The Cairo bulletin., 1906-09-26
The Baroness
BY l.. 4. Harker.


clifre, In Weusley Dale
The baroness had never been i
! England before She found the YORK
shire climate both cold and damp tina
September Her host and hostes
were kind and amiable, but il was no
to see them that she had come Il
her letter Of invitation Lady Watclff
had said.
Il hardly like to ask you to come t
Willansbe. 1t is only a small house
and we have no house party; our only
other guest will be Prof Ray. | thinl
you said you had met him some years
ago. Still ii you will venture, and il
you still feel the desire you expressed
IN Paris to see our Yorkshire moors-
know how charmed we shall be to see
you The heather is at its best now
SO try to give us a DAY or two.
So the baroness Went ~ Wiliansbe
and very dull she found It. However.
as she was generally bored, she did
NOT resent the ennui AS do more hap
! PLY constituted mortaIs Besides. she
had come for a REASON; and she could
wait
1t is very sad about Prof Ray"
said Lady Watcliffe. He looks dread
fully III, but he is so plucliy he won't
give in. You know he loves this part
of the world, and all the country Rolk
love him He comes here every year.
generally to us.
The baroness shivered. What is the
matter with him." she asked
No one know exactly. but it's some
thing incurable fatal He looks so hi.
but he never talks about himself and
is the best company in the world We
are devoted to him,
DO you know his wife, asked the
baroness, and there was a note of real
interest in her voice.
NOT we'll I've met her. she's littl,
and young. and gay, and the children
are beautiful"
Lady Watcliae sighed the Sigh of
the chidless woman.
Have you ever visited them"
Once They haze only Lie
house. such a pretty little gabled house
They are the aheeriest people ana find
something to laugh at all day long
The baroness asked no more ques-
tons. she found It difficult to conceive /
Of a menage where people found life /
so amusing
Three days later Rupert Ray and /
the baroness were sitting OF big |!
-CJnd stone in the middle OF q heath
ar- covered moor.
The sun shone and bees were busy |
n the heather The baroness had ia
Ken off her long gloves and her white
hands lay idly folded in her lap. Her
all sunshade, with its onyx handle,
ay on the heather beside her; she had
aiken off her hat, and the sunshine
,linted on the golden threads in her
admirably dressed bronze-cnloEs4+
lair.
She sat looking at her own pretty
lands. Now. when the baroness
o0ked down You lelt she could not
iossibly assume prettier attitude
Ter eyelashes We're so long and SO
urly But when she looked up, espe-
tally If she looked at you, it was plain
hat her greatest charm lay in the eyes
hemselyes-so biz, and blue, and
Rupert Ray turned himself regard
lg her with unfelgned pleasure. 1T Is
God to see you again Rosie; you are
rettier than everi'
"Ah, you have not forgotten the lit
g, funny name, Did YOU think that
Re schoolgirl you knew would grow Z
lto-me?" and she turned her white
anis inwarls 10 emphasize the me
You were hardly schoolgirl at
apri You impressed me as a very 5
ever young lady indeed BY Joye' c
rough. how time does fly, ten years
yo!"
1T may fly for yOu!" pouted the bar
hess; 1T ereeps and crawls for some G
'Ople DO you know" she continued
owly that I was rather in love o.
it'll you al Capri?" 81
II know that was more than "
ither in love with YOU" d
All" said the baroness, and there 81
as a world Of meaning in that All"
Rupert Ray laughed. And how was p
wretched student at the Neapolitan
azione to aspire to you-you. with ~
ur ten languages, and your ewes. -"
"a your charms2 Besides. / had an
.mense respect and affection for youi Al
rents You see, they trusted me and w
aated me Ike a son; and there was ].
use in signing for the mooni" 81
You certainly did not sigh long %
lother IS months and you had mar
ID the little English girl who wrote 81
II serious letters. ] remembers -
p still serious ne
Rupert gazed into space over the w
athery moor, with a look in bis eve
AZ the baroness hardly understood. "a
ne answered. Serious hardly des. la
hes her. She was only - when you
"a to hear Of her ma
Have Won her photograph" she
led. cUriCusly.
De took worn old p1ctetbool, from ~,
brea.t pocket IN DO VAS the pho n.
.rs9h Of iarge-eyeI little eirL 1T III,
the only one ! have, bui it is very -
q her Still on
;he looked ar 70 III s1-rcc for some IN,
ments; thea She s.if. There are ,c