The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-30
After Long Years,

and famed himself vigorously with his
sketchbcok. Then he lay still for fully
ten minutes.
'Hallo"'
The ejaculation stiaed a ponderous
yown. Hasland sprang to his feet, pulled
off his coat spasmodically, and faced the
girl with a flush Of embarrassed pleas
ure.
Miss Thornton." E.
IL had almost abandoned all hopes
Of ever seeing you again" he began.
You know 1 was away when you left,
and"
And what are you doing here in the
| wilderness?"
Trying to kill two birds with the pro-
verbal stone" ne answered lightly. En-
| deayoring to earn a living and get some
| fresh air at the same time, and faring
badly on both sides. It's too hot TO work,
and the heat won't give the fresh air o
chance. 1 suppose you're staying in the
village, Eth-Miss Thornton?"
Yes, at the manor. I have situation
there for the summer
She looked down at her dusty shoes.
and Hasland realized with a little pang
! of pity that fortune was still unkind 10
| her. She was wearing the same plain
| white dress that she had worn the first
time he met her, two summers before.
And do you like your new position"
he ventured.
"Oh, yes" She raised her head with a
start. Il am companion to a lady, and
she is generally very good to me. 1 have
not a great deal to do. but sometimes-'
''Well?" asked Hasland, with eager in
terest.
''She is very irritable at times. Poor
| soul! she is lonely, and 1 think she has
had a lot of trouble. 1 have been here
nearly four months, and we have never
had a visitor. She lives in London during
| the winter, and I think her niece, Miss
| Colmore-'
Hasland was businly engaged in filling
his pipe, but both pipe and tobacco pouch
slipped from his fingers, and his teeth
| closed together with a snap.
Miss what?" he gasped.
''ColmOre. She was at the last drawing
room, you know, and they say she is
engaged to be married to Lord Fiskerton.
She is coming TO stay at the manor for
a few weeks
He rubbed his chin and gazed away
pensively toward the river. The girl held
out her hand, but he did not notice It
for moment.
Il must really go, Mr.. Hasland," she
said. 1T is almost 4 o'clock. 1 cannot
tell you how pleased I am at having
seen you again. 1 hope you are selling
plenty of pictures?'
Il shall see you again." he questioned,
furtively evading her glance. II am STAY
ing al the inn. o, yes, 1 am doing fairly
We'll" he went on, hastily. There are
some charming bits of landscape down IN
the valley; It's a regular artists paradise.
But Ethel-Miss Thornton
"Good-by."
eau revoir. then!" he answered, reluc-
Eantly, raising his eyes. Il shall see you
again one of these days.
Stretched there in the swelterirg haze,
he unused with half-closed eyes over the
days he had spent in the shabby-respecta-
bic London boarding house. Every morn
ing at $50 precisely, the plaintive creak-
ing Of the implanted gate would draw
him cautiously to his window to wal III
her set out cheerfully to meet that mo-
notonous unchanglng round of toll.
"Poor little girl" he said, rising and
picking up his sketchbook. "And what
a coincidence! If 1 can see Kate the
fates may crossing the common, reach
ed the dusty take it into their heads to
SMILE after ALL"
He descended the hill whstling. and
road leading to the village. A rumble Of
wheels and rattle of harness made him
turn his head inquisitively, and then a
scene almost identical with the one that
mad taken place on the hill half an hour
before was enacted.
Haroldr'
Hasand staggered under the hail of
questions that followed but struggled
manfully to answer them. Giving the
coachman orders to drive slowly, she
tripped down and they walked on side
by side.
Have you seen Aunt Carrier" she
asked
Good gracious, no. Katie, It's the
queerest thing in the world. I only came
down here day or two ago, and hadn't
the faintest idea in the world that she
was within 100 miles of the place. l
haven't her or had line since our mutual
understanding and the battle that fol-
lowed. l suppose she's as finty as ever?"
Poor fellow" she said Systematically.
TT must be a horrible experience to be
cut off with a shilling or without even
that; but I'm sure It would be infinitely
worse for both of us had we countenanced
her pet scheme and married. 1 am very
fond of you, Hal. but
1T would hardly have been a Darby
and Joan existence, Ell? What does aunt
think about your engagement with Lord
Fiskerton?"
'tShe didn't like It at all at first, and
gave me homilies by the hour on my
base ingratitude in abandoning her in her
old age. She declared she would leave
every penny she possessed to some home
for lost donkeys, or something similar.
But she seems more contented ince
she got this new lady's companion and
she never writes me without lauding this
person to the skies"
A sudden bend in the road brought them
in sight Of the struggling village street.
and both paused simultaneously Has
land was embarrassed and irritated.
II wish you wouldn't call Miss Thorn
ton a person" Kate" he blurted out.
after an awkward pause.
oh, you know her?'
You see, Kate" ne stammered. with
sudden resolution, I'D better make a
clean breast Of Il. for after all you owe
me something. The fact i. I'm IN love
with her-over head and ears. She's had
q rough passage. poor little woman. but
even taking that into consideration.
salary being something ike $1,000 a year.
If you can do nothing else, be kind 10
her. Promise"
'Of course. I will" she answered.
The old lady was rot IN a pleasant tenn
per. She mouOned 70 Miss Thornton. who
had been reading % her, 10 lay down the
book
i Lntnk 2 Att!e sunsnlne VIII 20 me- I
no aarm.' sns said, sharply. Let Us walk /
down as far as the river"
They crossed The quaint wooden bridge /
and turned down the shady path under /
the willows.
Near The gate that barred the path
stood an easel. and an artist was busiiy .
al work under the shade of a huge I'M +
brela-
The recognition was instantaneous. and +
che Oh LADY caught her breath Erasp.ug- i
II. while Hasland compressed his 2pS
Then fa- the third time IN the three 4
1a,z the r-tlz ah.zsr was enacted.