Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-08-20

the best of spirits. The days jaunt
/ had done her good. | have no doubt
that it served to satisfy for time the
craving for gadGing about which pos
sessed her now and then, for all her re-
peated praises of quiet home life.
| Moreover. she brought with her a
| friend, whose presence could hardly
| but add to her peace of mind; for she
dearly loved TO play the hostess, the
more, perhaps, because her opportuni-
ties for assuming the role had been SO
| limited. As it happened, had only
glimpse of this visitor. DIR. Banks
| had sent me an urgent message to
hasten TO one of his patients, and was
driving briskly toward the sick mans
residence when ! met the carryall,
homeward bound from BASKERVILLE.
Mrs. Loring and her niece were slowed
away under a multitude of bundles in
the stern of the old ark on wheels,
while the forecastle was shared by the
youthful John and stranger, of whom
could make out little, except that he
was a dark bearded man, clad in fash
ionable raiment. At the time, l sup
posed him to be some stray traveller
bound for the village and profting by
the happy accident of the carryall voy
aging in that direction.
The evening was far advanced when
| returned to Mrs. Ncston's, and, al
though that lady enlightened me as to
the arrival of Mrs. Loring and her guest,
| was quite willing to avoid intruding
upon them. Irs. Weston could tell
very little about the newcomer. She
thought that he was a foreigner, with
one of those ontlandish names that no
body but an alien could understand. II
was easy to conjecture that Mrs Lor-
ing had CHANGED to meet him in Trent,
and had insisted upon bringing him to
Rodneytown, TO talk over old times and
TO gossip about people they had known
in the Lord knew what distant land
In the morning, no doubt, an oppor-
tunity would be given me to pay my re-
spects.
But the morning brought no oppor-
tunity of the sort. When | called upon
Mrs. Loring she was alone, and her
guest-Col. Mendoza she called him
was out for n ramble about the neigh
borhood. He had expressed a desire 10
visit the beach, she explained, and, in
asmuch as he had taken Johnson's boat,
was probably cruising about the bay or
some of the many channels branching
off from it. She expected him to re-
turn in an hour or two, and she was
anxious, so very anxious, that should
Il 4
with them? Really it was distressing
that another visit to Banks patient
would prevent an acceptance of the in
vitation. The colonel was such a
charming gentleman, SO very, very
charming, 50 courteous, SO erudite, 50
widely Travelled, and so on through the
list of applicable adjectives. However,
that afternoon or evening, or at supper
yes, that would be a capital time
the meeting could be brought about.
OF course l acquesced, and then, as
Miss Gray was not in sight, parted with
her aunt rather abruptly. After
quarter of an hour with Jones, whose
case showed no unfavorable symptoms,
came the call upon Lamar Contrary
to his custom. he was pottering about
his domain that morning, Iured from
the house, perhaps, by the beauty OF
the day, which, however,was not potent
enough to change his manner. for he
gave me his stereotyped greeting, and
our talk was as brief aud formal rs
usual. He asked no questions as 70 the
progress the injured man was making.
and | volunteered NO information on
the subject Then, in turn, came the
ride on Banks business. | returned
from it early in the afternoon. and after
hasty NEAL challenged any man to
linger unnecessarily over a country
dinner gone cold for couple of hours
4 spied Miss Gray ON the porch OF
Mrs. Clark's residence. and strolled in
her direction.
I've come to make a call said /, talk
ing a seat beside her
How flattering TO u.s." she answered,
with a smile. iii bear the news to
my aunt at once
''0h, there's no hurry Let me catch
my breath. I'm here TO see your visitor
this time
But don't you know that he has
gomez she asked.
'No. | supposed him good for two
or three days Mt least. Certainly Mrs
Loring didn't expect him TO bid good
by 50 speedily lie must be a genuine
bird of passage"
''iIc surprised us Really, We saw
very little of him; for he started out
early this morning and didn't return
until nearly noon. And then lie was
off to Trent without waiting for dinner.
lie explained that he had recollected an
important engagement, which must
have escaped his memory when. carried
away by the pleasure of meeting my
aunt, he accepted her invitation"
That's odd said l. idly, q good deal
relieved. on the whole, to find that
need not meet the stranger, who, no
matter how agreeable he might have