The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-23
CHAPTER XII.
Echo of a Tragedy.

her own way"
 1 CHAPTER XII
 l Echo of a Tragedy.
 | Athlyne had one other day almos l similar to the last. This time he cam | to AmbleSide a little earlier; fortunate | ly so. for Joy had got up early. WheI l standing in the window locking out | Not in his direction; did a woman eve | do such stupid thing when at the | first glance she had caught sight o 1 the man far off. No. this time she ap. i peared to be eagerly watching two | tiny children toddling along the stree- hand in hand. He had time for a good look at her before she changed hel position. This was only when the chil- dren had disappeared-and he had gained the shelter of the lilacs.
 Love is a blindness-in certain ways It never once occurred to Athlyne tha: Joy might have seen him. might have even known of his being at AmbleSide or in it's neighborhood. And independ- ent onlooker or any one not bound by
 the simplicity and unquestioning faith
 of ardent love would at least have
 doubted whether there was not some
 possible intention in Joys movements.
 His faith however saved him from
 pain, that one pain from which true
 love can suffer however baSeleSS it may
 be-doubt. Early morning took him to
 Ambleside: he only went back to Bow
 ness when those windows of the hotel
 which he knew were darkened for the
 night The second day of waiting and
 watching was just like the first. with
 only the addition that the hearts of
 both the young people were more
 ciamant. each to each: and that the
 rising passion of each was harder to
 control. The same routine of going out
 and returning was observed by the
 Ogilvies. and each of the lovers had
 tumultuous moments when the other
 Athlyne was tempted to put his letter
 in the post or to leave it at the hotel;
 but each time Joys chance phrase: ''If
 I ever fall in love- came back to him
 as a grim warning: He knew that if
 he once declared himself to Colonel Ogilvie the whole truth must come out,
 and then his title and fortune might
 be extraneous inducements to the girl. Whenever he came to this point in hi reasoning he thrust the letter deeper into his pocket and his lips shut tight. He would win Joy on his mere man hood and his manhood's love-f at all!
 By the post next morning Colonel Ogilvie and Joy both got letters from Italy. That of the former was frotn
 his wife who announced that they were just starting for London where they
 wished to remain for few days in order to do some shopping. When tlIis was done she would wire him and he could run up to London and bring them down with him. This pleased him, for he was certain that by then he would have his automobile. He felt in way that his pride was at stake on this point. He had told his women fGk that the car would be ready; and he wished to justify. He wired off at once to the agents, in even a sterner spirit than usual. as to the cause of delay. For excuses had come in most exasperating way. Long after it had been reported that the car had started and had even proceeded a cen Sid distance the he told that there had been an error and that Dy some strange mistake the pro- gresS made by car long previously | ordered by another customer had been | reported; but that Colonel Ogilvie's | order was well in hand and that delivery of the car was daily and that once on its | receipt by the writer it would be for | warded to Ambleside either with a | trusty chauffeur or by train as the purchaser might wish. Colonel Og1lvie | fumed but was pOwerless. He wanted | the car and at once: so it was useless for him to cancel the contract. HeI could only wait and hope; and console | himself with such attenuated eXpres- sions of disapproval as were pernlis- sible in the ethics of the telegraph sys- tenn.
 Joys letter from Judy. It was in her usual bright style and full of af- lection. sympathy and understanding. as was customary in her letters to her
 
 disturbed in fer mind about the fu- ture. and as she feared Joy might be taking to heart the same matters as she did and in the same way. she tried to help the other. She knew from Colonel ogilvie's letters to his wife which they talked over together that le was seriously hurt and pained by he neglect of MT. Hardy Indeed in spite of the high opinion he had form d of him from his brave and ready action he never wished to see his face lgain. To Judy this meant much. the happiness might be at stake. The lunt, steeped through and through with knowledge of the world and char lcter-a knowledge gained from her rom bitter experience of the woes of that her niece would suf- er deeply in case of any rupture be- ween her father and the man who had sympathy that she derived fer belief. Sine had had many and avourable opportunities of studying oy closely, and she had in her own hind no doubt whatever that the girls Lffections were given beyond recall to he handsome stranger So in her let CT she tried to guard her from the ,ain of present imagininGs and yet to prepare her subtly for the possibility if disappointment in the future. Her etter in its important parts ran: Ia
 ''Your father is undoubtedly very i Lngry with MT. Hardy: and though ,elieve that his anger may have a light basis it is altooether excessive. We do not know yet what MT Hardy s of freedom may be- After H. darling we do not know anything , s yet of his circumstances or his sur He may have thousand alls on his time which we neither ; now nor understand. For all we can ell he may have wife already hough this I do not believe or accept or a moment. And you don't either 1 ny dearI Of course this is all a joke. Ve know he is free as to marriage, < hough I don't believe his heart is ,h, Pussi But seriously if you ever $ ct a chance tell him to try to be very I ice to your father. Old men are often I lore sensitive in some things than ; oung ones more sensitive than even re women are supposed to be. So f -I,n ', tA xynJ1