Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1909-11-10

MEREDX1H 500 IS
NICHOLSON .
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CHAPTER l.

upon the receipt of Stoddards mes
sage, which was, to be sure, harmless
enough in itself, but, like many other
scraps of paper that blow about the
world, the forerunner of confusion and
trouble.
My friend Mr.. John Glenarm, had
gone abroad for the summer with his
family and had turned over to me
his house at Annandale that l might
enjoy its seclusion and comfort while
writing my book on Russian Rivers"
If John Glenarm had not taken his
family abroad with him when he went
to Turkey to give the sultan's engi-
neers lessons in bridge building; if
had not accepted his kind offer of
the house at Annandale for the sum-
mer; and if Paul Stoddard had not
sent me that telegram, should never
have written this narrative. But such
was the predestined way of it. l rose
from the boat l was caulking, and,
with the waves from the receding
steamer slapping the pier, read this
message:
Stamford. Conn, June 5.
Meet Miss Patricia Holbrook AMMAN
dale station, five twenty Chicago express
and conduct her to st. Agatha's school.
where she is expected. She will explain
difficulties. I have assured her of your
sympathy and aid. Will join you later If
necessary. Imperative engagements call
me elsewhere. STODDARD.
To say that l was angry when 1
read this message is to belittle the
truth. l read and re-read it with
growing heat. 1 had accepted Glen
arms offer of the house at Annandale
because it promised peace, and now
was ordered by telegraph to meet a
strange person of whom l had never
heard, listen to her story, and tender
my sympathy and aid. 1 glanced at
| my watch. 1t was already after four.
Delayed in transmission" was
stamped across the telegraph form
/ learned later that it had lain half
the day in Annandale, New York
SO that l was now face to face with
the situation, and without opportunity
to fling his orders back to Stoddard
If wanted to. Nor did 1 even know
Stamford from Stamboul, and l am
not yet clear in my mind-being an
Irishman with rather vague notions of
American eography-whether Con-
necticut is north or south of Massa-
chusetts.
'Tjima!"
l called my Japanese boy from the
boathouse, and he appeared, paint
brush in hand.
Order the double trap, and tell
them to hurry"
l reflected as / picked up my coat
and walked toward the house, that if
any one but Paul Stoddard had sent
me such a message should most GER
tainly have ignored it; but knew him
as man who did not make demands
or impose obligations lightly. AS the
founder and superior of the Protestant
religious Order of the Brothers OF
Bethlehem he was, l knew, an ex.
ceedingly busy man. His religious
house was in the Virginia mountains
but he spent much time in quiet, hum
bic service in city slums, in lumber
camps, in the mines of Pennsylvania;
and occasionally he appeared like q
prophet from the wilderness in some
great church of New York, and
preached with a marvellous eloQuence
to wondering throngs.
The trap swung into the archet
driveway and 1 babe the coachmar
, make haste to the Annandale station
, The handsome bays were soon trot
ting swiftly toward the village, while
l drew on my gloves and considered
the situation. A certain Miss Hol
brook, of whose existence l had beer
, utterly ignorant an hour before, wa:
about to arrive at Annandale. 4
, clergyman, whom l had not seen fo
| two years. had telegraphed me from
!. town in Connecticut to meet thi
q person. conduct her to st. Agatha
, school-just closed for the summer. a
\ l knew-and to volunteer my services
In difficulties that were darby ind
Gated in telegram of 45 words. Tn
sender of the message | knew to b
a serious character, and a gentleman
I. OF distinguished social connections
The name of the lady signified moth
q ing except that she was unmarried
and as Stoddard's acquaintance wa
among all sorts and conditions @
!. men l could assume nothing NOR
to him as a priest and that he ha
sent her to Lake Annandale to shak
o on the burdens of the world in tn
conventual air of st. Agatha's.
y The Chicago express whistled fo
Annandale just as we gained the eds
OF the village. 1t paused a grudgin
moment and was gone before W
reached the station ipunad ~,
}" and ran through the waiting room I
10 the platform. where The agent wa
gathering up the mail bags, while a
II assistant loaded truck with trunk
g l glanced about. and the moment wa
an important one in my life. Stan
Ing quite alone beside several niece
OF hand baggage was a lady-unmi
- takably a lady-leaning lightly upo
an umbrella. and holding under h,
Ok 1 arm q MAGAZINE She vva. 49,