Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-05

7 WONDER if this isn't Judge Hassel's house" Ru-
dolph thought, and remembered next then this
must be little Jane
Forthwith he approached the fence with confidence
and a graceful appearance of eagerness.
beg your pardon" he said; is this where Judge
Hassel lives?"
Jane lifted her face pink as her gown and then she
rose.
Yes she said Her heart beat that she could say
"Why, then this" Rudolph claimed with smile
must be Jane Hassell"
Yes, Mr.. Victor" said Jane, simply; I'm so glad
you remember me-
Indeed, I remember you, Rudolph assured her gra-
cously May | come in?
In Rudophs ten years of art study in New York and
abroad he had found time to back to the
little town whose Great House the hill had been
his home For his mother had lived abroad Also and
their return now was simply to give attention to the
property.
But you" Rudolph asked Jane little pityngly;
you have been living here all these years."
Yes, Jane said; l have been almost nowhere.
Father and have lived here quietly with his books and
my flowers
''It is a wonderful old garden" said Rudolph rather
with air of assuring her of its excellence than of
admiring it. And because it delight to watch her
color reappear with each question, Rudolph added
it9 i4F graceful patronage Where do you like best to
Jane tried to remember but she could hardly think
at all for the surging OF her heart She had seen Ru-
doph only before since his return and then he had
not her; but that time had set strange little voices
atune.
She had been leaving shop when he had handed his
mother from her carriage Look, mother" she had
heard him say in his tired voice at the West Hills
Their outline is almost straight line. Wonderful!
Early in the morning" Jane said, shyy, " when the
is just up, always stay there by the holly
hooks. There is something about the way the shadows
are that makes me pretend l am little girl And
She stopped in confusion and looked appealingly at
Rudolph to if he were laughing.
And them, repeated Rudolph with polite interest,
watching the color creep down her throat She lost the
patronage in his in the feeling that she must prove
herself this man, who could not dream that She too,
oil ha1t1 6lf
he had learned to love.
Have you been very onely2" asked Rudolph, laying
down her book without comment
Don't you see?" said Jane turning to him with
sudden passionate eagerness I've in the world
TO whom l would talk of-these thngs-any than
| would let them see me cry. Think Of all the people
whom you know-whom you must know-and imagine
having nobody
Rudolph thought for a minute and from his medley
of friends and debutanes models,
clubmen actresses and few stray literary flashlights
he gradually, by the help OF James mute imagination,
conured up goody company of brilliant, suggestive,
responsive minds, to be for the moment cut off from
whom, he heaved a sudden sigh.
Yes he said, and believed in the company Minerva
born, for that instant.
I've got father" said Jane Father loves his books,
but he loves the logic and science andand all the mere
machinery of beautiful things rather than beauty ITSELF
Rudolph laughed delightedly. Here the artistic
nature, indeed and it was as it so rarely IS, uncon-
scious.
Presently, when he remembered to ask it, she took
him to the other garden bookshelves. There was one
behind the holyhocks. Bricks had been struck out of
the wall and the aperture lined with thin boards and
filled with wel-worn volumes, and the hoyhocks kept
Exquisite" he said 81 fancy could work in
delicious corner such this am very sensitive to at
Il always come here at evening" said little Jane,
naively. Then | do what St Guido did wait for the
magic to begin, but never have known what it was
Tell me what the magic IS sometimes, Rudolph
asked, sitting beside her on the old stone bench
"We, sometimes said Jane, q" I. pretend that l am
one of the little dryads there to life And then
talk the other dryads left there lonely IN the stone
and tell them how much more wonderful it is to be
alive than Just an immortal dryad And sometimes l
pretend that one of the naiads that used to live in the
fountain comes up in the white phloX and talks to me
Rudolph rested his arm along the bench and dropped
his head in his hand The stone bench the white phloX,
the old sun-dial, Jane in the pink gown he hmselt-
what charming picture they must make IN the warm
ture he thought, in vast content!
And what is the magic OF the mornings: he asked'
softly. -.,. ar ..a,.+;n,o.
have my breakfast the arbor 1t IS very early, but the
roses have been long time awake This morning big
rose nodded right over my glass of cream and if talry
was asleep in it she fell out and was drowned and
drank her up That magic enough surely
"If | bring my share of magic, he said impuslvely,
may come breakfast in the arbor in the morning!
at is at seven o'clock" said Jane, doubtfuly:
"The very incest time" declared Rudolph without
tremor.
Great House half an hour later what happy subject
am l. to be sure to the great god Whim'
The next morning, and many bright mornings and and
Rudolph in the garden, and found Jane wonderfully con-
tent And Rudolph found the days possessed OF special
sweetness which he had almost forgotten that he could
enjoy Though in reality Middleton was OF no more
interest him than the tin soldiers and hob6y.horses
of his life there, yet sentimentaly he invested II win
associations which, sentimenaly again, he enjoyed re-
newing Moreover, his mother, exquisite bit OF old
porcelain found great content in staying on in the great
house to which she had bride. After the pen
sons and apartments of Paris where she had spent hve
wears to be near Rudolph whom she seldom saw, how
ever her old home filed her with delight - 1t was ]
beautiful old home, but conventionaly the great
house of every village that suspected it OF being
tradition and not made of mere boards and mortar
Madame Victor herself walking in its gardens in her
white cashmere morning gowns was like tradition too
And as his delight in Jane deepened Rudolph did not
speak to his mother of departure SO their weeks in
tended stay heightened
No wonder that the long days went by like shadows
No wonder that Madame Victor, in her white morning
gown often walked alone in the garden OF her great
house No wonder that Judge Hassel looking through
the blowing curtains of his shaded library and seeing
the two figures on the path to the sundia sighed and