The Washington herald., 1906-11-27
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

Every morning she could be seen in her
garden shipping and picking and clipping
AND sCoIdinE. The gardens were divided
from the highroad by a low hedge Of holly
and hawthorn, carefully trimmed, and pre-
scented pleasant spectacle of lawn and
flower beds. I'm summer the place was
Say with cottage flowers, for Miss Beren-
garia- being old-flshiOned herself. would
have no neW-fangled impOrtations. The
flowers she loved were snapuragon, sweet
william. heart 's-ease. and all those hOme-
ly blossoms such as John Bunyan loved.
The house was covered with Virginia
creeper, Wistaria. and ivy, and through
the thick growth peeped the latticed win
dows under heavy eyebrows Of gray
thatch. It might have been a cottage out
Of a fairy tale for quainmess; and its mis-
tress might have been a fairy herself in
stature and oddity. The villagers liked
her, though she was rather dreaded.
"A sharp old lady" said the host Of the
Commission Arms. and quite the lady,
bless you, though she do keep fowls and
ducks. and though she DO sell her fruit
She looks Ike a gypsy by way Of dress
in the day, but when she claps her dia-
mands on at night, bless you. she's as
grand as the queen herself"
This report was perfectly true. Miss
Bcrengaria always dressed-as she put
iJ-1nyhow during the day: but at night
she appeared in silver gray silk covered
with costly lace. and wearing jewels OF
great value. Sine had a weakness for jew
els. and had many. which she wore every
evening. People hinted that she would be
robbed, as the cottage was situated in
rather a solitary position, and a quarter
OF a mile from the village. But Mss Be
rengaria was a stout-hearted old lady and
laughed such ideas 10 scorn.
rs il was now winter, Miss Berengaria
was attircd in a WinCey dress with a tar
tan shawl. and wore rubber boots on her
feet and large gardeners gloves on her
hands. Having finished clipping and
pruning she kept no gardener, saying she
knew more than a trained professional
she tripped round 10 the back Of the
house, where a colony Of fowls. pigeons.
ducks, turkeys, and geese welcomed her
coming with much noise Her hobby
amongst otheTs-was fowl-farmfng and
she gave up a large portion of her time
10 rearing and fattening birds for the
market As her income was five thou
sand year. there was no need for her
10 work so hard, but she was OUT N all
times and IN all weathers attending 60
her feathered pets. A particularly ugly
bulldog, called Sloppy Jane. accompanied
her. Miss Berengaria did not approve of
the name. but the dog would answer 10
no other, so it had to be adopted Sloppy
Jane was devoted to her mistress and to
Alice While Miss BeTengaria was feed
ing the fowls and wondering when the
gong would sound for breakfast Alice
came out with a paper in her hand. She
was tall, slim girl with 4 fair face and
brown eyes and hair. Not particularly
pretty, perhaps, but with such sweet
expression and such a charming DISPOSE
ton that young men fell In love with her
on the spot. Nor after a closer acQuaint-
ance did any see fit to change their opin-
ions Had Sir Simon seen her he might
have approved Of Bernards choice, but
there being a standing quarrel between
the old baronet and Miss Berengaria. on
the rights of a fOOtpath the old man had
never come near The Bower for years
The old gentlewOman, In spite of q rather
sharp manner, was fond of Alice. and
Miss MaIleson was devoted to her. The
morning was sharp and cold, but there
was a blue sky and occasional glints of
sunshine And I shouldn't wonder If We
had snow" said Miss Berengaria. looking
up. Perhaps a snowy Christmas. All,
we had them when I was a girl But
there! the weather's deteriorated like
everything else"
Aunt" said Alice, in a faint voice
Miss Berengaria always liked TO hear the
name, although she was no relative
Aunt
At the sound Of the faint voice the old
dame wheeled rOund-she was active In