Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21

nm hHSii WAS picturesque, ana the detail
OF IL at closer acquaintance sustained the
iar-oH impression. The skeleton of the
ohce-fylng sails still remained silhouetted
against the sky they faced broadly
toward the castle. but as they never
moved now, had grown gray and mellow
with hchen. The white of the body of the
tower was blotched and patched with
stress OF wea; her. and only bore some
thlng OF its color Ia distant eyes The
mill was on the very top of the ridge
which here dipped steeply on both sides
In the hidden hooks OF the roofs of the
outhouses, and on such slopes as were
sheltered. houseleek had become fixed
and spread. Grass. green and Iuxurian.
grew nntrodden between the cobble-
tones with which the yard was paved
There was sort Of old world duietude
about everything which greatly and at
once appea led to Stephen
When she knocked with her whjn ham
die low door in the base Of the mill
tower opened and maid appeared. a de-
mure pretty little thing of some sixteen
or seventeen years. dressed I'm a prim
strait dress and an old-fashoned Puritan
cap
viii YOU kindly tell me who lives
here" asked Stephen. The answer came
with some hesitation:
Sister Ruth"
And who is Sister RUTH" The ques-
ton came instinctively and without pre-
meditation. The maid embarrassed. held
hard to the half-open door and shifted
Ilofl 1901 10 loot uneaSlly,
Il don't know" she said at last "Onlv
Sister Ruth. l suppose Stephen was
Just about to ask II she might Sister
Ruth. when behind the maid in the dark
OF the low passageway. appeared the tall
slim figure of silver woman Truly a
silver woman. The first flash of Ste
phen thought was correct. White-haired
whlte-faced. white-capped. white-ker-
chiefed: i'm a plain-cut dress OF light gray
silk. made without adornment of any
rN1n tod q, 10
low the belt which made for decency as
Wei as elegance in the eyes of the women
OF a past generation. The whole ensem-
Bile was as piece OF old silver. The lines
or her face were very dignified very
sweet. very beautiful Stephen felt at
once that she was in the presence of no
common woman. There was in her man
ner n gracious gentleness. the outcome
sclous power. as seeing a young girl alone
she came forward. Stephen looked an
admiration which all her Quaker gar
ments could not forbid the other TO feel.
She was not the first to speak; in such a
noble presence the dignity of Stephens
youth imperatively demanded silence. il
not humility. So she waited. The Silver
Lady. for so Stephen ever after held her
in her mind, said quietly but with mani
fest welcome:
"Didst thou wish to see me? Wilt
thou come in?" Stephen answered
frankly:
SHOULD IKE 10 come IN Immensely, II
you will not think me rude. The fact is
| was struck when riding by with the
beautiful situation of the mill | thought
1T was only old mill till I saw the
garden hedges. and | came round to ask
If l might go in The Silver Lady came
forward at pace that even by itself eX-
pressed warmth, as she said. heartily:
Indeed thou mayest. Stay. il is tea
time. Let us put thy horse i'm one OF the
sheds: there is no man here at present to
IL 't1nrn hn I'D
hand and they entered the dark passage
together.
AS she went in silence Stephen was
thinking If she ought to begin by telling
her name. But the Haroun al Raschid
feeling for adventure incognito is an in
nate principle of the sons of men. 1t was
seldom. indeed. that her ME had afforded
her such an opportunity. When IL came
she grasped 1t; holding her conscience
back at arms length till the time should
come.
The Silver Lady on her own part also
wished for silence, as she looked for the
effect on her new companion when the
glory of the view should break upon her.
When they had climbed the winding stone
stair. which led up some twenty feet,
there was low wide landing with the
remains of the main shaft of the mill
machinery running through ii. From one
side rose stone stair curving with the
outer wall of the mill tower and guarded
by a heavy plain iron rail. A dozen steps
there were. and then landing Of a couple
of yards square; then a deep doorway
cut i'm the thickness of the wall. round
which the winding stair continued.
The Silver Lady. who had led the way
threw open the door and motioned to her
guest to enter. Inside the door Stephen
stood for a few moments. surprised as
well delighted. for the room before her
was not like anything which she had ever
seen or thought OF.
1t was q section of almost the whole
tower. and was OF considerable size for
the machinery and even the inner shaft
OF pillar had been removed. East and
south and west the wall had been par
TALLY cut away so that great wide win
dows nearly the full height of the room
showed the magnificent panorama. The
work had been done carefully: the mas
sive depth of the wall was beveled away,
and angular columns OF polished stone
with the fine edges inwards SO TO make
the effect as aerial as possible supported
the vast weight of the supersiructure.
In the depths of the ample windows were
little cloiStered hooks. where one might
with a feeling of super-solitude be away
from and above the world.
The room was beautifully furnished
with pieces of all ages and countries
Everywhere were flowers with l7aves and
sprays and branches where possible. On
a little Chfppendale table near the center
of the room was great Queen Anne sill
Yer bowl full of magnificent sweet-smell-
ing roses.
Even from where she stood i'm the door
way Stephen had a bird -eye view OF
the whole countryside: not only Of the
coast. with which she was already IA
miliar, and on which her windows at the
castle looked. but to the south and west.
which the hill rising steep behind the
castle and to southwark OF it shut out.
The Silver Lady could not but notice
her guests genuine admiration.
Thou lil1est my room and my view?"
Stephen answered. with little gasp:
Il think it is the quaintest and most
beautiful place / have ever seem
II am so glad thou likest It, | have
lived here for nearly forty wears. and
they have been years of unutterable peace
and all earthly happiness! And now, thou
wilt have some tea.
Stephen left the mill that afternoon
with warmth OF heart that she had
been stranger TO for many a day. The
two women had accepted each other sim
ply Il am called Ruth" said the Silver
Lady And | am Stephen, said the
Countess de Lannoy in reply. And that
was all: neither had any clue TO the
others identity. Stephen felt that some
story lay behind that calm. sweet per-
sonalty: much sorrow goes to the making
of fearless quietude. The Quaker Lady
ment that she did not even suspect the
identity OF her visitor.
II was not long before Stephen availed
herself of the permission to come again
accorded to her at her first visit. This
time she made up her mind to tell who
she was. lest the concealing of her iden-
tity might afterward lead 10 any awk
wardness. At that meeting friendship
became union.