The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-05

entrance to long avenue of oaks. a figure
was visible, a short distance down it, which
Ingram recognized with throbbing pulses
A collie walking sedately beside her, turn
ed and gave short sharp bark at the sound
OF the wheels abrupt stopping, and Dora
looked round
when he arrived her purpose frustrated
for she could not ignore his hurried advance
and SO she turned back to meet him.
welcome to Ferncourt!'' she said, bright
ly as she gave him her hand, and, with the
usual conVentionality of a Briton of either
sex, she added, You have had lovely af-
ternoon for your Journey
May I walk with you and send on my
portmanteau?" he asked.
oh, yes, do she said. Il am going back
to the house now. This way leads through
the woods, and farther the path is very
narrow, so the dog-cart must go round. Tell
Mrs. Slade-Clinton Brewster, that Lord In
gram met me and that we shall be back to
tea"
There was something very delightful in
the sound of that "we, and perhaps she no
ticed it, too, for with slight embarrassment,
which she had not displayed before she bent
over the collie.
'Tay, come and make friends, sir. Is he
not beauty, Lord Ingram? He called
after the river on whose shores he was born.
L have had him ever since he about six
weeks old, and he is such a gentleman
Tay considered the newcomer very care
fully for some moments, and shifted at his
boots; then, apparently satisfied that he was
a desirable addition to their circle, sat grave
ly down and offered his paw, which Ingram
shook with due politeness and solernnity.
"Tay approves of you" declared Miss
Bruce. He never shakes hands unless ne
likes person Major leighton could never
induce him to do it, 1t was really quite RI
dlculous one day when he came over from the
Lawsons' place, where he was staying. He
spent nearly half an hour endeavoring to
coax Tay into some admission of friendship.
He offered him cake and biscuits, which he is
mn Of O1d fool ofnCf
trouble; but, no-Tay would have none of
him. He is above bribery and corruption
aren't you, my doggie?"
Tay waged his TAIL and looked affection
ately at his mistress, as if he aware
that they understood one another thoroughly
and then they walked on down the long ave-
nue. for some distance before striking off
down a narrow path to the right.
Dora seemed to feel it imperative on her
to keep the ball of conversation rolling.
''Tay is the only one of all our dogs who
is any comfort as a companion in my walks
she said. 1.-THE allurements of the woods do
not tempt him, or if they do, he is too high
minded to succumb. Now Tatters and Rags,
two Irish terriers, simply cannot resist
hunt in the coverts, and it must be very
difficult when the rabbits run under their
noses and the pheasants get up close to
them.
What beautiful woods these are!" In
gram said, 81 think you must find it very
hard: to- tear yourself away, even for Lon
don season."
ooh, do, I always hate it; but then there
is the pleasure of coming back again. You
can just see the house from here"-and she
paused where a vista had been cut in the
trees, enabling a good view of the old Court
to be obtained.
1t was irregular building of old red
brick, SO stained and weather-beaten that it
was more brown than red, in the few places
where the walks were visible, but there were
creepers everywhere, clinging lovingly to
the brick, and clothing the whole structure
with grace and variety of color impossible
to describe
Magnolia, purple and white clematis and
roses Of every shade, blooming for a
second time with wealth and profusion
that showed they loved their quarters, while
at every angle, and even over the tiled roof
and quaint twisted chimneys, was Virginia
creeper, just beginning in one or two places
to show that summer was the wane and
autumn approaching.
Say you like my dear old home,' Dora ex-
claimed, impulsively, and Ingram replied,
with truth:
II think it is quite beautiful and just wor-
thy of you.''
A little alarmed at her own frankness and
his ready response, Dora walked on, and as
If aware Of the dangers of silence she said:
81 have so often talked of Ferncourt to you
that you must think am mad on the SUBJ
ject. Tell me of your home; you have never
described it to me-.
.My home is not to be compared with this
he said, candidly. I'm the first place it is a
house, not a home, for have been so little
there. Then it is ugly, modern, huge, and
pretentious; its only decent attributes in my
eyes are it's pictures and it's surroundings
It is set in the center of Yorkshire moor
acre after acre Of purple heather and yellow
gorse meet the eye when one gets outside the
plantations and the gardens and the air is
lovely. Then there is gallery containing
some very fine pictures, specimens of mod
ern art, as well as Gainsboroughs and Rom
neys and Vandycks; and there are land
scapes as well as portraits. I feel rather