Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-30

time The very park with its soft grasses
and deer in shadow pictures beneath the
trees, could conjure up vision of knights
and pages and stately danes and all the
witching pa8eantry of half-forgotten CEN
turtles. The great house itself might have
been the house of a thousand mysteries,
locked in banded Golfers, enshrined in
ghostly walls-crying aloud none the less
to him who would listen to the tongue of
stLsy of homage to worship at the gates
of such a temple this. And, standing So
he heard Woman's cry.
lie had walked across the park with slow
steps and come to the narrow bridge of
five Roman arches which spanned the shall
low river-shallow. save for deep pool
over which many a fisherman must have
thrown & skinul fly. Standing by the
balustrade to contemplate the picture, his
delighted eyes traced every tower and PIN
nacle of Melbourne Hall with an artists
ecstasy-thence looked out over the moon
lit park to glades of SURPRISING beauty
and scenes which the centuries had hallow-
ed. How inimitable it all was-the mighty
yews about which Elzabeth's courtiers
had grouped; the groves which had listened
to many a child of Pampinea-the fearsome
walls, what tragedies what comedies, had
been played within themi Even dullard
might contemplate the scene with awe.
| Gavin Ord was no dullard. and the spell
| II cast upon him was such as he had never
known in all his life So entirely did 1t
claim his mind and will that when he heard
a woman's low cry beneath the very bridge
| he stood upon he scarcely turned his head
| or gave the matter thought.
What had happened; whence came the
sound? Being repeated, he could no lon
ger ignore It. In truth. 1t awed him not a
| little; for it was not the voice of woman
in danger but Of one asking his pity, his
| help, as IT seemed, in low whispering
| voice which he now heard more clearly
than If strong man had shouted at him.
| Taking one quick glance at the river, Gavin
| declared that the cry could not have come
from there. Splashing and leaping over
/ hnt Iarc m rrh
/ across the stream, he Thought. Then
whence did the cry come? Turning about,
| TO the right, to the left, he discovered him
! self to be still alone. 1t was the voice or
| Imagination he began to say; and was about
to quit the place when he heard it for the
| third time, and so Enthusiastically that he
! no longer doubted it to he human
Some one called to him from the river
/ below the bridge.
| He climbed upon the old stone parapet
! and looked down straight to the black, ST.
| lent pool about the arches. So dark was 1t
| In the shadows that the keenest eyes might
not have perceived human being there
| Gavin Ord, however. saw the thing as clear
! " as in daylight woman's fair head with
| great sodden leaves about it and streaming
| black hair caught up upon the ripples
| shudder OF awe indescribable came upon
| him as he looked. For the woman was dead,
| he sald-had been long dead, and yet her
| voice spoke to him.
| lie knew that she was dead, for the
| water Tapped upon her half-ciosed eyes
| eddios swirled slowly about It. Every right
| instinct told him that this was vision
| and not truth OF the night He listened
! for the voice again; but II was Silent now.
| AS il ceased to speak to him, the spell
| vanished. He ran round quickly TO the
| river bank and clambered over the slippery
stones to the pools edge
II was black as night and void as the
! ether
| very far from supersutious one.
nod re
| he had been dreaming, his first act was to
| return to the path and laugh aloud at the
/ whole venture.
| to welcome me.
| None the less he tried to remember what
| he had eaten in the train for dinner and
| whether his recent nights had been late or
| early.
II shall get to bed at ten here he said
! to himself "and put in good walk before
| breakfast / have been doing good deal
| and | never was great at night work. OF
| course If told any one l should be writ
| ten down a liar. It's always the case when
| YOU hear or see anything the other man
! has not seen or heard
| He caught up his bag and marched on
| resoiutely up the wide graveled drive by
which you reach the great gate OF the
/ manor. A loud bell answering to his touch
| awakened splendid echoes In the courtyard
| OF the house and set the dogs barking with
| in When a footman opened to him he dis
\
| ing about a quadrangle and that Its main
door admitted him no farther than to the
| great square court OF which the chapel
and the banqueting hall were the chief
! ornaments. Above the latter lights shone
| brightly In many windows. But the court
/ yard itself lay In darkness.
I Say that Mr.. Ord is here" Gavin In
| structed the footman. and added: II am
very late. fear; was stupid enough to
miss the afternoon train"
! The footman. shutting the door with
| solemn formality. called another to his aid
/ that the dressing case might be safely con-
/ yeyed to the guests bedroom
els iordship was sayin' you wouldn't
| come sir. Longish walk by Moretown. too.
Wed have sent the motor. but the shut
| fer don't like late hours. rs lordship is
1 now In the boodoore along of the Lady
/ Evelyn. This is Mr.. GrigRs, the butler.
SIR
Gavin was not particularly interested in
1 the fact. but the butler In question had no
| intention OF being ignored. Al fat and
pompous man of fiat and ford yisage. he
stood IN majestic pose at the head OF the