The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-07-12

l i: &: i: So: SIS: IS:
TIZtM quiet hamlet
without ostentatlon and without caus-
ing any untoward excitement. He
had been seen walking about the vii
lage street, scrupulously dressed, and
gazing with apparently interested eyes
upon the various wares displayed in
the one or two hucksters' shops which
graced, or disgraced, Brackley. Some
people thought him a simple tourist,
who had paused there while en- route
to other places Of interest, for the en-
virons Of Brackley were not without
interest; in fact they were historical.
The young ladies' Of the village
thought him decidedly handsome, won
dered who he was, and the more giddy
of them weaved romances around his
personality. The customers of the
WeaVers' Arms Hotel, where the stran-
ger had put up settled the question in
stanter; he was an artist, who had
come to do sketching around about the
neighbOrhOod, and he was too shy to
say anything about it.
A week passed. and the mystery
deepened, more especially when it was
known that the stranger, infatuated
with the place, had decided to stay an
other fortnight. His rambles in the
wood, his comings and his goings gen
orally, were the objects Of talk, specu-
laton and mystery to the whole Of the
population of Brackley.
To Lily Asbury and Mrs. AsbuTy
her mother, the story of the stranger
had penetrated, but the elder lady had
put the matter off lightly, and though
she had observed not without interest
the appearance of the stranger in the
nelghborhood, she affected an uncon
Germ which was eminently in keeping
with her department as the wife Of the
trustee of the Down estate.
Sir Daniel Brackley, whose name
was good enough for nearly a thou
sand acres of Northamptonshire'
landed estates, was too much a societ!
man to trouble about living on hi
property, and John Asbury, to all in
tents and purposes, occupied his posi-
ton. Certain it was that John Asbur,
managed the estate in a manner WoT
thy of all commentator. He was no
hard on the tenants, and he was no
too plant. He was a businesslike, fus
sy old gentleman, apparently extreme
ly conscientious in his masters wei
fare, was extraordinarily patriotic t
the estate, and while respected by al
those Of Brackley, commanded not
little fear from its humblest inhab
tants
Mrs. Asbury was greatly perturbe
when one day she received the follow
ing letter from Sir Daniel Brackley;
my Dear Mrs. Asbury-In the al
sence of your husband who, I unde
stand, is somewhat unwell, and ha
gone to Bournemouth for his health,
am constrained to ask you to do me
favor. My nephew, Theodore eros
ley, told me a week or so ago that
Intended visiting in the neighborhoC
81 ackley, in order to look up son
anahties in the neighborhoOd.
ls Der shy, but extremely unco
VET 0aal sort of young man, and
Sci glad if you can do anythir
to NIKE his stay in the neighborhOC
comfortable. l do not know when
is likely to be in Brackley, but If
have the opportunity I will let y,
know. Be good enough to inform L
at your earliest convenience how N
AsbaI5 Is progressing"
"Why, mother" said Lily who hi
read the letter over her mothers shol
ders, "Crossley-why, that is the mar
Of the mysterious young gentlemi
who has been staying for more than
week at the Weavers' Arms Hotel.
That Mrs Asbury felt cross shoU
20 without saying. Really it was
bad Of Sir Daniel not to have given (
stranger a letter of Introduction
tia be could have presented hims
on his arrival. Why had t
sd low betaken himself to a !
81, with all its miseries, inste
, 60 lg to the house Of the trust