Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-03-29
CHAPTER. Xxx


ling their bright-hued necks with proud
consciousness of absolute proprietorshlp
In the place, and their long tails tralled
across the gravel behind them with the
soft rustic of a woman's garments Now
and then sad, shrill cries echoed Welrdly
through the deserted gardens.
Presently some one pushed aside the
song muslin curtains and came stepping
out of the long French window on to
the terrace 1t was Helen. She was
dressed for dinner; she wore pale blue
dress, cut open at the neck, string OF
pearls and a jeweled locket hung at her
throat; she turned round, half laughing,
TO someone. who was following her.
''You will see all the county magnates
at Shadonake tomorrow. You will have
quite enough of them, l promise you;
they are neither lively nor entertaining"
A young man, also in evening dress,
had followed her out on to the terrace;
it was Denis Wilde; he had arrived from
town by the afternoon train. Why he
should have thrown over several very
good invitations to country houses IN Nor
folk and Suffolk in order to come down
to the poor sport Of Kynaston is prob
lem which Mr.. Wilde alone could have
satisfactorily solved.
''You can't think how anxious l am to
inspect the elite of Meadowshire," he
said, laughing my life is an incomplete
thing without a sight of it."
''You will witness the last token of
mental alteration in decently brought
up young woman in the person of Bea-
trice Miller. You know her. Well, she
mas actually engaged herself to Mr..
Pryme Halo, Topsy, what are you
barking at?'
Mrs. Kynaston's pug had come tearing
out Of the house with a whole chorus Of
noisy yappings. The peacocks, deeply
wounded in their tenderest feelings, in
stantly took wing and went sailing away
snajestically over the crimson and gold
parterre Of flowers below.
What can possess her to bark at the
peacocks?" said Helen. BE quiet, Top
.sy."-
But Topsy refused to be tranquilized.
''She is barking at something below the
terrace; perhaps there is a cat there, -
said Denis.
They went to the edge of the stone
parapet and looked over; there stood
Tommy Daintree below them, among the
s1ollyhocks.
why, little boy, who are you, and
what do you want? Why, are you not
Mr. Daintree's little boy?''
Yes"
Then what are you waiting for?"
II want to give note to Capt. Kynas-
ton," said Tommy, crimson with confu-
sion. rs he ever coming in?"
'He is in now; give me the note"
II was to give it to himself, to nobody
else
who told you?"
Aunt Vera
-"Ohv There was whole volume of
meaning in the simple exclamation. Mrs.
Kynaston held out her hand. You can
give it to me. I am Capt. Kynaston' s
wife, you know. Give it to me, Tommy.
Your name is Tommy, isn't it? Yes, |
thought so. Mr.. Wilde, will you be so
axind as to fetch Tommy a peach off the
dinner table? Give the note to me, my
dear, and you can tell your aunt that it
shall be given to Capt. Kynaston direct
iy."
When Denis returned from his mission
to the dining room he only found Tom
my waiting for his peach upon the ter
race steps. Mrs. Kynaston had gone
back into the house.
What happened to Denis Wilde afl Ter
the small boys departure was this. He
sauntered back to the drawing room
windows and looked in; no one was there.
He then wandered further down the ter
race till he came opposite the window Of
the boudoir-Mrs. Kynaston's own bou-
doir-which Sir Johns loving hands had
once lined with blue and silver for his
Vera Here he caught sight of Mrs.
Kynaston's fair head and slender figure.
Her back was turned to him; he was on
the point of calling out to her, when sud-
denly the words upon his lips were arrest
ed by something which he saw her doing
Instead of speaking, he simply stood still
and stared at her.
Mrs Kynaston, unconscious of obServa-
tion, held the note which Tommy had
Just given her over the steam of a small
lug of hot water, which she had hastily
ordered her maid to bring to her. In
less than a minute the envelope unfast-
ened of itself. Helen then deliberately
took out the note and read it.
What she read was this:
Dear Capt. Kynaston-I have some
thing that l have promised to give to you
when you are alone. Would you mind
coming round to the yicarage after din
ner tonight. at nine O'Clock? You will
sind me at the gate. Sincerely yours,
VERA NEVILL"
Then Helen lit a candle and fastened
the letter up again with sealing wax.
And Denis Wilde crept away from the
window on tip-toe with a sense of shock
ed horror upon him such as he never re-
membered having experienced before
At dinner time the note lay on Maui
rice's side on the table. While the soup
was being helped he took it up and open
ed it. He little knew how narrowly both
mis- wife and his guest watched him as
he read it. But his face was inscruta-
BILE. Only he talked little more, and
seemed. perhaps, in better spirits than
usual: but that is what a stranger could
not have noticed, although it is possible