The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-21

WISH John would come home"
ssh said Mrs. Carrisbrooke, for The
nineteenth time since luncheon.
IF you would let me light the lamps
and draw the curtain, Miss Aggie."
said Ferguson, who. having been nurse
to Margaret Carrisbrooke's mother be-
fore her, could not get used to the fact
that her mistress had for several years
now had a right to a more matronly
title, IF you would let me draw down
the blinds, pull the curtains well across
and light the lamps. you wouldn't feel
so nervous. Sitting here in the dusk
like that Is enough to make any one
feel spidery, I'm sure
FERGUSON. I've got no patience with
youi" cried Aggie Carrisbrooke. You
think nobody can think but yourself.
and you can't think bit. You know per-
fectly well that lamps can't be lit with
out oil and that there's no gas and no
electricity in this horrid old ramshackle
cottage. How selfish men arei 1 hate
meni"
And little Mrs. Carrisbrooke looked
more like Miss Aggie" than ever, as
she shook the curls out OF her eyes, in
which two angry teardrops were pearl
ing, and rubbed her flushed cheeks
into flame with a square inch OF Va
lenciennes bordered handkerchief.
1t had seemed to the Carrisbrookes
the jolliest and most unconventional
| thing in the world TO take Hambledon
cottage, instead OF making the round
of autumn visits which they usually
made before settling down in their
coZy little fiat in Curzon street. The
cottage was a small one, comfortably
furnished. and had been built Mrs.
Carrisbrooke declared. when she first
saw It, in the later days of Noah. for II
combined much OF the architecture of
| the ark with several small conven-
fences which long confinement in that
structure must have taught him to be
/ useful.
Both Aggie and her husband had the
! same tastes: both were fond of shoot
ing. and the cottage carried some good
| shooting with IL. Besides both wife
| and husband were motor car enthu-
slasts, and for the first few weeks at
Hambledon time flew by very swiftly
Then one day-the day of this story
1T occurred TO Mrs. Carrisbrooke that
they had seen enough of one another:
tnat they were "a guestless and forlorn
/ OLD couple" and she dispatched her
husband out Into the highways and
hedges to bring guests. In other
words. she sent him with the car to
| Badmington to bring back Florence
and Jack Fotheringay. who had been
married on the same day as the Car
risbrookes and were their closest
\ friends.
FLORENCE can bring her maid" said
! Mrs. Carrisbrooke to her husband as
he left, and she and Ferguson are all
the servants that we want: besides
which. Dickson"-Dickson was the
chauffeur-"will always lend a hand, IL
necessary. And mind that you are
back for tea at o'clock"
1t was past 5, and had been growing
dusk since 4, and not until too late did
| Aggie Carrisbrooke remember that she
| had forgotten to order In more petrol
| from the village for the lamps that
morning. The lamps in the GOTTA pc
were of the old-fashioned, petrol burn
| ing kind, and in the morning. when her
husband started off upon his guest
hunt, as he called II, he had bespoken
their contents to I'LL his tanks, and
| promised that he would order a fresh
supply for her in Hambledon as he
passed through.
Manlike, he had forgotten all about
! II; unfortunately, his wife had not
/ thought OF IL, either; Ferguson did not
| know that there was no lamp oil and.
in consequence. the house was light
less.
Where are you going. Fergusson?"
Down to the village, mum, for oil to
I'LL the lamps. You can't sit here in the
dark. with nothing but the flicker of
| the fire to see by, and"
FERGUSON, / absolutely forbid you
! to go out! Do you think am going to
sit here all alone. with not living soul
| In the house except Jasper"-Jasper
was the cat-"while you go down to
| Hambledon and back again? Why,
should die OF fright! I'm frightened
| as 1t is. This house is horribly lonely,
and there have been all SORTS of awful
| stories in the papers lately about at
tacks on lonely women and What's
| that?"
That" was a branch OF the chestnut
| tree out in the lane which gust of
wind had blown against the iron gate,
| rafting ii across the bars with rather
| an uncanny sound. I'm getting hor-
ribly frightened, Fergy," said her mis-
tress. But Ferguson. a stout old lady
| OF the mother OF the British yeoman
type. laughed at her. sat down in the
armchair by the fire and drew Miss
| Aggie's" head onto her shoulder
II do wish John would come back"
remarked Mrs. Carrisbrooke again
| ''Fergy. there's somebody down at the
| gate leading into the lane-a mani 1
saw him, and he's trying to climb over
| Oh, Fergy. Fergy. we shall all be muir
edred in our bedsi"
Now. don't you be foolish, Miss Ag-
! gie-don't you now." said Ferguson.
We can't be murdered in our beds
/ while were sitting by the drawing
room fire. And there isn't anybody at
the back garden gate. Why should
| there be?"
The gate leading into the lane behind
| Hambledon cottage was never used
and had not been opened since the