The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-07

LADY ATHLY NE.
Copyright, 1905 by BRAN STOKER
Entered at Stationers Hall-An rights reserved

! ter is estranged from me; and it is
| your doing! In answer Joy and Ath-
| lyme spoke together. Said the latter:
| ''Oh. sir!" There he stopped; he fear
] ed to say more lest his anger should
| master him. But the protest was eff
fective; the old man flushed-over fore
| head and ears and neck Joy spoke in
| a different vein:
| There is no estrangement, Daddy
dear; and therefore it can be no ones
doing. Least OF all could such thing
| come from this man who loves me
| ana and whom 1 love-" AS she
| spoke she blushed divinely. and taking
her lovers right hand Between both
| her hands held it tight This seemed
! for some reason to infuriate her father
atresh. He STROBE forward towards
| Athlyne as though about to strike m
| But at the instant there came a quick
rap on the door. Instinctively he drew
| away. and. having called out Gomez.
stood expectingly and seemingly calm
| The door opened slightly and the voice
/ of the Sheriff was heard:
May I come in? 1 am Alexander
| Fenwick. Sheriff of Galloway" As he
was speaking he entered the room with
a formal bow to each in turn. He con-
tinued TIC speak to Colonel Oglvie:
| You will pardon this intrusion !
| hope, sir Indeed I trust you will not
Jock upon it as an intrusion at all
| when you know the reason of my COM
ing Colonel Ogilvie's habit of old
| fashioned courtesy came at cnce to the
| With a bow which to those reared in
a newer and less formal school of
manners seemed almost grandiloQuent
he spoke:
on my arrival a few minutes ago was
asked by our landlady-an old servant
| of my own-who on that account
| thought that she might ask what she
| thought a favOur-tO come up here.
| She thought, poor anxious soul. that
some unpleasantness might be afoot as
she heard high words, and feared !:
quarrel. All the more account of
seemed somewhat incensed This
took from her description of the per-
sonality, to be you sir. Indeed, re-
cognize all the points, except that of
the anger!' AS he spoke he bowed
with pleasant courtesy. The other
bowed too, partly in answer to the i'm
Piled question and partly in recogni-
ton of the expressed courtesy of the
words and manner.
Whilst he had been speaking, the
Sheriff had been watching keenly those
around him. He had been for so long
a time in the habit of forming his opin
ion rather by looks than words that
the situation seemed to explain itself:
young lovers. angry father. This opin-
| ion was justified and sustained by the
confidence which had been given
afternoon. He had been on entering
the room. rather anxious at the state
OF. affairs: but now he began to breathe
more freely. He felt that his
might really be here of some ser
vice. But his profession had also
taught him wariness ands eau
ton; also not to speak on side issues
till he knew the ground thoroughly
JOY he read like an open book. There
was no installing her love,her anxiety
her apprehension. Athlyne he knew
something of already, but he now saw
in his face a warning look which bade
him be silent regarding him. He dag
nosed Colonel Ogilvie as a proud, mas
terful, vain, passionate man; some
thing Of a prig; tender, in a way he
understood himself: faithful to his
word; relentless to an expressed inten-
ton; just-according to his own ideas
of right and wrong. Weighing these
attributes for his own pacific purposes
he came to the conclusion that his first
effort at Cancellation should be made
with regard to the aforementioned So
he began. speaking in a manner of
eourtly and deferential grace:
Il trust sir, you will yield to me the
consideration often asked by, and
sometimes granted to a. well-intention-
ed man, however bungling the same
might be in thought or method or man
ner.' Colonel Ogilvie conceded the
favour with gracious bow. Thus
emboldened. if not justified. he went
on:
81 fain would ask that L might be
allowed to make something in the ma
ture of a short statement, and to make
it without interruption or expostula-
ton. You will understand why pres
emily" Again the gracious acquies-
cence: he continued:
You are. I take it, a stranger to
this country; though. if I am not mis-
led by name and lineament, claiming
Scottish forbears?" Colonel Ogilyie's
bow came more naturally this time
His in-lying pride was coming to the
n0r1 ep
understood. and went on with better
heart:
s'The experience which have had in
the performance of my duties as
sheriff has shown me that such a
group as I see before me-father
daughter and lover, if I mistake not
is not uncommon in this part of Scot
land No one answered his bow this
time. All were grimly silent in ex-
pectnancy. He felt that it was a dan
gerous topic; but the fact had been
stated without being denied. He hur-
ried on:
"Jusr across the Border, as we are.
we have had very many occasions of
runaway marriages; I have had N.Y.
self in earlier days to explain for the
good of all parties how the law stands
in such matters. More than once the
knowledge enabled those interested in
it to spare much pain to Others, gen
orally to those whom they loved best
trust that now I may use that
knowledge in your beha1f-as friend
/ am not here in my official capacity
or perhaps 1 might not be so free to
advise as I am now without 1 trust,
offence TO any one" Colonel Ogilvfe's
gracious bow here answered for all the
party. The Sheriff felt more at ease
He was now we'll into his subject; and
the most difficult part of his duty had
been. he thought, passed. All three of
his hearers listened eagerly as he went
on:
"A knowledge of the law can hurt no
one; though it may now and again
d1Sa ppo1nt some one-when expounded
too late Well, there is a common be-
lief in South Britain-and elsewhere
that the marriage law in Scotland is
very hlmy thing. with bounds of