Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-11-09
CHAPTER w,

While Nora had sat dreaming ut that
favorite window Of hers on the western
side Of the house. Mark Poynz, smiling
g little over her sudden illness, walked
down the old avenue--so silent and shad-
owy in the April twlight-and out into
the road which skirted the bog. Perhaps
he was thinking Of the drive and emulat.
ing Borak's pace. for. though he walked
without pause or looking back, his step
was slow and lcisurely. And there was
another similarity, too. for when he
reached the cottage on the roadside at
which Borak had stopped. he stopped,
too. a woman stood In the open door
way. and he began to talk to her In the
coolest and easiest and most natural way
possible; and when. two or three minutes
afterward. he was sitting on her hearth,
with her aud her invalid son. 1t all seem.
ed the most ordinary thing In the world.
He sat just opposite little sketch Of an
English house; and what more natural
than for him to speak Of 1t and to nd.
mire Its pretty frame Of bog oak? And
then, what more natural than for the
English woman--who through all her
early womanhood had lived among the
English gentry, and recognized one Of
them by instinct-to tell the story Of that
house 80 Tar as she knew III And Mr..
Poyns sat and listened, looking now into
the low turf fire. and now up ut the pref.
" little sketch, but without a shade Of
WEAKNESS. and never without a pleasant
look Of interest on his Rrelit face.
Beautiful! You may well say 80, sir.
II was the most beautiful house I ever
saw. and Miss Kate painted It just like.
Notice that one wide, low window be.
tween the two towers. will you, sir? That
was the young masters room. The win.
dow opens like two doors, on those wide
steps; and then that path leads straight
to the lake. and the park slopes down to
II all round. Notice that, please, before
I 70 on with my story. The young mas.
ter--the master he was by all rights,
though we always called him Mr.. Arthur
lived good deal Of his life In this
room, for he'd always something In hand.
an invention, or IN improvement, or a
| discovery; and instead Of riding after the
hounds, and shooting and farming, like
other gentlemen. he would shut himself
up there; and sometimes thcre'd be q
smell Of chemists things, and sometimes
there'd be the steam OF engines, and some
times there d'bc great filters. Miss Kate
went into his room but rarely, for she
was always with the old lady-by the
old lady. sir, I mean Mr.. Arthur's great
aunt, who owned the money that was ia
free all the land, which for years had
been getting smaller and smaller. until
poor Mr.. Arthur owned little beyond the
was pawned like over his head. But old
Mrs. Say had more money than would
buy back oil the big estate that went
with the title coming to Mr.. Arthur; and
old Mrs. Say was dying slowly now, In
| this very house. What sort Of old lady,
sir? Why, about the very worst sort Of
old lady anybody could possibly know!
From morning to night, and from night
to morning, she woke only to cat and
scold, and make Miss Rates life long,
miserable slavery. Why she came ia
stay with Mr.. Arthur through that whole
year Of faul:.tinding We never could
make out--ws always thought 1t danger
Ous-but that she should have brought
poor Miss Kate, to show how she could
martyr u patjc0t, pretty young girl, We
thought more dangerous still. Miss Kate
was some sort of u relation OF the rich
| old lady's. So time went on; and the
only wonder to us was that their pa.
thence held out so long, especially Mr.
| Arthur's; for ! don't think he ever came
near her bcd--she lay In bed that Who'll.
year--without having spiteful words saii
to him about his want OF money. and thu
misery OF that great house with SO few
servants In It
II needn't make the tale very long
One night the doctor having to 90 Out
himself, sent his young assistant up t.
the Hall with a little vial, and he was
himself to explain the contents to Misi
Kate. She was to pour just six dropi
into water, ard give 1t to the sick lady
IL she could .Ct rest or slcep-not more
on any account. Mr.. Arthur was pres
ent and listened as well as Miss Kate
! SO well remember my last visit into
the sick voom that night. The old lad!
fretting and complaining, even in he
sleep; Miss Kate sat by the bed. close Il
the little table which held the medic mes
and great WEAKNESS In her attitude Mr.
Arthur sat before the fire, looking thor
Oughly worn and Respondent. In til
outer room the nurse sat sleeping In al
easy chair. l had begged Miss Kate I,
let me sit up this one night, but sh,
| woulln't honr af IN