The Washington herald., 1908-07-07

than meets the eye. Naaman. 10 be sure!
A leper. And he came out white as snow,
/ but no whittier than my apron. I'll be
/ bound. That was washed in our Jordan. %
| Hugo did not correct her, but he looked
at the apron.
/ IF you could ha seen it when it went
/ in, I'd upset a bottle of ink over IT, And
l just popped il there and then into the
\ stream, and let il lie for twenty-fOur
hours. Excuse me, sir, may I take the
liberty Of askln' your name?'
"Charteris'
Thank you, sir CHARTERS"
! Hugo hesitqted Then he nodded care
lessly This good woman was a gossip.
and the proper spelling of Charteris would
excite discussion and invite discovery.
/ He shrank from the gaping mouth. the
/ fatuous grin of the enlightened yokeL
/ Meantime, his landlady had produced an
ancient ledger, in which she was solemn
/ ly inscrihing mis- name.
/ Christian name, IL l may make SO
/ bold?"
Reginald" This, indeed. was his sec
ond name, never used.
Thank you. sir My name is Ow-
bridge. Sarah Owbridge Mr. Owbridge
/ left me a widow nearly ten years ago.
He suffered crool with anginy pectOris.
and was took sudden when least expect
ed; died because the doctor couldn't get
/ 10 him"
She spoke quite cheerfully, but expected
word Of sympathy. Hugo gave il:
"Ah, Mrs Owbridge think how many
people die because the doctors do get to
/ them"
/ Whereat Mrs. Owbridge wiped her eye.
! for ff.rv
/ as Hugo had started 10 walk back 20
/ Us, she FASTENED 10 inform a neighbor
that the new lodger was one of the "Qual-
/ ity,' and fond OF his joke.
Meantime. Hugo was walking 20 VS.
and rejecting not without satisfaction.
| that he had been swallowed up in forest
mists. not so thick, perhaps. as New
/ foundland fogs, but thick enough 10 turn
what was black into a harmless and dis
Greet gray. TrUdging along, he surveyed
Arcadia with restful eye. He meant 20
Insert paragraph I'm the Morning Post
stating that he had gone abroad. Al
/ ready ne had Cancelled his many shoot
( ing engagements. Angela would believe
/ him 10 be IN the wilds and would. ac-
| cordingly. expect no letters.
He swung his stick and laughed Men
reprievcd from the gallows laugh. and
/ why not? Only yesterday at Elstleigh-
Well, that was 20 be pushed from sight
/ and memory.
/ Later in the day he drove over 20 Herr
shaw Parva, the name Of the hamlet, and
| his lcit-bag was COnspiCuOusly labeled
/ Reginald Charters. IN his room az Us
! he had spent some time I'm removing tell
/ tale marks from clothes aaud linen. All
/ that was marked IN ink ne dispatched 10
! the faithful PiNton. instructing him %
/ send down his golf clubs and more
/ clothes. TO PiNtOn the change OF name
/ and plan was told. PiNton might be-
/ trusted to hold the fort and keep inquisi-
/ tive visitors al bay
Having done this. Hugo laughed again
! He experienced a certain boyish delight
| IN turning over a new page. Il nice. clean
/ one, whereon pleasant things might be
/ Inscribed He was not afraid OF solitude
OF likely 10 be bored with his own COM
pany. For the rest. he would buy some
books take some photographs. play golf
/ and live the simple life as he had lived
/ il before in forests primevaL Also. ne
would make the acquaintance OF Esme
l Burgess.
/ OF course. he must steer clear OF Miss
/ Joy Vennable. That went without say
/ ing. Occasionally he might see her-at
a safe distance; and he would hear Of her
/ from Burgess, who, evidently was held
! in high esteem by Mrs. Owbridge. The
/ landlady, moreover. gave promise OF en-
/ tertainment, a shrewd woman. master
/ ful and kindly-une bonne gazette du
pays. as the French put it.
| Let IL be remembered hat Hugo had
shivered IN the shadows for many weeks.
and that a reactiOn-given q strong. vigOr-
/ Gus man-was inevitable. He had escap-
/ ed from bondage. Only for a season. Il
/ is true. But he was still young enough
10 feel like n boy at home for the holidays
after a dreary term Of hogg'ags and pun
! ishments The boy has TO go back. but
/ he doesn't think OF school till the holidays
! are nearly over.
/ When Hugo reached the cottage. he
found q fire burning I'm his small bedroom,
| and a welcoming smile upon the face Of
/ Mrs Owbridge. who asked If she might
/ take the liberty Of introducing her two
/ dodgers 10 each other. This ceremony
was the moro necessary inasmuch as the
/ men would dine together. Hugo followed
/ her into the sitting-room with a queer
! feeling Of nervousness. Having found
| sanctuary, he was loath 20 leave it. II
/ Burgess should recognize him.
The young fellow was playing patience.
/ He jumped up ana shook hands AS soon
as Mrs Owbridge left the room, he said,
with a laugh:
when the old dear told me your name
was Charters I thought you might be the
| bad man come down 10 hide his dimn-
ished head. But you spell your name diff
/ ferently2"
I'VE bear the same crest" said Hugo
/ easily. And I dare say my name was
spelled originally as his is"
Later, after a plain but excellently
cooked dinner Burgess began TO talk
about himself. not vain -gloriously, but as
! II the subject was a pleasant one. Hugo
/ listened % an autobiograp phical sketch.
perCeiving that the young fellow spoke
ardently Of his obligations to others.
notably a devoted father and mother. now
dead and an equally devoted grandmoth-
er. still alive OF his triumphs at the uni
versity-a first in classics, the gold medal
/ for English verse, and some very re-
markable speeches delivered at the
/ Union-he said nothing
Hugo heard Of these later, from other
| lips Burgess talked well. occasionally
with distinction, and with a felicity of
! phrase which provoked the remark:
You are not a public school man?"
Il am not You are. Eton, eh?'
yes" said Hugo curtly.
THE stamp is unmistakable. My faith
! er kept me at home l was delicate and