Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-08-04

! great deal of dignity. II believe some Of
! the villagers declare that this house was
once a lunatic asylum, and I am sure.
after the way in which you have been
: treated, you will not fail to agree with
| them. Did yon not take me for q mad
woman?' she asked In q suddenly serious
| tone, looking steadily. almost anxiously,
aD for his snsvos.
mo, madam, certainly I did not" said
Armathwaite heartily.
The lady seemed relieved, and Q touch
Of her old earnest and pensive manner
came back upon her as, instead Of I'm
mediately speaking again, she fixed in
genuously searching eyes upon the strang-
er's face. and after gazing at him intent
ly for some moments, withdrew them,
/ leaving Armathwaite. much to his own
| surprise, In the peaceful conviction that
she was deeply interested In and satisfied
with her own Impressions.
"Come into the drawing room," she
! said when her inspection was over Il
will introduce You 10 Mr.. Crosmont. My
name is Alma Crosmont. Yours IL DR."
She paused and looked down, knitting
her brows as If she had forgotten. More
astonished than ever, the young York
shireman supplied the information in q
| low voice.
! "Armathwaite-Frank Armathwaite."
She repeated 1t after him slowly, how
ever. as IL the name was new to her. Just
\where the hall narrowed suddenly to half
Ats first width there was a door on the
l&ft which the lady opened, and Arma-
thNwaite followed her into a large room.
In Nan armchair by the fire, with his back
to hhe door. sat a middle-aged man, who
was \reading by the light of a candle fixed
to hin chair. AS the door opened, he said
in Asind voice, well, little one, and
what Nave you been up to now?" and he
held oue his hand without turning round
or pnttiAg down his book. Armathwaits
was much struck by this circumstance.
There waS5 a warm, loving sympathy in
voice, actiSn and manner which charged
the whole atmosphere Of the old room
with the fra agrance of home.
I've brought q gentleman to see you,
81 prise. The newcomer came
fol Inward, ana the lady said, sirar'y:
"Dr. Armathwaite-MrC CrOsmont"
mot her husband, surely" thought
Frank.
Mr.. Crosmont rose, taking off his read-
fnG spectacles hastily, and held out his
with n beard and n fringe Of reddish hair
turning rapidly gray, undistinguished fea.
tures, and mild, dreamy blue eyes.
Il dare say you know DR.. Armathwaite,
that a stranger in this part of the world,
at this time of the year. is worth a kings
ransom" said he, with evident pleasure
Mt the meeting, which was, II was also
easy to see, quite unexpected on his side
But if you once let the world know
how they may expect TO be treated here.
you will be overrun with them" said
Arnathwaite, gratefully.
Mr. Crosmont glanced inquiringly Mt the
mdy, who seemed for the moment rather
disconnected; at least, she answered with
her eyes cast down.
II was at the corner of the road by
the lake, when l saw some one making
straight for the water; in another mo-
ment he would have been In. would You
notT she ended, turning appealingly to
the young doctor.
.Indeed l should" said Armathwaite.
earnestly. 81 had lost my way altogeth-
or. You saved my life"
But what were you doing out there by
the lake on n night like thisT' asked Mr..
Crnsmont, not at all satisfied.
"Oh, never mind, daddy; 1t was only
one of my pranks; these high winds al
ways get into my head, you know. aud
blow all the brains away"
.Were you waiting for EdwinT' he then
asked, in a very gentle and sympathetic
tone.
She hesitated like a school girl, then
raised her head with what seemed to be
an impulse of straightforward, almost de-
fiant, honesty.
mo"
Him, ! thought not" muttered Mr..
Crosuont, and then he turned again to the
visitor. "Do you know the lake country
well?' he asked. 1T is rather a risky
thing to travel about here at night If you
do not"
ut is my first visit, and can't hope to
see much of it, for tomorrow afternoon ]
must be in Glasgow"
The end Of the long, wide dining table
nearest to the fire was laid for dinner for
one person. Was there some third men,
ber of the household whose presence was
q discord?
"Up here in the wilds one must mako
friends with the beasts, or be solitary.
It's dull life, l can tell yOu. spoke the
old gentleman, as the lady left the ROOM
u hardly think / should find II SO un-
der the same circumstance. For bach
enough. But with A charming wife
and"
did y0u think the little one was my
wife?" asked Mr.. Crosmont, with evident
pleasure. II wish she were: though an |
tumn and spring don't go well together. |
am Uncle Hugh. She Is my niece, my |
niece by marriage, and my child by affec- |
tion. l would walk into the lake for her !
any day. Some day ] shall walk her hus |
band into the lake. II he doesn't look |
,ut," he added In a gruf comment TO him |
...lf. which was n little embarrassing to /
his hearer. There WAS pause OF a few |
seconds. during which Mr.. Crosmont re-
n,embered that he was speaking In para
bles, and explained briefly. In his usual
abrupt manner: My nephew In Lord XII |
domains agent: he's good boy enough, |
but he gets his head little turned. up |
at The Crags, between my lords conf
ienccs on the ono hand, and my lady's on |
the other In fact, the big house tskes
the color out Of tho little one. yon sea
I suppose It's natural enough. but It's .
pity: and one can't say q word 10 him,
because, Of coursc. II one does II is all
Zeal for his employers interests: and they |
really have been very kind to him. Still
N's pity.
Armathwaife thought N. too. and felt
hlied with compassion for the soft-~y"d
wife. obliged. la the zenith of her beauty ]
.nd charm, To fall hack upon the cot'-
panionship Of a middle aged relation os
her husband whes che sheald have been