The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-13

But wen go; it's our clear duty. II
they don't give us anything we shall have
done our part. and I shall wear the mack
intosh cloak"
Put it on" l said TT must be a
hopelcszly incumbered estate that hasn't
two-pence to send out by the butler to an
artist Let US go"
And We really did go-then and there.
II.
We walked along the street. hiding the
mandolin: we left the guitar at home, for
it was in delicate health. We hid the
mandolin till we were past the tall black
and white windmill that bounds the village
and then we took the pleasant winding
marsh road a z quick march strummed by
Yyette The knot OF blue ribbon was be-
side her neck. and the sun came our a lit
tie though it was a late, sad, autumn day.
At times we sat down by the wayside
and corrected our way with map. And
SO by many long footpaths we drew near
TO Farringwater Park and saw II at
length before US, higgledy-piggledy pile
OF mellow red brick. mixed with grey
beams, appearing suddenly as we turned
the corner Of row of elms BY the last
elm We sat down on the grass at the
roadside and read the pages of the old
and shabby guidebooll that told us how
the Tukes had acquired the manor from
and how James II slept there on his fight
from LOndon-"I wonder how they know
he slept" said Yyette-aBd how the archi-
lecture was Irregular and picturesque
and how the picture gallery contained
three Rubenses, a Vandyck and a Bar
( tholOmcw van der Hellst.
Then Yvctte shut the RUidCbook and put
II away in my pocket. and we screwed
up the strings Of the mandolin. Yyette
went FIRST. and. ] think, it was not until
We had ARA gcd ourselves by the porch
which Vas a little stone portico with Heb
eued slabs and & decayinC lcng green seat
that we we're distracted and put 10 open
shame by the thought that We had not
settled on q tune and song. In our agita-
ticn We we're pressing The mandolin on
each other when the door was flung back.
A tall. very tall. stalwart woman.
with a large tightly shut mouth and iron
grey hair. hurried out and looked to The
sides Of the porch and down the walk. We
stood uneasily searching our minds for
tie Joyous abandon OF our minstrel class.
Our turn came at last. She stood In The
attitude OF 'TensbuE." her very large
hands folded below tine large cameo
brooch on her stiff slack silk bosom. Yes.
Ua'm2' she said With stern enquiry
That settled II. Buoyant and careless
indeed must be the tuneful wanderer who
could have then produced the mandolin
begging &c be allowed to waken her lighter
emotions.
YveJte saw Il at once-this impossible
madrcss-and hiding the mandolin I'M
der her mRclsintosh she turned aside the
harsh look that followed IL 20 its hiding
place toward my hesitatinE shyness.
l ASSOCIATED myself still further from
the mandolin by producing q crumpled
visiting card that my nervous fingers had
strayed upon in the pocket OF my Norfolk
jacket
The family is not at home" said tho
woman. but she took the card between
two muscular fingers. and l could have
danced in my agitation when I saw that
she was spelling cut pencilled memo
randum on the reYerse-'Remember the
Alisopp" It ran. for / recollected too late
that / had put that card in my pocket
because we were to pass the Blue Peter
Inn. SShere the bottled ales were kept.
Then she read my name. Before she end
ed her study l Gald. as desperate man: