The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-02-12

morrow, should find that things
had moved onward since | was there
before-onward for them, backward
for us"
"Then you have not altered your
plans. You intend to continue being
wanderer on the face of the earth,
man whom the Cabinet keeps in
sight as being reckless enough and
clever enough to send on any Wild
goose chase they may have in hand"
"Do they keep me in sight on that
account, mother?"
II was told SO by Minister"
81 am glad to hear it. A man nay
get very good sport after wild geese,
and, who knows what may come of
his knowledge of the country at some
future day. tell you, mother, This
is an age of Notwithstanding
is at an end. My speciality is this
Central Asian question. At any
time, at any moment, we may find
ourselves upon the brink of the big
gest fight the modern world has
seen; then my time will come. Then
the first words of the War Office will
be: Send for Colonel Wright and
VINEYARD Mistley' one to plan,
the other to execute. When that
time comes, mother-nous verrons!"
I'm the meantime, it seems to me
that your entire life is being sacri-
feed to be in readiness for an event
which may never occur.''
Mother" said VINEYARD, with a
CHEEKY laugh, ''you are getting senti-
mental, and that will never do. If
you infect me, I shall die off in a
week. And as for talking in that in
sinuating manner about settling
down, how about a certain elderly
lady who is always flying about the
world - Scotland, London, Paris,
Rome, and even St. Petersburg
nursing the stricken, and consoling
such as are love-sick or martyrs to
indigestion"
when you marry, I will settle
down in cottage near at hand, take
to needle-work, and worry about
your. wife. There is Lena coming
alone; run away and meet her while
I go in and take off my bonnet"
They were now upon the stone
terrace, and Mrs. Mistley pointed
| down the valley as she walked to-
ward the house.
81 expect" said VINEYARD, partly
| to himself. "that Charlie has been
caught by the Sandfords."
At the head of the narrow steps
which he had just assembled, he drew
the note handed to him in church
from his pocket. 1t was in French,
| one line, in fine, clear handwriting.
meet friend tonight at the bot
tom of the small steps. I. M"
II. MI" unused VINEYARD. Ivan
Meyer; and he calls himself friend!
am gradually getting into fog
with all these muddling conspira-
tors"
Then he thrust the note back into
his pocket, and ran lightly down the
steps to meet Lena.
'.You are polite!" was her greet
ing.
Il am" hes replied, bowling low.
II am nothing if not polite"
"Then you are nothing" she an
swered saucily.
THANK you. was afraid you did
| not think so much of me-"
"You have allowed me- she con-
tinued, severely. ''to walk home
from church alone, and to carry this
unassisted."
She held out for his inspection a
tiny prayer-book, of which the
weight might safely be set down as
three ounces.
GOOD gracious!" exclaimed Win
yard, you do not mean to say that
you carried that all the way!" And
he gravely took the burden from her
hands. II thought Charlie was with
you," he continued, apologetically.
mo, Mr.. Mistley, I was alone"
at shall not occur again, Miss
Wright"
ut is not polite to mimic people,
Mr. Mistley,'' said Lena, looking
straight in front Of her. They were
at the foot of the stone stairs cut in
the wall, which were just broad
enough for two persons to pass.
Then her humor suddenly changed.
How very foolish we are!" she
exclaimed, laughing. Just as she
spoke she slipped backward, and her
laugh turned into a little cry of
! fright.
Go be continued.)