The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-17
The Spanish Necklace
BY BERTHA M. CROKER
Copyright. 1908. H B. NJ Crohsr. All Rights RessrvedJ uuwmrH wmwH TmmmmwHhHfwEHWHmmnwmaH

in the sold-fashioned hotel close to the Nive. It boasted large piazza. and faced a building where the Cambo spring was taken, and behind which lay a charming sort of park beside the Nive. Here a great avenue of fine lime-trees. planted close to the water, led to rustic gate opening into the woods which overkung the rushing river. where. between two steep hills. it wound and twisted on It's way from It's home In the Pyrenees. Truly. 1t would be difficult to find amere TO- mantle spot than the banks of the Nive for some miles above Cambo.
 After tea. 1t being a warm evening Ca hot southwest wind was blowing from Spain), Hester left her chaperon with her feet on chair and a paper In her hand. and went forth to ex- plore the vicinity. She walked across the road into the opposite enclosure. and entered the grassy avenue. The trees were just shaded with green. and through their branches she saw the neighboring hills covered with fiocks. with brushwood, or boldly bare. The ravine. in which the river lost it. were yellow with primroses. She sat down on log and gazed at the run ming water of a once famous salmon river. the opposite pasture green as velvet. and the old red-roofed Basque farmhouse on the side of the hill; and as she rested in the still April even ing. the peace of the place sank into her very soul. and she wondered if the past months were not all a dream, and Paul the mere hero of a book she had been reading. Would she wake from this present abstraction and discover that 1t was a vision?-that she was once more in her bedroom at the Grange, gazing on the garden wall.- on which one of Jane's many cats was bird rd-catching.-and listening to the | scolding voice of Jane herself. harry ing some victim?
 She sprang to her feet at the idea and stamped her foot. No she was alive and here-free. The long drive had made her drowsy. Whatever hap | pened, she would never return to that l life; a life of meals and s1eep--the ex- | istence of a domestic animal. Better
 be dead!
 Hester slept the sleep of the weary l and the just that same evening. and | realized the next day that already she was becoming attached to Cabbo and the Basque. She had strolfed over the suspension-bridReb below the hill, paid her penny, and made friends with the bridge dog-an important fox-terrier
 who considered 1t his business to con- duct every one across. She viewed tho river from the opposite side. inspected the weird water wheel which turned in perpetual motion. hoping to catch the now wary salmon. wandered on to the tiny station, had conversation with the station-mistress, and inquired about the trains-merely an idle ques- tion. of course; but perhaps he would come out that day.
 At twelve o'clock. as Mrs. Tudor and her charge were seated at dejeuner in the open piazza, a "toot-toot was heard, and a scarlet motor thundered up to the gate; 1t contained only the chauffeur and Paul de Sarazin. When Hester caught sight of him her hand trembled so that she could hardly hold her fork. She had not seen him since he had waved her dramatic adieu on i the Calahorro bridge.
 l The visitor accosted the two ladies with his usual easy charm; he had l heard of their return from Spain only 1 that morning, and had come but to l see how they liked their quarters It