Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-06-03

CHAPTER VII.

Three months went by. and brought an
early spring For some reason, known
only to herself Cor possibly to that
strange being, Mss Traill), the Woman
in Gray had insisted on the public an
nouncement of her new relationship with
the ex-Home Secretary being delayed I'M
til Lorn Abbey should be fit for home
coming.
'When you begin life at Lorn Abbey"
she had written to my uncle your home
may be my home, if you will, but not be-
fore. 1t is only within, but have a
strange yearning for that house. / want
the new order of things to commence
there"
So the formal adoption of Consuelo
Hope as the daughter of Sir Wilfrid Am
DRY was to be celebrated by dinner and
a ball, which would also constitute the
"house- warming at the newly purchas-
ed, newly decorated Lorn Abbey, one
| night during the second week in April.
l had taken chambers in Whitehall
Court. and was to spend Saturday and
Sunday at the Abbey when l chose. But
1t had been a whim 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 a weekfor more.
An odd sense of being in the midst of a
dream was upon me as | got out of the
train at the railway station at Marten-
head. | sent on my luggage and decided
to walk up to the Abbey, having purpose
ly failed to specify the train by which !
would arrive.
Presently l crossed the last stile, and
found myself in the struggling outskirts
of the village. Then on past the albur-
num- powered cottages and smart new vii
las, and along the road leading to Lorn
Abbey. already arehed 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
tage, which was called The Nest, was
80 let-unfurnished, but now it had
evidently been lately taken.
| glanced carelessly up, wondering If
the new inmates of The Nest would prove
to be acquaintance or strangers, when 4
sudden fash of vivid scarlet color be-
tween the curtains of a central window
caught and arrested my eye. A woman,
dressed in red, was peeping out at ole. l
walked on thoughtfully. Why had my
| uncle's new neighbors thought it neces-
sary 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 a whim seized me to enter by
another way. / was not expected at any
particular time, therefore d slight detour
could Inconvenience nobody.
| walked on. past the high wall and
long stretch If hedge, newly trimmed, I'M
til 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 triangular shaped field
was a stile, and / leaped over, skirting
along the hedge within. In the distance
cleaned the river, and half way between
doomed the tall tree which sheltered the
grave Of the murderess, Florence
Haynes.
Now, to my surprise. l found that some
one else had been before me. The tall
| figure of a man was silhouetted against
| the sunny yellow-green background and
could see that lie was stapding still
with bent head, and hands behind him.
| close to the spot where the stone indi-
eating the low grave rose above the
| grass.
| His back was toward me, and my foot
falls on the springy turf did not warn
him of my approach. l had got close
| enough to see that he was young. dark
haired. and well dressed, before the
cracking of some small twig under the
pressure of my boot caused him to start
aud glance over his shoulder. That
movement showed me face which, once
seen, and only for an instant, would new
er be forgotten. Even had he not turn
ed TO regard me deliberately, as l drew
nearer TO him, ! should have known the
man again after a lapse of twenty years.
1t would have been impossible to fancy
handsomer face 1t was 900 hand
some, indeed, TO belong to any one save
an actor. worshiped by foolish girls, or
| an artists model; and yet there was a
certain latent suggestion of strength in
| ii, too.
Seeing me, he at once turned and rap
| Idly walked away. and l very soon had
my curiosity so far satisfied as to see him
turn in at the gate Of The Nest. Then l
retraced my steps, and went slowly on
toward the house.
Dinner was over. In honor of Sir Will