The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-13

I
failure.
After spending day OF two in an en-
! deavor to digest Bertram's letter, l
went TO see Emily. We were just as
| good friends as il had never given her
the annoyance of refusing me. She was
| i'll and could not receive me. Upon
leaving the house where she was board
ing, perceived the haxen-haired artist
patroling the other side of the street.
mutual sorrow often unites the bitterest
enemies. j accosted my successful rival
and offered him cigar which he re-
ceived quite in the way of friendship.
81 don't believe it's anything serious"
he said, in an anxious tone. "She is
tired; that's all If she could only go
out into the country and rest for
awhile"
Iquite agreed with his unspolen con-
clusion, but, though we walked together
till after midnight and talked of nothing
else, we did not succeed in reaching a
solution of the difficulty.
The next day / set outon : pilgrimage
to the Berkshire hills.
Bertram Dyer's retreat was situated
in n peculiarly desolate region. Tho
nearest railroad station was ten miles
away, in the town of lockwood. There
l alighted one evening, and secured
lodgings in quaint little hotel kept by
three old maids. That one OF them who
does the cooking should be earning
twenty thousand dollars year in New
York, and wearing the Gordon bleu."
Her hot biscuits appeal TO all that is
highest and noblest in a mans nature.
He who begins the day with them can
hardly descend to the level of an ignoble
act before sunset-when he can have
some more.
Thus fortified for task that prom
ised many difficulties, / rode away
from the hotel in lockwood about nine
o'clock in the morning, mounted upon
n bicycle which had brought from
New York. i had received careful di-
rections regarding the road. which, in
| deed, was easy enough to follow. since
there was no other. II was in excellent
condition, and, despite the hills, I might
have made the ten miles at good speed,
but / stopped frequently to admire the
scenery, which was always beautiful.
and sometimes had the effect of gran
deur. There were points in the road
from which / could command n wide
| prospect, and once, at about six miles
| distance, got glimpse Of Bertram's
house. With the aid of strong field
| glasses / could see it quite distinctly,
and IL seemed pleasant place in which
to live and write.
reached the border of my friends
estate before eleven O'CLOCK. There
was gate giving entrance to On avenue
that wound away towards the house,
which was invisible from that point.
a grove, bright with autumn tints,
| growing beside the main road temptedS
me to take the circuit of the grounds,
and 1 entered them eventually on the
side toward Greenville, town in which
/ should have left the railroad, but for
| the reputation of the lockwood inn,
since Greenville is nearer New York
and only about q mile further from
| Dyer's home.
On approaching the house perceived
Mrs. Elizabeth Graves--mother of Mrs.
Dyer-standing on the steps that led
up to the veranda. had met her in
New York. and / liked her even less
than her unamiable daughter. Her sur
prise at the sight of me made pe aware
that my letter announcing my intend
cd visit had not arrived. Indeed, had
given il an insufficient start, consider
ing the irregularity of the mails in that
region.
Mrs. Graves was not more cold in her
welcome than had expected her to be.
"You rode over from Greenville, I sup
pose," she said. "It's pity you didn't
come the other way, for If you had
you'd have met Bertram. He drove
over to lockwood this forenoon"
Indeed" said ]. "What time did he
start?"
Between nine and ten," she an
swered.
or course knew perfectly well that
Bertram had not been on the road TO
lockwood at the time specified, but
am not one who would betray n man
10 his mother-in-law. IL IL suited my
friends convenience 10 leave q lie be-
hind him at home, that was n matter
WITH which MS own conscience 1nlRnt
deal. So ! let IL be understood that
had come from Greenville.
Mrs. Dyer came out of the house al
most Immediately. She was somewhat
more cordial than her mother had been.
The older woman would have sent me
away hungry, but the younger invited
me to lunch, though with no great ex-
cess of hospitality. However, my mis-
sion was OF character 10 make one
patient under any proyocation. No
poor relation in real life or in fiction
was ever less particular than ! about
the flavor of the invitation. II there
had been any possibility of finding out
where Bertram had gone. l would have
followed him. but since he had taken
pains 20 lie about his destination,
thought IL best 90 wait for him. His
wife seemed doubtful when he would
return, and she regretted that my time