New-York tribune., 1903-06-21

favorite among roses. among all howerss for Z
never meet 1t but It speaks to me OF Isabel
She heard me stir and faced about, with her
hand yet on the curtain ''Awake?' she cried.
and laughed-a gayer creature altogether
while I stared. puzzled for the moment to think;
where this room could be. and how came IN e.
You shall have basin OF bread and milk
presently and after that you may get up and
put on these" She held out suit OF clothes
which lay across her arm "I have borrowedi
them from Miss BeIcher. who distributes all
sorts Of garments at Christmas among thsf
youngsters hereabouts. and has rumrnased this
out or her stock. And after that-I have told
my father about you. and he viii be glad to-
make your acquaintance We shall find him tns
the garden And now I must go and see to pre-
pairing dinner, for it is past noons though YOU
may not know It. and we keep servant"
They must surely keep a gardener, thought
1 half an hour later, when. clad IN blue
jacket very tight at the elbows, and corduroy
breeches. very tight at the knees and warm
for the time Of year, descended with Isabel
into the walled garden at the back OF the cot
tage. Its whole area cannot have been half an
acre. and even so the half OF it was taken up
by a plot Of turf smooth bowling green.
bu- beyond this stretched miniaturs orchard.
and clean around the walls deep border
crowded with midsummer howers-tan whtts
lilies and Canterbury bells. stocks. sweet will
Jams. mignonette. candytUft and larkspurs:
bushes of lemon verbena. myrtle and the white
everlasting pea Near the house all was kept
in incest order. with trim ranks of standard
roses marching level with the turfed vsrges-
and tall carnations staked and bending tow
ard them across the alley, but around the or
chard all grew riotous. and the orchard itseif
ended in maze of currant bushes, through
which the path seemed to wander after the
sound of running water, till it emerged upon
another clearing Of turf. with tall fIbert
tree and a summer house beneath It, and row
of beehives set beside a stream The stream.
I aftervard learned. came down from Miss
Belcher's park-froIn the lake. in fact. where Mr.
Rogers and I had fed the swans-and was the
real boundary of the garden. but Miss Belcher
had allowed the major 10 build wall for pri-
vacy on the far side of it. yet not so high as
to shut off the sun from his bee skeps. and had
granted him a private entrance through It To-
the park. narrow wooden door. approached bz7
a miniature bridge across the stream
Papa called Isabel as We reached tha
edge of this small clearing.
I heard a movement in the summer house and
her father appeared in the doorway. He was
old. but held himself so erect that his head al
most touched the Intel of the summer houss
door, the posts of which he srIpped, and SO
stood framed. a giant OF close upon six and a.
half feet in stature. He brown holland
coat Of antique cut very full IN the skirts.
with waistcoat and breeches Of the same. blaczr
stockings and square toed shoes. and at first
nistook him for Quaker. His snow white hair.
long and plentiful. was gathered back from his
temples. giving salience TO a face OF t1eTabla
simplicity and goodness-the face OF q man az
peace with God and all the world yet touched
about the clean shaven chin with lines n which
an older observer might have read the scars
of bygone passions, healed but not obIiteratsd-
Still holding by the door posts. he bowed with
his eyes were sightless-
'T happy to make your acquaintance.
young sir. Ny daughter informs me that you
are in trouble
He has promised TO tell me all about IT." Izas
bel put in. I'VE need not bother him with quss-
tions just now
@.Assuredly not ne agreed "weIl. II yous
will. my lad. tell it to Isabel. What is your
age? Barely fourteen? Troubles at that aga
are not often tncurable. Only. whatever you do
and you will pardon old man for suggests
ing it-ten the whole truth. When a man.
though he be much older than you and his case
more serious than yours can possibly be-whsn
a man once brings himself to make = clean
breast of it. the odds are on his salvation Take
my word for that. and wiser mans-by ths
way. do YOU understand Latino
NO. sir
II am sorry to hear il. But perhaps you play
the drum?
II have never tried. sir
Dear. dear. this is unfortunate: but at least
you can serve by leading me around the
garden and telling me where the several flowers
grow and how they come That will he
something His brow cleared and he spoke
more cheerfuly-
Il viii try. sir. but indeed can hardly tell
one flower from another
At this his face fell again DO you. by
chance know a bee when you see one2'
a bee? Oh yes sir"
Come we have touched bottom az lengtht
Do you understand bees: Can you handle
them2
Here isabel. seeing my chapfaaen face. inter-
posed:
And II he does net. papa, you will have the
pleasure of teaching him"
Very true. my dear You must excuse me-
here Major Brooks turned as Z seeing me with
his sightlsss eyes They say that blindness
makes men patient. but I do not find Il so.'
He smiled. "It serves right. after encour-
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