled, clean cut face, with something red Indian about the firm mouth and strongly marked cheekbones, showed even at that dis tance traces of the friction of the passing years. And yet she was very handsome. Her features were as firm in repose as those of a Greek bust, and her great, dark eyes were arched over by two brows so black, so thick and SO delicately curved that the eye turned away from the harsher- details of the face to marvel at their grace and strength.
 Her figure, too, was as straight as 8 dart-a little portly perhaps, but curving into magnificent outlines, which were half concealed and half accentuated by the strange costume which she wore. Her hair, black but plentifully shot with gray, was brushed plainly back from her high forehead and was gathered under small round felt hat, like that of man, with one sprig of feather in the band as g concession to her sex. A double breasted