Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-23
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Dream Of Paradise.

1t seemed to Wingrave that the days
| which followed formed sort of hiatus in
| his life-an interlude during which some
| other man in his place. and in his image,
played the game of life to a long forgotten
| tune. He moved through the hours as a
! man in a maze. unrecognizable to himself
! half unconscious. half needless OF the fact
| that the garments Of his carefully Guilt
waited antagonism to the world and to his
| fellows had slipped very easily from his
unresisting shoulders. The glory of a per-
feet English midsummer lay like a golden
spell upon the land The moors were pur-
pie with heather. touched here and there
with the fire Of the flaming gorse the wind
blew always from the west. the gardens
were ablaze with slowly bursting rhodo-
dendrons. Every CLEAN Of coloring. every
breath Of perfume. seemed to carry him
INTERESTINGLY back to the days OF his boy
hood. He fshed once more In the trout
streams; he threw away his stick and
tramped or rode with Juliet across the
moors. At night time she sang or played
with the windows open, Wingrave himself
out Of sight under the cedar trees, whose
perfume filled with aromatic sweetness the
still night air. Piles of letters came every
day. which he left unopened upon his study
table kilograms followed, which he threw
into the waste-paper basket. Juliet watch
ed the accommodating heap with amaze
ment
Whatever do people write to you so
much for?' she asked one morning, watch
ing the stream of letters flow out of the
post-bag.
Wingrave was silent for a moment Her
question brought sudden and sharp sting
Of remembrance. Juliet knew him only
Sir Wingrave Seton She knew nothing of
Mr.. Wingrave, millionaire.
Advertisements. good many of them
he said Il must send for Aynesworth
some day to go through them all
What fun" she exclaimed. do send
for him! He thinks that / am staying
with Miss Pengarth. and l haven't written
once since 1 got here!''
To Wingrave it seemed that chill had
somehow stolen into the hot summer morn
ing. His feet were very nearly upon the
earth again.
Il forgot" he said. that Aynesworth
was-a friend of yours. He came and saw
you often In London?"
She smiled refiectively.
HE has been very, very kind she an
sWered. He was always that. from the
Der? 1t was down in the lower gardens"
"Yes." he answered, Il remember quite
WELL
He was very kind to me then" she
continued, land you-well, I was frghten-
ed of you" She stopped for a moment
and laughed Her eyes were full of
amazed "reminiscences. You were so cold
and severe! l never could have dreamed
to be the dearest, most generous friend l
could ever have had! Do you know Wah
teri mean Mr.. Aynesworth-isn't very
pleased with me Just now?'
why not?'
HE cannot understand why l will not
tell him my guardians name, I think it
worries him.
YOU would like to tell him?" wingrave
asked.
She nodded.
IT think So" she answered
Wingrave said no more. but after break
fast he went to his study alone. Juliet
In front Of his table His great pile OF
correspondence was still untouched. She
came and sat on the edge of the table.
What are We going to do this morning,
Wingrave glanced toward his letters.
Il am afraid. he said. that ! must
spend the day here!''
She looked at him blankly.
Not really" she exclaimed. Il thought
that We were going to walk to Hanging
Tor?"
Wingraye- took up a., handful of letters
and let them fall through his fingers. He
had all the sensations of man who Is
awakened from a dream of paradise to face
the dull tortures of dreary and eventless
life. His eyes were set in fixed stare.
An undernote of despair was in his tone.
You know We arranged 1t yesterday
she continued eagerly. and IL you are go
ing to send for Mr.. Aynesworth you
needn't bother about these letters yourself.
need you?'
He turned and regarded her deliberately.
Her forehead was wrinked little with
disappointment. her brown eyes were filled
with the soft light of confident appeal. Tall
and elegantly slim. there was yet some
thing in the graceful lines of her figure
which reminded him forcibly that the days
of her womanhood had indeed arrived
(To be concluded next Sunday)