Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-05-17
1900
CHAPTER VII

Ahrcc hiohtns went by. ana Drought u"
early spring. For some reason. known
only to herself tor possibly to that
strange being. Miss TrailD. the Woman
In Gray had insisted on the public an.
nouncemcnt of her new relationship with
the cx-Ilome Secretary being delayed un-
I'll Lorn Abbey should be fit for home
coming.
when you begin life Mt Lorn Abbey"
she had written to my uncle. "your home
may be- my home IL You will. but not be-
fore. IL Is only Il within. but l have u
strange yenrning for that house. l want
the now order of things TO commence
there"
30 the formal adoption Of ConsuclO
Hope as the daughter OF Sir Wilfrid An-
DRY was to be celebrated hy dinner and
. ball. which would also constitute the
house warming at the newly purchas.
cd, newly decorated 1.orn Abbey. one
night during the second week In April.
j had taken chambers In Whitehall
Court. and was TO spend Saturday and
Sunday at the Abbey when ] chose. But
1t had been a within OF Uncle Wilfrid's.
and possibly Of Miss Hopes. that was
not to see the old place until the night
OF the ball. when all the alterations and
improvements would be complete and the
house at its best.
Uncle Wilfrid had gone down the night
before. following the staff OF servants.
and Lady Towers had promised to take
Miss Hope on the day Of the ''house.
warming herself remaining afterward
for week or more.
An odd sense NJ being In the midst Of
dream was upon me as got out Of the
train at the railway station at Marten.
head. ! sent on my luggage and decided
10 walk up TO the Abbey. having purpose.
" failed to specify the train by which ]
would arrive.
Presently I crossed the last stile, and
found myself In the struggling outskirts
Of the village. Then on past the albur-
num-boAwcrcJ cottages and smart new VII
las. and along the road leading to 1.orn
Abbey. already archcd over with the
green and white OF chestnut trees In
bloom. .
/ remembered noticing on my first visit
to the place IN the autumn. that the cot
tsge, which was called The Nest. was
ITO lct--unfurnishcd." but now Il had
evidently been lately taken.
! glanced carclcssly up. wondering II
thc new inmates Of The Nest would prove
70 be acquaintance or strangers, when a
tween the curtains Of central window
caught and arrested my eye. A woman.
DRESSED In red. was pccping out at me. I
walked on thoughtfully. Why had my
unclc's new ncighbors thought II ncces.
Dary to hide themselves from me!
had reached the tall Abbey gates. and
seen couple Of little children playing at
The door Of the long. empty and deserted
lodge. when within seized me to enter by
another way. was not expected ut any
particular time. therefore a slight dctOur
could Inconvenience nobody.
walked on. past the high wall and
hong stretch OF hedge, newly trimmed. I'm.
Ill had left behind me the limits Of the
park and reached the outlying meadows
which on that side bounded the estate. At
the corner OF a riangular.shapcd field
was a stilc, and ! lcapcd over. skirting
along the hedge within. In the distance
cleaned the river. and half way between
loomcd the till tree which sheltered the
grave Of the murdcrcss, Florence
Haynes.
Now, to my surprise. I found that some
one else had been before me. The tall
figure Of man was silhOuctted against
the sunny ycll0w.green background, and
] could see th.t he was standing still.
with bent head, and hands behind him,
close to the spot where the stone indi.
eating the low grave rose above the
grass,
u,s ,o,L ,,,. ,,.r, man ,,., .,.
r.ns an ,h,, .n.,,,.'' ,,,.s a., ~" 10y 49,
him ~ mo .nmr"s.,, n"s . NJ
"nn,,h -" 900 h.. ~. sun ~ os'
h.,raI ga all JS ' " W.T."
cr".L,i,s ~ s"m, . .~"W .,.. ' "uT. 49,.
n,oss,,r. ~ ~. no., "",'.. w." H. ""u'. ~.
ana .,s,". ro ~ IT. ." sh"',, n' " s ."
,n"..',,"'', .,o,., ~ '"o". .
s..r ond omI, ,or .'' ,"s,"u. '.",,i, "
~ no sor,",,", t"., h"I ~".
"a ~ 1891 ~, t.,,,...o,,. $50 "" ,.,.,
na..o. ~. H., sI.,,,,I 49,, ~" w"
man a,a,u ",,or io"sa Nv ,wa INV" ,aas "'
man us",n "I'r Ihpse OF twenty years.
a handso,ner face II w,s too honj.
some. indeed. IN belong m anv ono s"w.
an actor. worshincd Inv foolish v;rls ar
nm artists model. aud va, there ,,ns .
certain latent suggestion NJ s,ro,.,h In
n. too.
Seciny mo no NJ o,co ,ur,od nm, ,.,-
idly walked nwnv ond I very soon hna
NV curiosity so fnr satisfied no IN sa., him
turn In nj tho gate M m. No.t Th." I
rctraced nv stems and went SLOWLY an
toward the house.
n,,,. , x T.. or, a.,
81. a, W, ,.,,'., "o"o' " Sr ""