Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-01-08
BY FLORENCE WARDEN.
Copyright, 1899. by Florence Warden.

get the nights sneIter you nave been
asking for! No, no, you're not a doc
tor! It's too much-too much to hope
for-tOO much. too much"
LET me CO." said Mason good hu-
moredly. 81 can soon prove 1t to you.
l think. Let me get at my pockets
But already the man was convinced.
MassOn's attitude. his readiness to give
his credentials. had been enough for
the eager father.
At the first plunge into his pockets
Mason brought out small case OF
surgical instruments which he always
carried about him. and the moment he
drew II out the little Welshman seized
him again and began to drag him up
ward toward bis dwelling.
"Come in. come in." said he In bro
ken whisper. Come in. sir. and don't
bear me malice for treating you so
shabbily al first I'm nigh beside my.
self. that | am. sir. and now-nOw-Oh.
thank God. thank Cod!
And the excitable little fellow burst
into loud sobblng and climbed up the
slope toward the gray ruin above. still
holding Mason in firm grip with
one hand and hiding his contorted face
with the other.
From the size Of the ruined build.
Ing which had been converted into
farmhouse and from the appearance of
such of the old walls as were left
Mason decided without difficulty that
the remains were monastic. although
the situation was higher than was usu'
ally the case with such peaceful insti.
tutions.
The position was. however. sheltered
and pleasant, protected on the north
side by a mountain of great steepness
and so hemmed In by lesser hills on
the east and west sides as to leave It
open only to the milder south.
AS Mason allowed himself to be led
forward he noticed that the ruins on
the left and the fragments Of an east
window were the remains Of church
Of small size, and he cOnjectursd that
the portion of the ruin which had been
made habitable was what was left of
the monastery itself.
In the darkness. however, with the
snow still falling, and his companion
hurrying him forward, he had little
leisure to take accurate note Of his sur
roundiRgs. The ground, moreover, was
uneven and rough, being mbered
by stones and by fragments of over
grown ruin. They came upon the door
quite suddenly, as they got round the
base of a massive pillar, which, no
longer supporting anything, stood by
itself like a sentinel before the incon.
gruous pile Of old and new, mean
things and stately, which formed the
farmers home.
They dashed into the dwelling quick.
iy, and the farmer, drawing his COM
panion In, shut the door and paused
for breath.
Reginald looked round him with as
tonlshment and interest.
The room In which he found himself
had evidently been the refectory Of the
monastery, for the stone pulpit In the
wall where the reader used to stand
during the dinner hour was still to be
seen, though broken and imperfect. on
the south side Of the room.
A rough partition wall of lath and
plaster had been erected just beyond
this pulpit, and In this partition were
two doors leading to the other apart.
ments Of the farmhouse.
On the right, opposite to the pulpit
In the wall, was huge open fireplace
partly filled in with bricks. In which a
fire of logs was burning.
On the left wall, which was roughly
whitewashed. the outlines Of the low
er part of row Of beautiful early
English windows, divided by clusters
of slender pillars. were plainly to be
seen. Small latticed windows and
more bricks and mortar filled up the
spaces where the lights had been.
The huge beams Of rough wood over.
head. dark and dusty. showed that the
farmhouse had stood In Its present
condition for a length Of years. The
door was red tiled. clean and bright;
the oak srttees and presses, the pots
and pans ON the white dresser. the
neat hearth. the fresh white walls. all
testified to the care Of housewifely
hand.
But the only creature In the room
was a withered and bent old woman,
wearing large apron of check print
over her dark dress. small shawl
drawn tightly round her shoulders and
a clean white cap. who sat In rock.
ing chair almost over the fire, with
crossed legs. short pipe between her
lips and her eyes fixed on the red
heart of the fire.
She neither spoke nor moved when
the farmer and his guest entered; only
her eyes, black and keen as those Of
the farmer himself. turned slowly,