The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-07-26
CHAPTER !.
n.4s~.-oI

hapS Paul might be surrounded by one
of these treacherous spring tides, and
carried away to sea before hand
could be stretched out to save him.
Her cheeks pale her eyes suffuse be-
fore the picture, luridly terrible as
Martins Deluge, that her own mag.
ination paints.
"Oh, know know" retorts Miss
Theodore, with the natural irritation
Of superior orthodoxy. This want OF
trust, this nervous, morbid anticipation
of evil. is the flaw Of your character,
Daphne. In former days, when we
were in the nursery, mothers had no
nerves to speak of-the better for their
children. With Pauls selfish temporal
ment, you may be quite easy as to his
taking care of himself urder all cir
cumstances. There he is trampling
down the flower beds at this momentl
However, if you insist upon 1t, will
carry my book down on the terrace
and keep guard-the pinks and gerani-
ums for very certain need guarding
until you return"
And so, before Mrs. Chester starts
upon her errand she has the comfort
of seeing Miss Theodore, in girlish,
broad-brimmed hat, the book of ele-
CANT literature in her hand, stifly pac-
ing up and down terrace at the bot
tom of the garden, while she keeps
watch and ward over Paul.
Goodbye, my sweet Be sure you
kill no more butterflies, and stay close
to Aunt Theodore, and remember the
currant cake. for tomorrow"
Thus Daphne admonishcs her SON
her ideas on education, as the reader
must observe, having their basis in the
doctrine of rewards and punishments,
of bribery and corruption. Then she
turns away down the narrow path
which leads to the side entrance Of
Fief- Refine, and Miss Theodore
and her charge are left alone.
The sun grows hotter ard hotter as
he sinks; the flower garden at this
hour Of the day is shadeless. Less than
half dozen turns upon the parched
sward of the terrace suffice to set The
odora Vansittart longing for the cool
comfort of the rose-scented, oak-foored
farmhouse parlor. And Paul is so
safe--Paul intent on mischief, slyly
watching Aunt Theodora's every move
ment from beneath his eyelashes- and
the very notion Of keeping sentry over
q boy three years of age is so ridic-
ulousi
Theodore, however, is woman of
hNrnv. rrnac. will nn1d ~ tho
letter though she transgress the spirit
of her promise. In the lower portion
Of the flowery arbor, at an angle COM
manding the egress toward the beach,
stands fig tree. ancient. wide spread
ing, beneath the natural arbor of
whose branches are placed rustic
table and some chairs. Thither Miss
Theodore transports her book. and ere
long, spectacles on her nose, is again
engrossed in the young ladies and gen
flemen of quality whose love adven-
lures form its staple. Paul, who would
seem to have made sudden unnatural
lapse into the ways Of virtue, loiters
quietly near, with finger on lip, with
eyes still stealing covert, quickly avert
ed glances at his warden's face.
Lower sinks the sun. hotter is the
air; the tide, as yet some distance off,
murmurs more articulately than does
the sultry wind among the garden
trees.
Theodore vans;ttart's head begins
to nod.
she RECEIVERS herself with a start,
adjusts her spectacles ard returns to
the fortunes Of her heroine.
Which is tie heroine in white satin,
and which is the attendant in cambria?
Is pursuant guilt OF flying virtue in
the ascendant?
Alasi Theodore fast approaches that
preludatory stage Of slumber in which
the senses continue to bring their mes.
sages to the brain, but without cohe-
sion or sequence. The smell Of the
lavender and lilies, the droning tide,
the printed characters of the page be-
fore her-of all these things she still Is
cognizant, but mistiiy. Some influence
she would fain struggle against, but
that perpetually gains the mastery,
floats between her consciousness and
the external world. She dozes. this
time in earnest; her head sinks for
ward again; the effort at recovering
herself is feebler; and Paul, finger on
lip, advances, and finds that the
crunch Of his little steps along the
gravel is unnotieed.
Presently the book, heroine and AL,
falls upon Miss Theodora's knee
Heroine? Nay, it Is no longer q
question Of fictitious love affairs. Theo-
dora Vansittart. girl Of twenty, in a
bishop -sleeved muslin and pink RIB
bons. is herself the centre Of a jealous
ring Of admirers at an al fresco garri
son ball. 1t Is IN Malta where her
father" Colonel George vanSlttariy
commands his regiment. She can zee
the smut-blue waters Of the port, thick.
ly studded with trim nen.0f.war and
gaudily painted native craft She can
see the many-tiled roofs Of GaDelia
and Consslcua, with the spires and
citadel OF Citta yecchia on the faint
horizon. The military band strikes
up some fashionable dance tune Of
the day; poor faded Miss Theodore
feels a remembered arm fteai round
her waist, hears a remembered voice
close to her ear. She whispers an
in the mazes OF the waltz she wills.
pers the "yes, that should have
brought warmth and color to another'i
life as well as hers And the volume
If elegant literature falls to the ground
the drone of the rising tide, the rustic