The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-31

Through the sleepy little town and
 up the hill past the Abbey House we
 flashed: through Old Nation and out
 upon the broad dusty highroad that
 led to Howe and Pickering. Travelling in the crimson sundown
 was very pleasant after the noise and
 dust of the rail- Four miles along | that road. however. we came to
 byroad. where a signpost pointed to
 Marshes Road station. Psssing this.
 we ran through a clump of trees. and | then with a wide sweep turned into | broad. well kept Rraveled drive lined
 on either side by wide spreading
 beeches. and at about a quarter of
 mile from the highroad we suddenly
 emerged before long sixteenth cen | tury mansion. the mullioned windows
 of which still preserved their diamond
 panes. while the high square chimneys told of Tudor days. For the most part | the quaint. comfort table old place was 1 clothed with thick-stemmed ivy. while | the yew hedges on either side were clipped into fantastic shapes, and the
 old gray sundial upon the lawn told
 mutely of days long past and forgot ten.
 | Tn the fiery sunset with the crimson | glare flashing upon it's windows. it | looked very peaceful. very charming.
 a relief indeed to the glaring scenes of Continental life and movement, amid
 which it was nowadays my habit to | move.
 And as we approached I saw stand ing. bareheaded. upon the threshold a l slim little figure in white. who waved
 her hand to me in merry greeting | Myra herself.
 l How sweet of you to come and see
 us after all. MT. Ralston," she cried. as the car drew up suddenly before
 the door and stepped out. Business prevented me before" l assured her. as took the soft little hand she offered
 | Myra Stapleton was certainly a very
 beautiful girl. essentially of the fresh | outdoor type. She was a lover of the | country. having been born and bred at the Grange. and educated at East | bourne and at Bois-le-Roi. She was
 perfect blonde. with big blue-gray eyes and real golden hair. Her nose was such as is seldom seen woman. It was purely Grecfan. Another charm was a big dimple. which had lodged | in the center of her pretty. pointed chin. Hers was a, sweet almost child l like. face. which would have been striking anywhere. while those large | eyes of hers seemed to look forth in | wonder, and yet full of trustful sim plicity. In all the wide range of my
 feminine acauaintances no girl was so l full of vivacity and fnexpressible | charm. Little wonder. therefore. that Granny Goueh.who had run the whole gamut of feminine blandiskndents in most of the cities of Europe. had be-
 come first fascinated by her. and had
 subsequently, fallen hopelessly in love with her. l Her sweetness. purity and innocence appealed to a man of the world like Granny Cough. Her dainty figure. slim and neatwaisted. was that Of | budding womanhood a perfect type of | the fresh beauty of the Yorkshire modrlands.
 In the long. old-fashioned drawing room with it's dark. tine-melIowed paneling. its light chintzes. and its big bowls of sweet-smelling La France
 roses. Miss Chambers came forward to
 meet me. She was middle-aged and 1 rather prim spinster. who had been nursery governess to Myra in the days | when Mrs. Stapleton was still alive. and now after the girls return from her finishing school outside Paris she had become housekeeper and compan-i | ion.
 l I stood chatting with father and daughter beside the big bay window. while Burton. the man-servant. took my traps up to my room. Beyond the | diamond panes lay a wide sweep of level we'll kept lawn. and. still be-,
 
 lands now bathed in the ruddy light
 of the brilliant afterglow. How peace. full it all seemed. How different. in | deed. to the wild turmoil of the city I had just left
 | I glanced at the fair-faced girl who. was talking to me so vivaciously. and | compared her with her grief-stricken
 hunted lover. the man who had. that. very morning. plunged into obscurity l because of the guilt upon him. My mission was a strange one. and
 difficult withal. I had to make pre-
 tense that my friend was f1ourishing.
 for Stapleton had not the least idea that Granny was merely a chevalier | dindustrie and that he lived upon his wits
 Burton entered in few moments and told me that my things were
 ready. Then we all hustled out to
 dress for dinner. Hardly had enter
 ed my room in the east wing of the long rambling old ~house when heard | a light tap at the door. and gave l permission tqrenter
 1 It was Myra! Pale-faced. anxious. breathless. quite different from the | merry girl of five minutes before. ''Mr. Ralstoni'' she gasped in a | hoarse whisper. forgive me-pray for give me for intruding upon you here. but IT couldn't wait longer. We may not have another opportunity for speaking alone tonight. IT want to 1 ask you a question or two" 'A question: echoed, amazed at | the sudden change in her. Why what's the matter?"