The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-02
HONORABLE ANNE.

TO the ranch was not Of the warmest. This
dusky adobe wall throwing him into pic.
turesqus relief, he stood on the ranohhouse
veranda, his face full Of suppressed exotic.
msnt.
Life flowed on smoothly, monotonously,
TIL after the birth Of Billikins. All Cling
then announced his departure. "Better
girl cook" he declared. "No likes baby.
Heap trouble Alice time ely"
We tried . number. All failures. At
last young girl, tall. slim and neatly
dressed, stepped on the veranda.
"If you please, ma'am," she quietly
said, ~ heard that you wanted girl.
Can have the placer"
heard her history, which was simple.
The previous year she had come from Eng
land to join her brother on claim, had
fallen Ill, had gone to the county hospital
ct La Huerta and had come thence to me.
While hearing these details Cedric re-
turned. But one conclusion could be drawn
from his utter detection. mo girl" WAS
stamped on every feature. Samantha had
recommended me to Odessa Green, who,
less exacttng in regard to scenery, was
willing to leave the family pigpen for
months change, provided the washing
was put out, Mrs. Allandale helped with
the dishes, the afternoons were free and
horse every Sunday WAS at her disposal.
knew the type-ignorant, slatternly,
familiar. Contrasting with 1t the new
conner my resolution was taken. "No,
Cedric, have servant already"
"Where did she come fromP"
hos 1h,k n, 1nov 4ySk I<,
hospital"
SIS she prettyf"
"That's an irrelevant question. Yes,
Yather--blue eyes and short, curly, yellow
hair"
"You know nothing about hor.
"But l know that Billikins has the
whooping cough. Unjust nurse him, and
you cannot cook. Help is needed, and be-
hold Anne"
$50 that's her namcp''
eyes, Anne james"
He still demurred.
"Prudence is an admirable virtue, Ccd-
rio, but you carry 1t to an extreme"
Cedric yielded. still holding to his own
opinion. keep her! Keep herl" he cried.
"But remember, If anything happens, be
1t on your head"
Since the days Of All Cling life had not
boon worth living. Anne came, and COM
fort followed after. Capable, retiring, a
vague sense of mystery peryading her, she
proved In our monotonous existence o
source of inexhaustible interest.
II scent a romance" Cedric declared.
"When Anne draws near, find out about
her,
"she IL GO reticent-a contrast to Sa-
mantha"
Teach her something. Learning un-
looks woman's tongue"
So Anne was Instructed in more house,
wholly mysteries, and grew more COM
munioative, but Cedric received all details
Of her past with scornful inorsdulity. Papa
wus barrister. Anne herself had been
born In the sacred precincts of the temple.
Their crest figured as dove. "Fanoy
ones parlor maid having crest" he ejao-
ulnted. For briofless barrister he had
done singularly we'll, marrying niece Of
the celebrated Countess Of Michigan. Many
torrid afternoon, was whiled away with
descriptions Of the Irish; CASTLE where the
!, wedding took place. the beauty Of the
bride, the ecoentrlcities Of the noble aunt.
Cedric scoffed, still crying for more
Ono languorous September day, en-
sconced In the veranda's shadiest nook,
we gazed on the Brush hills and sighed
vainly for breeze. Cedric broke tho still
moss "What about Anne? No news Of
lats9'
"She has sister who lives in France
and is possessed Of independent means"
A look ct reproach shot from his dark
= Al,,t L.,
he murlnnred.
"And did not tell you that she goes by
the name of the Lady Emily Brown
"BrownS Why, she married a French
man"
"True.'
"Why LADY, What title has hep
"None. particularly asked Anne"
absurd! He could not be Brown or
she lady, unless, indeed, the title Is In her
own right In that case your pearl of a
handmaideD Is an honorable. Tho Hon.
Anne brings out the tray" he added as
she approached our corner, "No it's oil
false, you may depend upon 1t. Ask Nc
Pherson what he thinks. He Is coming up
the drive"
Fergus DIFFERENTIATION persontfied
.-opined that Anne had lied. He put 1t
plainly: "Deoeitful In speech, deceitful in
deed. Better watch her, Mrs. Allandale. !"
My suspicious were not excited. In Cal
ifornia nothing is impossible. Had not a
scion Of o lordly house died on neighbor-
ing ranch-a lonely, neglected sheep herd
err No. 1t was the uneasy air and rest
loss look increasing day by day. heart
lily wished for some pretext whereby Ced-
sic, dispatched into La Huerta might In
luire into the antecodents Of the Hon.
Anne. Chance favored me.
Mcpherson has been telling me-" be-
gan my spouse few days later, "about
some bloodhounds In town that belong to
the sheriff. They are AL ut tracking Grim
inals; borrow them all over the state.
Beastly shame it's such journey. it
would be rather jolly to see them"
why not gop A change would do you
good "
go. And who would milk the cowf
II myself"
"Youf Nonsensep'
"Who is tho sheriff. Idly asked, med.
ltating my next move the while.
liWnite.- Hiram Waite