Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-10-06
CHAPTER XVII.

Despite all her hurrying, Yolande did
not manage to get away from London
on the day following; it was not until
early the next morning that she and her
mother and the maid found themselves in
the train, and the great city left behind
Tor good. The weather was brilliant
and shining around them, and the au-
tumn-tinted woods were glorious In color.
10 these, or any other passing object,
1olande, in her capacity of guardian,
drew cheerful attention, treating the
journey, indeed, as a very ordinary ev-
ery-day affair; but the sad-eyed mother
seemed hardly capable OF regarding any
thing but her daughter-and that some
times with little bit Of stealthy cry
ing.
"Ah," she said in those strangely hol-
lowed tones, 'it is kind of you to come
and let me see you for a little while"
"A little while? What little while,
thenT said Yolands, with a stare.
Until l go back, away from you"
said the mother, regarding the girl with
an affectionate and yet wistful look. at
was In dream that l came away from
the house with you. You seemed call
ing me In dream. But now l am be-
ginning to wake. At the station there
were two ladies'; 1 saw them looking at
us, and l knew what they were think
ing. They were wondering to see beau
tiful young life like yours linked to a
life like mine; and they were right.
could see it in their eyes"
They would have been better employ
ed In minding their own business, said
Yolande, angrily.N
The mother seemed more and more fas-
cinated by the society of her daughter;
and appeared quite absorbed in regard
ing the bright, young, fresh face, and In
listening with strange curiosity for the
slight traces of foreign accent that re-
mained In Yolandes talking. As for the
girl herself, she bore herself in the most
matter-of-fact way. She would have no
sentiment interfere. And always it was
assumed that her mother was merely an
invalid whom the sea air would restore to
health; not word was said as to the
cause of her present condition.
Worthing looked bright and cheerful
on this breezy forenoon. The wind
swept yellow-gray sea was struck
cleaning silver here or there with floods
of sunlight; the morning promenade1s
had not yet gone In to lunch; band
was playing at the end Of the pier. When
they got to the rooms, they found that
every preparation had been made to re-
ceive them; and in the window they
discovered a large telescope which the
little old lady said she had borrowed
from a neighbor whose rooms were un-
let. Yolande managed everything-Jane
being a helpless kind of creature; and
the mother submitted occasionally with
touch of amusement appearing in her
manner. But usually she was rather
sad; and her eyes had an absent look in
them.
That same afternoon they went for
drive along some Of the inland country
lanes; and as they soon found that the
stolid, fat, and placid pony could safely
be left under the charge of Jane, they
got out whenever they had a mind, to
look at an old church or to explore banks
and hedge rows, In search of wild flow
ers. Now, this idle strolling, with occa-
sional scrambling across bitches, was
light enough work for one who was ac-
customed to climb the hills Of Altman
ba; but no doubt 1t was fatiguing enough
to this poor woman, who, nevertheless,
did her very best to prove herself cheer
full companion. But it was on this fa-
tigue that Yolande reckoned. That was
why she wanted her mother to be out all
day in the sea air and the country air.
What she was aiming at was a certainty
Of sleep for this invalid Of whom she
was in charge. And so she cheered her
on to further exertion; and pretended
an eagerness in this search for wild flow
ers, which was not very real (for ever
in the midst of 1t, some stray plant here
or there would remind her of a herba-
rum far away and of other days and
other scenes); until at last she thought
they had both done their duty; and so
they got into the little carriage again
and drove back to Worthing.
That evening at dinner she amused her
mother with long and minute account
of the voyage to Egypt, and of the
friends who had gone with them, and
of the life on board the dahabeeah. The
mother seemed peculiarly interested
about Mr.. Leslie; and asked many Ques-
tions about him, and Yolande told her
frankly how pleasant and agreeable a
young fellow he was, and how well he
and his sister seemed to understand each
other, and so forth. She betrayed no
embarrassment In expressing her liking
for him; although, in truth, she spoke
in pretty much the same terms of Col.
Graham.
"Mr. Leslie was not married, thenT
"Oh, no."
"It was rather q dangerous situation