The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-12-07

AD9NH/MGSS@N DeAHS W Z
YEMNHtHS had obtrude
SSSGdSNA - itself upon
TfDxoN quiet hamlt
without ostentation and without caus
ing any untoward excitement. II
had been seen walking about the vii
iage street, scrupulously dressed. an,
gazing with apparently Interested eve
upon the various wares displayed il
Fhe one or two hucksters shops whicI
graced or disgraced, Brackley. Som,
people thought him a simple tourist
who had paused there while en- rout,
to other places of interest, for the en-
Virons of Brackley were not without
interest; in fact, they were historical
The yourg ladies of the village
thought him decidedly handsome. won.
dered who he was, and the more giddy
of them weaved romances around his
personality. The customers of the
iWeavers' Arms Hotel, where the stran-
ger had put up, settled the question in
stanter; he was an artist, who had
come to do sketching around about the
neighborhood. ard he was too shy to
say anything about It.
A week passed, and the mystery
deepened, more especially when it was
known that the stranger, Infatuated
with the place, had decided to stay an
other fortnight. His rambles Id the
wood, his comings and Ills goings gen
orally were the objects .of talk. specu.
laton and mystery to the whole of the
Population of Brackley.
~ TO Lily Asbury and Mrs. Asbury,
her mother the story of the stranger
had penetrated, butthe elder lady had
put the matter off lightly, and though
she had observed, netswithout interest,
the appearance Of the strangeruin the
neighborhood, she affected an uhconlI
Germ which was eminently in keeping
with her department as the. wife Of the
trustee Of the Down estate e
Sir Daniel Braclsley whose name
was good enough for nearly aathou-
sand acres of Northamptonshire's |
landed estatess was too much. a society
man to trouble about living oni his
property, and John Asbpry. to all in.
tents and purposes, occupied his sposiaI
tion. Certain it was that John Asburtd
managed the estate in a manner ,wor-
thy Of all commendation He was not |
hard on the tenants, and he was not |
too plant He wasa businesslikes fus-
sy old gentleman, apparently extreme
ly conscientious in his masters well |
fare, was extraordinarily patriotic to |
the estate, and while respected by anil
those of Brackley, commanded not
little fear from its humblest inhabi-
tants.
Mrs. Asbury was greatly perturbed
when one day she received the follow
ing letter from Sir Daniel BraclleyDoll
= MY Dear Mrs. Asbury---In the alb
sence of your husband, who, I under
stand, is somewhat unweH, and has
gone to Bournemouth for his health. /
am constrained to ask you to do me a
favor. NY nephew, Theodore Cross
ley, told me a week on. so ago that he
intended visiting in the neighborhood /
of Brackley, in order to look up some
antiquities In the neighborhood. He
is a rather shy, but extremely uncon-
yentional sort of young man, and /
shall be glad if you can do anything
to make his stay in the neighborhood
comfortable. l do not know when he
is likely to be in Brackley, but if /
have the opportunity | will let you
know. Be good enough to inform me
at your earliest convenience how Mr..
Asbury is progressing"
Why, mother" said Lily, who had
read the letter over her mothers shout
ders, "Crossley-why, that is the name
Of the mysterious young gentleman
who has been staying for more than
week at the Weavers' Arms. Hotel"
That Mrs. Asbury felt cross should
go without saying Really, it was too
bad Of Sir Daniel not to have given the
stranger a, letter of introduction SO
that he could have presented himself
to her on his arrival. why had the
silly fellow betaken himself to a vii
age hotel, with all its miseries, instead
Of coming to the house of the trustee. (
mere 70 ENJOY the hospitality that
would be so readily vouchsafed 10 a.
nephew of the great Sir Daniel Brack-
ey? FT #M F
But little timp was lost in -effectingl
wat was deemed requisite. and the
stranger, who had been the mystery !,
# Bradley village for atleast seven /, /,
lays, came sliylt to the house Of the :
Asburys, and foand himself ensconced
here to be welcomed by a prbfusion
# smiles and apologies by Mrs. As s
Jury herself; naive. gentle hand. c
hake on the part Of Lily; a boisterous, ii