Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-14

and he was learning TO carry thin:
with a high hand. The travellers liz
been preceded by Bertier, and Il
greeting they received from the stew
ard of the estate and his inmumerMh,
| assistants was very Italian and full &
color. A break in their monotony wa
welcome
The loneliness of the villa and H..
grounds. which sloped down to TN
gentle lake. silcnced criticism. For !.
time il was suprcmely satisfying TO d
nothing. Ppttingill wandered about,
as though he could not believe it was
| real. lie was lost in kind Of Mt
nospherc Of ecstasy. To tho others,
who took II more calmly. 1t was still
sort of paradise. Those who were
happy found In II an intensiilcation of
| happiness. and 10 those who were sad
II offered the tcnderest opportunities
for melancholy. Mrs. Dan told Brew
ster that only a poet could have had
| this inspiration. Aud Peggy added
Anything after this would be an an
ticlima1 Really. Monty, you would
better take us home
|
Il closet for punishment and found il
the place where they kept the jam,
said subway. at is almost as good
as owning Central park"
| The stables were we'll equipped. and
the days wore on in a wonderfU
peace. II was on Il radiant afternoon
| when twelve Of the crowd had startc,
out after tea for a long ride tOwaru
Lugauo. that Monty determined to ca.
Peggy Gray TO account He was Ger
tain that she had deliberately avoidc'
| him for days aud weeks. and he cUu,,
find no reason for it, Hour after ho;.
he had lain awake wondering whcr'
he had failed her. but tue cOnclusio'
Of one moment was rejected the ne;
The Monte Carlo episode seemed t!s
most plausible cause. yet even befor,
that he had noticed thar whenever h'
| approached her she mana ged to l.,
| talking with some one else. Two o,
| three times he was sure she had scor
his intention before she took rcfu.
with Mrs. Dan or Mary Valentino e..
Pettingill Tho thought Of the las
name gave Monty sudden thrill
| What If 1t were he who had come be.
| tween them: 1t troubled him, hut
there We're moments when the idea
| and started off the exhilaratiOn of the
ride made him hopeful. They were to
| have dinner in the open air in the
shadow of an abbey ruin some miles
away. and the servants had been sent
ahead to prepare il. 1t went well. and
with Mrs. Dams help the dinner was
made gay. On the return Monty. who
was off last. spurred up his horse to
Join Peggy. She seemed eager to he
with the rest. and he lost no time with
prea mble.
do you know Peggy" he began,
something seems to he wrong, and |
am wondering what it is
"Why. what do you mean. Monty"
as he paused
Every time ! come near you child
you seem to have something else to do
If Join the group You are in 1t is the
| signal for you to break away"
Nonsense, Monty. Why should
avoid youI We have known one an
other much too long for that" But he
thought he detected some contradiction
In her eyes. and he was right The girl
was afraid Of him. afraid Of the scnsa
tons he awoke. afraid desperately of
betrayal.
"Pcttingill may appeal to you" h.
said, and his voice was serious. but
You might at least he courteous to me ="
| How absurd you are, Monty Brew
ster." The girl grew hot You needn't
think that Your million gives you the
| privilege Of dictatiOn to all of your
guests"
Peggy. How can your he inter-
| jected.
She went on ruthlessly. III my con
duct interferes with your hghness
pleasure | can easily join the Prestons
in Paris"
Suddenly Brewster remembered that
Pettingill had spoken of the Prestons
and expressed a fleeting wish that he
might be with them In the Latin quar-
ter. with Pettingill to follow. sup
pose" he said Jelly. III would certain
ly give you more privacy"
| And Mrs. Dan more opportunities, :"
she retorted as he dropped back toward
the others.
The artist instantly took his place
The next moment he had hallengeo
her to race and they were flying
down the road in the moonlight Brew
ster. not to be outdone. was after them
but II was only n moment before his
horse SHE'D violently Mt something
black in the road Then he saw Peg.
gy's horse gallOping riderless. Instant.
ly. with fear At his throat he had dis,
mounted and was Mt the girls side.
She was not hurt, they found; only
bruised and dazed and somewhat lam
ed. a girth had broken and her sad
Alc turned. The crowd waited, silent
| and som what awed, until the carriage
with the servants came up and she was
put into II. Mrs. Dams maid was there,
and Peggy insisted that she would
have no one else. BUT as Monty helped
her In he had whispered: You won't
go. child, will YOU? How could things
60 on here?"
CHAPTER XXN.
|"HE peacefulness Of fairyland
was something which Brewster
could not afford TO cOntinue