The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-23

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TflIcM quiet hamlet
without ostentatlon and without caus.
Ing any untoward excitement He
had been seen walking about the vii
lage street, scrupulously dressed, and
gazing with apparently interested eyes
upon the various wares displayed in
The one or two hucksters' shops which
graced, or disgraced, Brackley. Some
people thought him simple tourls!.
Who had paused there while en- ro1ri
% other places Of interest, for the en-
sirons Of Brackley We're not without
interest; IN fact. they were historical.
The young ladies Of the village
thought him decidedly handsome, won
nered who he was. and the more giddy
Of them weaved romances around his
personality. The customers Of the
Weayers' Arms Hotel, where the stran-
ger had put up, settled the question in
stanter; he was an artist, who had
rome to do sketchlng around about the
neighborhood. and he was too shy to
say anything about g.
A week passed. and the mystery
ieepened. more especially when 1t was
inown that the stranger, infatuated
with the place, had decided to stay an
,ther fortnight. His rambles In the
wood, his comlngs and his goings gen
.rally, were the objects OF talk. specu-
atom 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. but the elder lady had
put the matter on lightly. and though
the had observed, not without interest,
the appearance OF the stranger In the
aeighborhood, she affected an uncon.
tcrn which was eminently in keeping
with her department as the wife Of the
trustee Of the Down estate.
Sir Daniel Brackley. whose name
was good enough for nearly thou
sand acres OF Northamptonshire's
landed estates, was too much a society
nan to trouble about living on his
property. and John Asbury. to all in.
tents and purposes, occupied his posi-.
iion. Certain 1t was that John Asbury
managed the estate in manner wor-
thy of all commendation. He was not
hard on The tenants. and he was not
700 plant. Ne was businesslike. fus-
" old gentleman, apparently extreme
v conscientious in his masters wei
fare, was extraordinarily patriotic to
.he estate. and while respected by all
those Of Brackley, commanded not
little fear from its humblest inhabi-
.ants.
Mrs Asbury was greatly perturbed
when one day she received the follow
Ing letter from Sir Daniel Brackley:
MY Dear Mrs. Asbury-In the abb
sence Of your husband, who, l under
stand, is somewhat unwell. and has
gone to Bournemouth for his health, /
am constrained to ask you TO do me
favor. My nephew. Theodore Cross
ley. told me week or 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-
ventional sort Of young man. and l
shall be glad If you can do anything
to make his stay IN the nelghborhood
comfortable. do not know when he
Is likely to be In Brackley, but II l
have the opportunity l will let you
know. Be good enough to inform me
Mt your earliest convenience how Mr..
Asbury Is progressing"
why. mother" said Lily. who had
read the letter over her mothers shoul-
Gers. "Crossley-why, that is the name
OF the mysterious young gentleman
who has been staying for more than a
week at the Weavers' Arms Hotel"
That Mrs. Asbury felt cross should
go without saying. Really, 1t was too
ad of Sir Daniel not to have given the
ranger a letter of introduction so
lat he could have presented himself
her on his arrival Why had the
lly fellow betaken himself to viii
ge hotel, with all its miseries, instead
coming to the house OF the trustee,
ere to enjoy the hospitality that
buld be so readily vouchsafed to a
bhew Of the great Sir Daniel Brack-
s?
But little time was lost In effecting
hat was deemed requisite, and the
ttranger, who had been the mystery
of Brackley village for al least seven
days. came shyly to the house Of the
Asburys, and found himself enscohced
there, to be welcomed by profusitH
of smiles and apologies by Mrs As
bury herself; a naive, gentle hand
shake on the part Of Lily; boisterous,