The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-12-28

tence. From Tie silver Faucet in Miss
Morton's marble bathtub she was
drawing water for the cut glass she
held. Besides, Miss Morton had spo-
ken more than half to herself.
1t had been only three days now that
Miss Gray had been with her in the
Capacity Of companion, and already
Miss Morton found herself exchanging
that young persons status from COM
panion to contidante. She had always
had a liking for her, this girl with tho
tired. pale face and the sweet, sudden
smile, ever since the day when she
had come personally to explain that
there had been some little mistake in
the ordered dinner cards and to make
her apologies. 1t appears she had Civ
Ell the dinner ladies powdered silver
hair instead Of dazzling gold. That
had been at the beginning of last sea-
son. During the present summer the
little sketches that she had been able
10 sell hadn't proved sufficient for her
to exc out even n modest existence
with. Miss Morton was looking for Il
companion. and she had offered her
services. That is the way it had all
come about.
There was the rhythmic thud-thud of
horses hoofs on macadam, and Miss
Morton's brown cobs whirled through
an iron gate into modest drive and
came to an abrupt halt under her
porte cochere. A gray drizzle had set
IN, hut -hot hot 10
ard Orchard? The fine drops of rain
driven against his face by the pace Of
the cobs had been an eXhilarating de-
light to him, and as Miss Morton was
wheeled into the library to greet him
he was positively cordial.
Miss Morton had forgotten her lor-
gnon. Being very shortsighted, she was
at a loss to know exactly where her
companion had placed the gentians.
And above all things, should the sight
of the flowers bring an appreciable
fraction of pleasure into Orchards i'm
mobile face she didn't want to lose the
sight She rang for Il maid.
"Ask Miss Gray to fetch me my
lorgnon," said she.
$50 you remembered" The exclama-
ton came from Orchard, and Miss Nor
ton lost the sight she had wished for,
after all. He had crossed to an ebony
cabinet on top of which stood the cut
glass vase. awkward things to ar
range in vases, though" he commented
laconically, as if regretting his burst of
emotion.
Eyes, that's what my companion said.
She went out willingly enough in all
this drizzle to pluck them, but she
SHE'D at arranging them in a vase.
She assures me they belong to the
fields, and
But Orchard veered quickly around.
In the mirror back of the ebony cabi-
net he'd caught the reflection of a girls
face Before he had seen her face,
though, he had recognized her There
was no other woman he knew who
held her head so proudly and at the
same time had that waverinS little
walk so at variance with the queenly
carriage of her head.
emily" he cried. you"
The girls hand which held the lor
gnon clutched it tightly and went up to
her breast The other half CROPPED to-
ward him, as with a little incredulous
cry she repeated the one word, Your
"Too bad, too bad" murmured kind
hearted Miss Morton indulgently to
herself that evening, laying down her
Goethe unread The day had cleared
beautifully. The last scrap of estate
settling business had been attended to,
and now her lawyer and her COM
panion We're enjoying Il bit of the mel
low harvest moon out on the back
veranda. TOO bad! / was just begin
ming to congratulate myself on what
treasure Miss Gray would be in my de-
clIning years. and now-the end Of the
beginning or the beginning Of the end.
Marie" she said, turning TO the maid,
take those homely blue flowers away.
Take them UP to Miss Gray's ROOM"