Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-05-09
Author of& he Rouse on fhs War5h," etc.,

they Deneved the letter was very i'm.
portant, as it was marked on the en-
velope "Please deliver immediately"
And the plotter drew from his peck.
ct. with ostentatious care, missive
which he and Clifford had prepared
together, and which, with great inge-
nuity, had been made to look as if it
had passed through the post.
But Miss Bostal glanced at the let
ter and shook her head
"There is no one with my father"
she said, land I don't know any one
of that name. But If you will come
into the drawing-room I will ask
him"
"Oh, no, not for the world. We
could not think of intruding. We
must have made a mistake" STAN.
mered Otto, while Clifford hurriedly
passed out by the little wooden gate
into the road.
In the meantime, however, Colonel
Bostal, having heard the voices, had
come through the narrow passage
from the garden to learn the meaning
of this unusual sound. The matter
was explained to him by his daughter,
amidst further apologies from Otto.
The colonel, withered-looking, gray
faced man Of about sixty-five, in a
threadbare and patched coat and a
battered Panama hat, remembered
the name at once.
Jordan? Jordan? Yes, Of course,
I know him." said he at once. "a
little fellow. with a long mustache.
Yes, he often walks home with me as
far as the bridge, but there he always
turns back and excuses himself from
coming any farther"
Otto looked perplexed by this infor-
nation, but over Miss Bostal's thin.
pinched face there came little, pale
smile.
"Try the Blue Lion" she said, rather
primly. ....
:: Otto grew stiff.
"My friend Is no frequenter Of tav!
erns," said he.
"Try the Blue Lion" said Miss Bos-
tai again.
Her father burst into a little, dry
laugh.
1.-THE Blue Lion has good many
frequenters who are not frequenters
Of other taverns," said he. "Nell Cla-
ris, the niece Of the man who keeps 1t,
is a protege OF my daughters, and the
prettiest girl in the place"
A light broke over Otto's face. But
Miss Bostal looked grave.
81 shall have to speak to her very
seriously" said she, with a little
frown. "She encourages half the
young men of Stroan to waste their
time out here"
But the colonel smiled and shook his
head doubtfully.
tits no use speaking to a pretty
| girl" said he, with decision. "You
will only be told to mind your own
business. And there's no harm in
| Nell"
81 know that" retorted his daughter.
not spitefully, but with spinster's
stern solicitude ~ shouldn't be 30
much interested in her if 1 didn't
know that she's a good little thing.
| But she's giddy and thOughtless. /
shall really have to advise her uncle
to send her back to school again."
"She won't CO." said the colonel.
"And If she would, old Claris wouldn't
part with her. We must rely on the
effect of your sermons, Theodore"
| Father and daughter had carried on
this dialogue without including the
visitor in the conversation. so that
Otto, who prided himself upon being
an acute observer, had an opportunity
of peeping into the rooms on each side
of the passage, as the doors were
open, without moving from where he
stood.
He was much struck by what he
saw; by the carpets worn so thread
bare that there was no trace Of the
| pattern to be seen on them; by the
carefully darned table-covers, the
WORKOUT furniture. All was neatly
kept and spotlessly clean; all showed
q pinched poverty which there was no
attempt to hide.
| He withdrew with more apologies
as soon as the short discussion be-
tween father anu dauenrer was ended,
and rejoined his friend outside.
"Well," said Clifford, as Otto turned
toward Stroan in silence, land what
kept you so long talking to the severe
looking lady?'
81 wasn't talking. 1 was listening"
answered Otto, "and working out in
my mind romance, pitiful romance,
of the kind that is not snowy enough
for people to care to hear about"
"What! Do you mean to say that
Jordan's fallen in love with that ma
ture and lean spinster?" asked Cliff.
ford in establishment.
ooh, DEAR no. He's fallen in love;
I've found that out; but it is with the
usual maid of the inn-nobody half so
interesting as Miss Bostal"
Interesting"
Eyes. 1 have an idea that the lean
spinster is heroine. Not the sort Of
heroine one troubles oneself about, Of
course. But while they were talking
about certain Nell who is evidently
the object Of Jordan's priceless but
transient affections just now, looked
into their rooms, their poor little din
ing-room, their bare, long drawing
room, and I saw such a history Of
pinched lives and sordid struggles as