Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-26
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE
Copyright by Henry
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1905. By Henry Holt & Coz

| from winter-kll and fly" Then be ex-
| hibited the barns and outbuiidings and
/ stock as il Karl were a prospective buyer.
| And the young man viewed it all with huge
| approval and made bard-headed sugges-
tons that pleased the squire. Here was a
son-in-law after his own heart
They sat long over the evening tea-so
long that Karl missed the evening service.
He was in high spirits. He laughed and
ioked and beamed upon Rose, and the old
man reflected his joy: he fairly purred In
his content Things were moving smoothly.
t. 1t was perfectly natural that Rose should
| be sober. She had gone through an ex-
| perience that was enough to fill lifetime
with shudders-but it would end all right
She needed diversion. and merry company,
and she was getting it.
That night. as she started for her room,
he spoke to her with unusual tenderness.
The day has done you good, Dot" He
put his hand on her shoulder and looked at
at her admiringly. Il haven't seen so much
| color in your cheeks for a long time. Oh,
we know all about it, you rogue. You can't
| fool u.s. Ho. no. ho!' He chucked her un-
der the chin playfully.
But. father"
'Oh, come. come now; don't say word
about it, he cut her off jovially. Il know
| just how it is. Girls have to go through
| just about so much nonsense. It's born in
en- Ho. no. no! But you go to sleep, and
get rested. Dot. Sleep just as longs you
want to: that's what's going to put you
right onto your feet again. Don't you worry
one bit. Wal. good night She wavered
moment as if about to speak. then turned
and ran quickly UP the stairs.
Her room was the garden side She
blew out her light she entered. She
would sit by the window in the cool night
air. She wanted to think. A young moon
was casting in a weird twilight, and the
thrill and odors of the growing spring were
breathing up from the garden like a greet
ing.
She had hardly closed the door when
sonnet hing drOpDa6 with little crash
the window and rolled with metallic tink-
lings into the center of the room. Her first
thought was that she had pushed something
from the bureau. and half automa tically
she CROPPED to pick 1t up. A moment and her
hand struck tia pine cone. How came
pine cone In her room? 1t must have come
in at the open window. There was a paper
on TIA note. He was out there; 1t was
message from him. Her heart went off in
fiutter. and her hand trembled so that she
could hardly dsentangie the dainty little
misslve What did it say? To light the
lamp and examine it was out of the ques-
ton. He would know at once what she was
doing. A moment and she went into the
opposite room, closed the door and struck
match. A candle was on the little table.
Dear Miss Hartswick: am in the garden
under your window. May I see you for
moment and speak to you? / must see you
some time. The other day in the mountains
you were with me only by accident, and l
would not take advantage of the accident to
tell you what / must tell you. May l see
you. if it is only for moment? | am sit
ting on the bench by the crocuses and wait
ing for you.
Il am. honestly. yours,
JAMES FARTHING"
She blew out the candle instantly, as if
in spite of the inner room he could see her.
Then she stole back. AS she entered again
the sweet thrill of the April night stole up
and greeted her like the breath of a lover
Then she sat for a moment on the side of
the bed and tried to think
The note was still in her hand. After
time she went into the opposite room again,
and, relighting the candle read it twice
over. There were fairness and passion
and boyish honesty in every line. How