The Washington herald., 1907-07-14
CHAPTER I.
la the Tapestry Room,

lessIy OF the old butler awaiting him in
the arch of the doorway
Not a word. sir: not a trace. On, sir.
it's a sore stroke, and lisa sad house
you've come to, but Sir David and my
ladyl be fam TO see you, and you sure
~ can help US. sir conventional respect
and some deep trouble struggling oddly
together in voice and manner
Is Sir David in?''
No, sir; he's out. ] don't rightly know
where. but I'll inquire. sir. It's as if he
couldn't bide stiIl IN the house; but my
lady's in the tapestry room. sir."
stop, Sim. you needn't announce me,
said Conyers, hastily How-h0w is
she2"
What could you expect, sir?' said the
old servant, shaking his head; and, like
one giving himself no time TO think or to
hesitate, Conyers quickly opened the door
and stepped into the familiar room.
noble room, almost resembling a gallery
in its proportions, and lit at the farther
END by a great three-lisht window
As its name suggested, the walls were
hung with rare old tapestry. the work Of
busy, skillful fingers folded long ago quiet
~ enough Time. the great artist. had
dealt kindly with the results Of their toll
The original tints had gently faded 10
tender, all-pervading pinkish-sray. max
ing a harmonious background to one or
Two remarkable portraits and to the Sc
we're, simple lines of the fine old cabi-
nets and tables
10 the young man il was ali familiar
with q lifelong familiarity. and he cast
one quick glance almost of stupefaction
around at the deep-tOned masses OF au-
tGmn flowers, the books, the prints, the
photographs. at the hundred little tokens
OF continuity Of cultured life. each gem
Grafton leaving its growing legacy to the
next. What had happened was so impos-
sible, so unbelievable, and il seemed
thouSanofold more unbelievable here. in
this room. which breathed the very es-
sence Of stately, peaceful, weIl-ordered
life.
Then his eyes quickly Travelled to the
solitary figure in the deep window recess.
She was apparently gazing steadily out
at the ample landscape framed by the
three tall lancets-the broad, smiling val
ley in its autumn bravery Of ripening
fields. OF yellOwing leaves, sloping grad
ually upward till field and meadow were
merged in rolling mOorlands, beyond
which misty peaks and distant SUBMITS
doomed dim. But her fixed eyes were
doubtless seeing little enough of the mel
low harvest cheer. or Of the bright reach
es Of the river. cleaning here and there
amid tufted woods, for when at last Con-
yers stepped softly 10 her SIDE and she
slowly turned her head, there was for a
moment no recognition in her gaze If
till now all had seemed bewilderingly I'M
changed to Basil COnyers. there was
change enough here in the blank, bitter
hopelessness, the tragic woe looking out
OF him from the sunken eyes in the cruel
burrows plOwed deep in the handsome.
high-featured face.
"You-yOU have no news?'' he blurted
out. hardly knowing what he said, but
feeling that the silence was unbeaFable
and must be broken.
None"
The pale lips hardly opened The single
word dropped out as a stone sinks into
deep water. and as the water closes over
It, so the silence fell again, and Conyers
stood overawed before this grief which he
could neither help nor comfort. But a
young mans endurance is short-lived.
There must be something TO be done. He
laid his hand gently on her rigid arm.
Dear Lady StOrmont, can you bear TO
speak to me-
She started at the touch, and looked up
like one waking from a cream
"Oh. my poor boy; It is YOU at last. II
you could have come sooner, / think you
might have brought hope with you, but
now" Her voice broke
~ would have given my right hand to
have been here" said Basil, passionate
~, but by some cursed chance your wire
missed me, and has been following me
about the Loffodens. And then there was
the crossing; but If you can bear TO do it,
for Gods sake tell me about it. Re
member. I've only had your wire II
know nothing more. / couldn't bear to
question Rogers as I came from the sta
ton, nor even Sim-tell me what you can
can't take it in yet, It seems so impos-
5ible; but there must surely be something
that I could do"
''That Is the dreadful part; we are all
so helpless. If only there was anything
more we could do than what has been
done. Ny poor husband tries to cheat
himself into the belief that there Island
now you! Oh, my dear boy, forgive me.
I was almost forgetting what it means
TO you. 1 forget everything now. Yes.
you-have a right TO know"
NO, no. don't mean that-never mind
about me. Sir David will tell me
II do not know when he may come in,
not for hours Ikely-he cannot rest day
nor night. I may as well tell you; It Is
never out of my thoughts. I go over
and over every detail. wondering if there
is nothing that we have overlooked, MOTH
ing that would afford some clew, ttill my
mind is like a mill, ever grinding out
misery" The hands, lyingspassive in her
lap. clasped themselves tightly. 1T wilt
be a week tomorrow she began again
in an altered voice
My Cod" uttered the young man. IN
der his breath
"She had not been quite 50 bright, YOU
know. since we came back from town; |
how often I have wondered If we let her |
overtax herself: but there-thats over. |
Her home had always been so much to |
her that I thought the notwithstanding /
for a depression would soon pass
and that it would pass all the sooner |
If We were quietly alone together /
here. That was why I encouraged
you to go to Norway-perhaps I was |
wrong. there, too" signing perhaps I /
let her fall too much into her old solitary /
ways She would spend hours by the riv- |
erside or in the woods alone. She SEEM !
ed happier SO. You know fixing plead I
ing, miserable eyes upon BasiPs face, /
such very young girls often are ranciful; |
and that was always her fancy-to be /
alone"
Basil nodded rather gloom1ly.
"And-and did the depression seem to |
pass" he asked a little awkwardly.
Lady Stormont was silent for a mo-
ment.
mot so much as I had hoped, she said, /
with evident difficulty: but, indeed. Il /
was only the old desire to be alone. be- /
gan to think that I had perhaps yielded /
too much 10 her whims, that unconscious
~ she was moping here alone with only
Us two old people I thought I would /
write to you and ask you If you wouldn't |
shorten your cruise. I thought of asking |
one or two people-voung. amusing. II