Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-28
CHAPTER III-Continued.

As the child went quickly to the door he
motioned Milbanke to the table and took
his own place at it's head.
mo ceremony here" he said. This is
Liberty Hall" Taking up a decanter. he
poured some sherry into his friends glass
then. filing his own. drank the wine with
evident satisfaction.
Gradual decay is what we're suffering
from here. James," he went on. Every
thing in this country Is too id old The
only things In this house that have stood II
the wine and the silver. The rest-the
woodwork. myself and the linen-are I'M
sound. you see:" He laughed again with
a shade Of sarcasm. and pointed to where
a large hole In the damask table cloth was
only partially concealed by a SPLENDID salt
cellar of Irish silver.
Accumulated time Is the disease were
suffering from. 'Tisn't the man who uses
time in this country. but the man who kills
1t. who's mastered the art of living. Oh
we're wonderful people, James," He
slowly drained and slowly refilled his glass
As he laid down the decanter the door
opened and Nance reappeared and quietly
took her place at the table Almost imme-
diately she was followed by Burke, In a
black coat and wearing a clean collar
For a second Mlbanke marveed at the
domestic arrangements that could compress
a valet. a butler and a coachman into one
easy going personality; the next, his atten-
ton directed to two great dishes, which
were placed. respectively. before his host
and himself.
Just hermit's fare. James-the product OF
the land, ASShlin exclaimed, as Burke I'M
covered the first dish, revealing a gigantic
turkey. Will you cut yourself a shaving
of ham?
With passing sense of impotence Mil
banke gazed at the great glstening ham
that had been laid before him: then the
healthy appetite that exposure to the sea
air had aroused lent him courage, and he
picked up a carving knife.
But the execution OF the ham was des-
tined TO postponement Scarcely had
he Strengthened himself to the task
than a quick bang of the outer door
was followed by hasty steps across the hall,
and the last member of the household ap-
peared upon the scene.
Almost before he saw her Milbanke was
conscious of her voice-high and clear with
youthful vitality: softened and rendered
piQuant by native intonation.
"Oh. father. such a gallop! Such fun!
And l won The bay cob was nowhere be-
side Polly: Larry was mad!' The string OF
words was poured forth In irresistible ex-
element before she had reached the door.
Once inside, she paused abruptly, her whole
animated face flushing.
oh, forgot she said. In sudden. naive
dismay.
She made a quaint picture as she stood
there In the light of the candles and the
fire. her slight, immature figure arrayed In
worn and old-fashioned riding habit. her
hair covered by boys cloth cap, her fin
gers clasping one of her fathers heavy
hunting crops. But It was neither dress
nor attitude that drew Milbanke's eyes from
the task before him-that incontinently sent
his mind back thirty years to the days when
Denis Asshlin had seemed to stand on the
threshold of life and look forth. as by right
divine, upon the pageant of the future
There was little physical likeness between
the girl trimming with youth and vitality
and the hard, prematurely aged man sitting
at the head of the table: but the blood that
giowed in the warm. olive skin, the spirit
that danced and cleaned in the hazel eyes
was the same blood and the same spirit tina,
had captivated Milbanke more than a quar-
ter of a century before.
The unlooked-for sensation held him spell
bound. But almost rudely the spell was
broken. Scarcely had Clodagh's sxclama
tion of dismay escaped her than Asshlir
broke into one of his boisterous laughs.
Forgot did your he cried well. twas
like you. Come here?' He put out hi:
hand and as he did so a sudden expression
OF pride and affection softened his hard
face.
Here's the widest scapegrace of a