Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-30

frame was not wholly covered with
stone, but material for the remainder
Of the work lay scattered at the base.
! went on through the wood to the
lake and inspected the boat house,
then | followed the pebbly shore to
the stone wall where It marked the
line of the school grounds. The wall,
| observed, was of the same solid
character here as along the road. I
tramped beside 1t, rejecting that my
grandfather's estate, in the heart of
the Republic, would some day give the
lie to foreign complaints that we have
no ruins in America.
The buildings Of St. Agatha's we're
we'll hidden by the intervening wood,
and ! climbed upon the wall at the
iron gate for an ampler view. The
pillars at either side of the gate were
Of huge dimensions and were higher
than | could reach. The little Gothic
church near at hand was built of stone
similar to that used in Glenarm house
AS surveyed the scene number of
young women appeared. and, forming
in twos and tours. walked back and
forth before the chapel. A sister clad
in q brown habit fingered near or
walked first with one and then an
| other group of students. 1t was all
very pretty and interesting and not
| at all the ugly school for paupers
had expected to find. The students
were not the charity children l had
carelessly pictured they were not so
| young, for one thing, and they seemed
| to be appareled decently enough.
| smiled to find myself adjusting my
| scarf and strengthening my collar as |
| beheld my neighbors for the first time.
AS sat thus on the wall heard the
sound of angry voices back of me on
the Glenarm side and a crash of un-
derbrush marked a flight and pursuit.
| crouched down on the wall and wait
| ed. In n moment a man plunged
through the wood and stumbled over
a low hanging vine and fell,not 20 feet
away from me- To my great surprise
1t was Morgan, my acquaintance Of the
morning. He rose, cursed his i'll luck
and, hugging the wall close, ran
toward the lake. Instantly the pursuer
broke into view. 1t was Bates, evil
! IDENTIFY much excited and with an ugly
cut across his forehead. He carried
a heavy club, and after listening for
a moment for sounds of the enemy, he
| hurried after the caretaker.
II was not my row, though I must
say it wakened my curiosity.
Strengthened myself out, threw my
legs over the school side of the wall
| and lighted d cigar, feeling cheered
by the opportunity the stone barricade
offered for observing the world
AS ! looked off toward the little
church | found two other actors ap.
! paaring on the scene. A girl stood in
little opening of the wood. talking
to man. Her hands were thrust into
the pockets Of her covert coat she
wore red tam-o' -shanter. that made
bright bit of color in the wood. They
We're not more than a dozen yards
away, but wild growth of young
naples lay between us. Their profiles
were toward me, and the tones OF the
girls voice reached me clearly as she
addressed her companion. He wore a
| clergyman's high waistcoat. and I as
sumed that he was the chaplain whom
Bates had mentioned. | am not by
nature an eavesdropper, but the girl
was clearly making a plea of some
| kind, and the cEaplains stalwart fig
ure awake in me an antagonism tina.
held me to the wall.
"If he comes here 7 shall 60 away
SO you may as well understand 1t and
| oil h;y, T oh
| circum stances, and I'm not going to
Florida or California or anywhere else
on private car, no matter who chap
erones It,"
Certainly not unless you want to
certainly not" said the chaplain
you understand that I'm only giving
you his message He thought It
best"
Not to write to me or to Sister
Theresa broke in the girl contemp-
tuously. What clever person he isl"
And how uncever I am" said the
clergyman. laughing. Well, at any
rate, | thank you for giving me tho
opportunity to present his message"
She smiled, nodded and turned swift
ly toward the school. The chaplain
looked after her for few moments.
then walked soberly away toward the
lake. He was a young fellow, clean
shaven and dark. and with a pair of
shoulders that gave me a rwinge Of
envy ! could not guess how great a
factor that vigorous figure was to be
in my own affairs. AS swung down
from the wall and walked toward
GlenarIn House, my thoughts were not
with the athletic chaplain, but with
the girl, whose youth was, reflected,
marked by her short skirt, the uncon-
Germ with which her hands We're thrust
into the pockets of her coat. and the
irresponsible tilt of the tam-O'.shanter.
There is something jaunty, a sugges-
ton Of spirit and independence, in a
tam-o -shanter, particularly red one.
If the red tam-o shanter expressed, so
to speak the keynote Of st. Agatha's.
the proximity of the school was not so
bad thing after all
In a high good-humor and with a.
sharp appetite | went in to luncheon.
CHAPTER VI.
The Girl and the Canoe.
Bates did not refer to his encounter