The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-21
CHAPTER ".
The homecoming.

ne homecoming
To his last conscious breath. Basil
Conyers would remember that moment.
and the wild night drive which followed.
Even as he had stumbled down the
rough track with his light burden-piti-
fully light-in his arms, he had swiftly
debated on his wisest course. She needed
shelter, warmth, every care, and yet to
take her back TO the scanty comfort OF
the village inn seemed a doubtful pro-
ceeding; better push on TO Duncaird; or
why not risk the remaining distance and
take her home. And the thought Of what
that Homecoming would mean made the
young mans usually cool, equable brain
well-nigh swim. He was intoxicated by
his amazing. his impossible triumph. Even
the stolid driver caught fire from BasiTs
suppressed excitement, and sent his horse
along the climbing road at a pace which
had never been exacted from that worthy
animal before.
a mile upon their way the storm leaped
upon them again. The sky was one
cloud. the wind raved down from the
lonely hills, the rain Kissed in their faces
and churned upon the gravelly road, while
ever and again the far-spreading moors
were sheeted in blue spectral light, and
the voice Of the thunder lent its deeper
note TO the fierce cry Of the wind The
turmoil around only fed Conyers' exulta-
ton He could have shouted and sung
as they strove against the wind.
A CLEAN Of lamps on wet pavements-
Duncaird, at last, which meant warm.
dry wraps for the unconscious girl. a
closed carriage. and fresh horses, the serv-
ices OF a doctor who had known her
from childhood. and whom Conyers car
ried of with them. and not least-a mo-
ment 10 fash the amazing news TO Stor-
mont. In the quiet old town the story
spread Ike wildfre and the deserted
streets awoke, windows opened. lights
sprang up, and the carriage rolled away
amid a running fire of cheers
And now every swift roll Of the wheels
was bringing them nearer and nearer to
that homecoming which Conyers had
been picturing through all the dark hours.
Yet from the moment that the blaze Of
light from the great arched doorway
daZZled his eyes. il was all Ike dream.
a dream Of crowdlng faces. Of smiles.
sobs, tears, and broken words. for con-
venton and discipline had been forgotten
for the moment, and the whole household
had thronged into the great hall TO see
Miss Isobel brought home.
As Conyers stepped in from the dark
ness without. his head high, his eyes
alight. the girl in his arms. her slight
figure swathed in a great crimson wrap.
her head upon his breast, and the warm
glory Of her hair overlooking his Shout
ders. the men broke into a cheer, and
the younger women burst into loud, hys-
terical crying.
Amid it all Conyers was conscious that
some one wac wringing his hand. till, as
he found out afterward. the bones ached,
while from a blur OF light a face APP
peared. TRANSPORTED from its gracious
coneliness by mother-jOy and mother
love TO an angeI-beauty, as Lady Stor-
mont bent over the waxen face on his
breast. uttering broken. inarticulate
sounds Of pity and tenderness like the
broOding note Of a mating dove AS she
stopped over the still unconscious girl her
yearnlng love seemed to awaken some
instructive response. to touch one of ma
lures chords which lie deeper than sense
or sight, for a culver passed over the
pallid face. the long eyelashes. like the
delicate arching brows, a shade darker
than her hair. slowly lifted from the wan.
sunken cheeks. She looked. wondering
Is, up to the bosses and carving OF the
vaulted roof. and round at the old walls
hung with the portraits Of the men and
women Of her race, and decked with the
armor and weapons which long-dead Stor-
mOnts had carried into many a we'll
fought field Then she slightly turned
her head. and her wandering gaze met
Basirs and held H. sudden light Ieaped
into the great limpid eyes, a slight tremor
passed through the slim body resting in
his arms. while through the young mans
every fiber there went a shock, a thrill.
SO swift, so keen-edged, that he could not
have told whether it were pain or rap
ture. That gaze did not last a breath s
length, but while it lasted. and 20 Con-
yers 1t might have been years or moments
it seemed to sunder him and Isobel from
all the eager crowd about them to set
thenTmore apart than even they had been
when speeding over the hills in the black.
empty night. Then the light failed. her
head sunk back again