The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-21
CHAPTER XI.

The Beautiful Twilight.
 The first couple of days at Amble-
 side were a delight to Joy. In the
 change from the roar and ceaseless
 whirl of London was such a sense of
 peace that it influenced even the pain
 of her heart-hunger. Here in this love
 ly place. where despite the life and
 movement of the little town nature
 seemed to reign, was something to
 calm nerves overstrung with waiting
 and apprehension. It was a relief to
 her at first. a pleasure later, to walk
 about the pleasant roads with her fatn- CT; to take long drives beneath shady
 trees or up on the hillside where the
 lake lay below like a panorama; to sit
 on the steamers deck and drift along
 the beautiful lake.
 Her father was now and again inn
 patient, not with her but because of the non arrival of the motor which he had ordered in London. It had not
 been quite ready when they left and
 so it was arranged that it should fol- low them. He wanted to have it in
 possession so that they could fly all over the region: the American in him
 was clamorous for movement, for speed and progress! He kept up an endless telegraphing with the motor people in London. and when at last they wired that the car was nearly ready he got a map and traced out the route. Each day he marked out a space that he thought it ought to have covered. cred iting it Tor every hour of daylight with top speed. After all, no matter what our ages may be. we are but children and the new toy but renewS the old want and the old imDatience; bringing in turn the old disillusionment and the old empty hearted discontent. And the new toy may be of any shape: even that of a mOtOr-car-Or beating human heart.
 Partly out of affection for her father and so from sympathy with him, and partly as relief to herself, Joy look I fn, fIn nc f1oo She used to go with him to the post office when he was sending his tele- grams. Indeed she never left him; and be sure he was glad of her companion ship. Now and again would come over her an overwhelming wave of dNap- Et-grief-regret-she knew not what-when she thought of the friend ship so romantically begun but failing so soon. The letters from Aunt Judy used to worryAand even humiliate her. For Judy could not understand why there was no meeting; and her ques- tions. made altogether for the girls happiness but made in the hslplessness of complete ignorance, gave her niece new concern. She had to give reasons, invent excuses. This in itself. for she was defending the man, only added fuel to her own passion. Joys love was ripening very fast: all her nature was yielding to it. Each day seemed to make her trifle thinner. Her eyes seemed to grow bigger and at times to
 
 she kept looking out on the road by which He might come. Walking or driving or in the hotel it was all the same. In the Sitting-room her seat was near the window, her place at table where she could command a view. All this added to her beauty and so her father took no concern from it. He thought she was looking well: and as she was hearty and always, whilst with him. in good spirits and vivacious and even eager in her movements, lie was mere than satisfied
 One morning as she was sitting alone close to the window. presumably read ing for she had a book in her lap, she caught sight with the tail of her eye of a figure that she knew. There was no nniStaking on her part that tall, up- right man with the sDringy step; the image was too deeply burned into her heart for that. For a fraction of second her heart stood still: and then the wave of feeling went over her. Instinctively she drew back and kept her head low so that only her eyes were over the line of the window sill. | She did not wish to be recognised-all at once With the realization of her | woman's wishes came all the inStinc- | tive exercise of her woman'S wiles. He was walking so slowly that she had | time to observe him fully, to feast her l eyes on him. He was looking up at | the hotel not eagerly she thought, but l This. though it did not | chill her. somehow put her on her | guard She slipped behind the window l curtain and peeped cautiously. As he came closer to the hotel he went still | more slowly. He did not come to the | door as she expected. but moved along |