The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-22

| done the captains sporting creed and not to seek understanding, The mans high spirits made a sure appeal to her. one could not comprehend 1t wholly-but she had to admit that none of all her fathers widening circle had ever appealed to her as thls nimble-tongued adventurer, who could make her heart quicken every time their hands touched.
 "I don't like It," she said anon, and I don't want anything to do with 1t. You make Whirlwind win the race and nobody will be hurt If they bet against the horse, what Is that to me? How can l help what they think-and l don't care either if they are so foolish, Didn't you promise me that I should see him gallop this morning2 I wouldn't have motored over otherwise, You said that there was to a Trial-"
 "DiVine angel, we are at your feet al- ways. Of course, there a Trial, Am 1 so foolish to suppose that you came oyer to see Willy Forrest-eh, whate Have 1 lost the funny bone up above? Barrier Is going to gallop the nags Tn l half an hours time. Your smoke ma l chine can take us up the hill and there 1 we'll form our own conclusions. You l leave the rest to me. 1t will be bright l sunny morning when they put any salt on | Willy Forests tail-eh, what?" l She admitted the truth with the first 1 smile he had seen since she entered the 1 cottage. His quick bustling manner, the deference he always paid to her, despite 1 his odd phrases, won upon ther good hu- mor and led her to open her heart to | him.
 My father is going mad" she said | quietly-his startled "eh, what?' not pre- venting her: we are making her house home for the destitute, and the first rived just three weeks ago. Imagine l flaXen-haired image of righteousness, who draws my portrait on the covers of books and puts feathers in my hat. He is i in love with me, Willy, and he is to be l my big brother. Yesterday l took him l to Ranalegh and heard a discourse upon l the beauties of nature and the wonders of l the air and the, sky. Oh, my dear man what a purgatory and what an event. We are going to sell our jewels presently and to live in Whitechapel. My father, 1 must tell you, seems afraid of this beauti- ful apparition and implores him every l day not to go away. I know that he | stops because he is inclined to make love to me.
 "Whew-so it's only inclined at pres ent?'
 Absolutely as you say. There ap- pear to be two of us. l have been ex- l pecting a passionate declaration-but the recollections of feeth cred beauty l who once lived in fairly palace, in | a wonderland where you dine upon red | herrings-she is my hated rival. l am l more beautiful observe-that is con- ! ceded, but he cannot understand me- | The feathered hat has become my sal | vation. My great big brother can't
 get over it-and oh. the simplicity of the child. the youthful verdant con 1 fidence. my Willy. Don't you see that
 the young man thinks I am an angel
 and is wondering all the time where
 the wings have gone to-"
 "Ha, ha--hed better ask Paquin. Are
 you serious, Anna?"
 As serious as the lord high execu-
 tioner himself. My father has adopted a youth-and I have a big brother He i has consented to dwell in our house
 and to spend our savings because he
 believes that by so doing he is in 1 some way helping me. l don't in the l least want his help, but my father is
 determined that I shall have it. l am
 not to bestow my young affections
 upon him-nor, upon the other hand,
 am I to offend him. Admit that the
 situation is delightful. Pity poor
 maiden in her distress''
 Willie Forrest did not like the sound
 of it at all.
 The old chap must have gone dotty,"
 he remark ed presently; they're often taken this way when they get to a
 certain age. You'll have to sit tight and see about it. Anna. He isn't too
 free with the ready as it is-and if you've boy hanging about, God help ! you. Why don't you be rude to him? i You know the way as well as most eh what?"
 Pm positively afraid to. Do you know my dear man, that if this Per 1 feet Angel left us. strange things would happen. My father says so, and i I believe he speaks the truth. There ,tr,rt '
 Get hold of the feathered lady and hear what she has to say
 Impossible but brilliant She has ! gone to Germany
 "Oh. damn-then he'll be making love to you. l say, Anna, there's not go- ing to be any billing and cooing or anything of that sort. I'm not very eXacting, but the way you look at men
 is just prussic acid to me. If this kid | should begin--'
 She laughe ed drolly.
 "He is my big brother" she said and then jumping up-"let us go and see the horses. You'll be talking nonsense if we don't. And, Willy, l i forbid you to talk nonsese."
 She turned and faced him in mock anger. and he, responding instantly, caught her in his arms and kissed her ardently.
 What a pair of cherubs," he ex- | claimed, what a nest Of colng uoVes- say. Anna, l must kill that kid or shall it be the fatted calf? There1l 1 be murder done somewhere if he stops at Hampstead"
 If it were done, then when 1t were l done-O let me go. Willy, your arms are crushing me-"
 lie released her instantly and, snatching up a cup set out with her to the downs where the horses were l being stripped for the gallop. The 1 morning of early summer was de- l lightfully fragrant-a cool breeze came l m from the sea and every breath 1 invigorated Old John Farrier, mount l cd on a sturdy cob, met them at the 1 foot of a great grassy slope and com | n1ained that 1t was over late in day | for horses to gallop, but, as he added, 1 "they'u have to do 1t at Ascot and 1 thev may as well do it here" A silent ,,,an old John had once accompanied l willy Forrest to dinner at the Cafl- 1 ton which Anna gave to a little sport ;rn circle. Then, he uttered but one ramark seeming to think some obser- vation necessary, and 1t fell from hls l 1ins in the pause of a social discussion | ,,f always eat sparrer-grass with my engars he had said, and wondered l at the general hilarity
 | OId Iohn was unusually silent upon this ] ,,orning at the trial and when he named t,e weights at which the horses would gallon his voice sank to sepuichrai
 ,'hisner "The old 'oss is giving six l ,'a,,nds :, he said "he should be beat 6 l ieng+h If it's more, go cautious mlss'
 5 a,.a x,o,ir money for another day. He I,asn't heen looking all I should like of hin, for a. long time-that's plain truth;