The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-03-30


and scratched, and her rebellious
auburn hair rioted over her shoulders
and down to her waist in such admired
disorder that a yokel himself might
have been forgiven had he taken her
for one of his own class.
Her redemption, in Lord Garths crit
zeal eyes, came from her companion, a
slenderlv built girl with a dark oval
face, from which obvious pain and
threatening fainting fit had drawn
every vestige of beauty.
''Oh, how you startled lpeI' cried she
of the auburn locks. II quite thought
you'd gone. But as you are here, will
you tell me where l can get some
water? Pm afraid-l think-this lady
is frightened"
But Raymond had dismounted and
now held up a fold Of the dark girls
white frock.
This lady is hurt. She-she's COW
cred with blood"
ooh! Nell-my dear, my dear! What
ever has happened?"
For answer Nell moved her right
arm with little moan of pain. Right
through the sleeve of her gown sharp
stick had pierced, and, breaking off
short, had remained fixed in the wound.
"By jewel" muttered Raymond
''That's nasty business, but it will be
worse if it is not seen to at once. Sit
down-now let Inc rip up your sleeve
like that-now, I'm going to hurt you,
but try and bear it. There-it's over
now a bandage. Not that flimsy
thing And he pushed away with
undisguised contempt the tiny lace
edged square offered him by the auburn
haired girl. who had watched the extrac-
ton of the offending splinter with wide
distended eyes.
my own handkerchief will do.
There, that's tight enough to stop the
bleeding. Now you lie quietly here
and Ill go and fetch you some water"
But when, ten minutes later, Lord
Garth returned with huge jug of wa
ter in his hand, neither girl, auburn or
brown-haired, was to be seen.
eff it weren't for the mark in the
bracken to show where she lay. Ishould
think the whole thing had been q
dream" muttered Garth into tine
depths of his fair mustache. II be-
lieve it must have been, only-only-
that my handkerchief is gone, and
and-there lies the bunch of meadow
sweet that frightened Kitty. l expect
that little girl got that nasty thing in
her arm in trying to prevent that young
woman with the red hair and the
crumpled frock from throwing those
flowers at me. wonder who they are?
Girls from the town, perhaps-trades-
mems daughters, dare say-or they
may be couple of shop girls from
London who are lodging in the village
That small one-Nell-looked awfully
white and thin. But l say, Kitty, you
and must hurry or we shall be too
late to pay our respects to her little
ladyship this afternoon.
The Dover house looked it's best in
the afternoon sun, and as Lord Garth's
eyes travelled from the upper windows,
yelled behind daintily frilled curtains, to
the veranda, strewn with gay litter of
bright rugs and cushioned chairs, and
passed through the low square hall and
was ushered into the white drawing
room that was a remembrance to him
from his grandmother's days, he could
not help contrasting the intimate COM
fort, the occupied atmosphere with the
dull grandeur and vast emptin ess of his
own big mansion.
Her ladyship is in her own room. /
will tell her your lordship is here
1.-THE room is very pretty, but rather
untidy. can imagine her little lady
ship being careless of such things
Young women often are, but should
have thought that the old lady, the
cousin, might have looked after the
housemaids better"
Lord Garth raised his head, and saw
coming towards him, not an elderly
companion and an italian adventures,
as he expected, but the two girls he
had met in the wood not half an hour
back.
Both had changed their rather shah
by cotton froclks for tea gowns of soft
white crepe. The auburn cprls of the
bigger girl had been carefully brushed
and were now tied back with wide
black ribbon, whence they fell in a
tawny name to her waist. The brown
locks of the other one were braided
smoothly around her small round head;
was in sling. She flushed slightly
under her clear dark skin as she came
slowly toward Lord Garth.
$50 you two runaways are staying
here" he laughed. "You are as much
surprise now as you were when
found you in the bramble bushes. But
have come to see my sister-in-law,
Lady Garth"
This is Lady Garth" intersposed the
authenticated girl. And then the two
relations by marriage gravely shook
hands
And your companion-your cousin3"
queried Garth a few minutes later,
when he had got over his astonish-
ment at finding that the fainting wood
nymph and his self-possessed, quiet lit
tie person were one and the same, and
his brothers widow into the bargain.
Poppy is my cousin, and my very
dear companion. We've been together
all our lives, and 1 hope we always
shall be-"
Garth wondered no more at the news
papers on the floor and the kittens on
the sofa, and he smiled at Poppy as she
munched her Strawberries and cream,
and shook her curls like the tomboy
that she was.
you've not altered the old place
much" said Raymond, as an hour later
he stood in the porch awaiting Kitty.
No." said her ladyship. 81 liked
the quaint old furniture, the cool
Ia. ~