Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-04-05
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: ROMANCE OF COL. MARKHAM.
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BY LADY SEATON.

| window and muHled tne Souuu VI
passing cabs. and if any one had
looked in at my comfortable rooms
over the club and seen me drawn up
% my cheerful fire with my cigar,
hey would probably have repeated, as
they indeed often did, that only con-
irmed bachelt could possibly make
himself so thoroughly luxurious, and
that there was mot much romance
about him."
Not much, perhaps; a middle agec
Colonel is not given that as o
Irule. and as | had never had lively
Imagination and had lived an out-of'
door athletic life as long as l coult
remember, the one wonderful expert
ence l had seemed all the more dlHi
cult.
Very few people now know that IN
early life | was to have been married
and no one of the events as they hap
pened. but resolved to write them
down some day, and they We're as fol
lows:
MY regiment was in India, but had
come home on long leave when
made the acquaintance of beautiful
Mary Lestrange. Her home was orig
inally one of the ancient abbeys, ant
though turned at the dissolution int
a dwelling house. it had been left yer.
much the same in many of the detail
as when the nuns were turned adrit
so many hundred years before.
My first visit there was the happy
one when Mary, who was an only
daughter, promised to be my wife, ant
! I, ha oil
thought what a lovely setting the ole
abbey in the background made to the
slight form and pure, sweet face. Hel
blue eyes shone with happiness ant
the rays of the setting sun caught the
gold of her hair
During my visit we wandered about
all over the abbey grounds together
and saw the yew walk, with its ole
twisted branches, where some of the
nuns were said to have been burned
The only part of the abbey that wal
almost destroyed-only few arches
left-was the church, the aisles coul(
still be traced, and the arches partly
covered with ivy were very pictur'
esque. but Mary bad always wish il
should be restored.
she said that could not rest till it wa:
done. 1t seemed unlikely, however
that it would take place, as her father
though well off, was an extremely
practical person, and as the parish
church was not far off, he did not 81
any necessity for it.
A few months passed by, and as OIL
my return to India | hoped to take m,
bride with me. | pressed for our ma"
riage to take place as soon as possible
and all was arranged. | went to thu
abbey for a few days, and on this oc
casion occupied room in the distan
wing, separated by the great wall from
the other part of the house.
There was a large house party. an(
we were very merry the last evening
we danced, and Mary had never seem
ed in better spirits or looked NOR
lovely than she did that night. Tha
| should dream of her was only natur
al, but some part of my dream. i
dream it was. were too strange to h
explained, and | 1--we never att 7'''"
to do so to myself or told any o.
else. IL
At about 3 o'clock | woke; thu
night was dark, and an intense still
ness reigned everywhere, when
thought heard faint sounds of musi
that seemed to come from the direc
ton of the ruined chapel. and. hastil.
rising and putting on some clothes
silently and softly, for fear of dis
turbing the other guests, made m.
way down the old stairs and through
the still, beautiful cloisters to build
ing had not noticed before.
An oak door studded with nails an,
with a hanging iron handy. was part
ly open, and q f,od of light came
from inside. Much surprised, l step
ped in, and stood rooted to the spot
without feeling had the power Il
move hand or foot.
I seemed to be in large and well
lighted and warmed chapel, with ;
beautiful ,3carved screen, inside O
which We're dark carved oak choir
stalls, where many yelled forms wer
sitting and the nave where stool
seemed full Of dim figures; but | coult
not take my eyes off the young CIR
with long golden hair, who stood be
fore the high alter at the end.
She was dressed in white, wreatl
of orange blossoms round her hair: .
coffin stood not far off. and the veilet
forms sang like angels, while one o
them advanced to help the novice tt
take off her wreath and cut her Lowell!
hair. Then the young girl slowl,
turned, and who can say what | fel
when | saw her face-Mary 's-bu
with piteous expression | have neve
seen.
She lifted her hands in kind o
mute appeal, and, looking straigh
across at me, she said, in sad, break
ing voice: But ! was meant to b.
an earthly bride" No notice wa
taken of her words. and the veilet
figures closed in around her, and thel
all faded from my sight, and | fount
myself staggering up the stairs to m!
room.
Here I tried to persuade myself /
was all dream, and that had beel
walking in my sleep, and very nearl.
succeeded; so much so, indeed. that
} slept again, and next morning did no
excite any remark by my appearance
but, after breakfast, we were just go
ing out, when Mary ran in, laughing
and said: Just fancy what l foun'
in the old ruin this morning-a Lowell
littleI spray of orange blossoms.
wonder how it can have been dropped