Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-11-04
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CHAPTER l.

June. / am thus explicit, for all the
matters hereinafter described turn
upon the receipt of Stoddard's 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 / 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 sultans 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. / 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. l have assured her of your
sympathy and aid. Will join you later If
necessary. Imperative engagements call
me elsewhere. STODDARD.
To say that / was angry when I
read this message is to belittle the
truth. l read and re-read it with
growing heat. l had accepted Glen
arms offer of the house at Annandale
because it promised peace, and now
was ordered by telegraph to meet
strange person of whom l had never
heard, listen to her story, and tender
my sympathy and aid. l 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 / was now face to face with
the situation, and without opportunity
to fling his orders back to Stoddard
If / wanted to. Nor did l even know
Stamford from STEAMBOAT, and / am
not yet clear in my mind-being an
Irishman with rather vague notions of
American OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Con-
necticut is north or south of Massa-
chusetts.
'Ijima!"
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 l picked up my coat
and walked toward the house, that If
any one but Paul Stoddard had sent
roe such message should most GER
tainly have ignored it; but knew him
as a 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
BILE service in city slums, in lumber
camps, in the mines of Pennsylvania;
and occasionally he appeared like
prophet from the wilderness in some
great church of New York, and
preached with marvellous eloquence
to wondering throngs
The trap swung into the arched
driveway and / babe the coachman
make haste to the Annandale station.
The handsome bays were soon trot-
ting swiftly toward the village, while
the situation. A certain Miss Hol-
brook, of whose existence / had been
utterly ignorant an hour before, was
about to arrive at Annandale. A
clergyman, whom l had not seen for
two years, had telegraphed me from
town in Connecticut to meet this
person, conduct her to st. Agatha's
school-just closed for the summer, as
| knew-and to volunteer my services
in difficulties that were darkly indi-
Gated in a telegram of As words. The
sender of the message | knew to be
a serious character, and a gentleman
of distinguished social connections.
The name of the lady signified moth
ing except that she was unmarried;
and as Stoddard's acquaintance was
among all sorts and conditions of
men / could assume nothing more
thaa that the unknown had appealed
to him as a priest and that he had
sent her to Lake Annandale to shake
off the burdens of the world in the
conventual air of st. Agatha's.
The Chicago express whistled for
Annandale just as we gained the edge
of the village. 1t paused grudging
moment and was gone before we
reached the station. | jumped out
and ran through the waiting room to
the platform, where he agent was
gathering up the mail bags, while an
assistant loaded truck with trunks.
l glanced about, and the moment was
an important one in my life Stand
ing quite alone beside several pieces
of hand baggage, was lady-unmis-
takably a lady-leaning lightly upon
an umbrella, and holding under her
arm magazine. She was clad in
brown, from bonnet to shoes; the UNI
brella and magazine cover were of
like tint, and even the suitcase near
est her struck the same note of color.
There was no doubt whatever as to
her identity; | did not hesitate mo-
ment; the lady in brown was Miss
Holbrook, and she was an old lady.
dear bewitching old lady, and as |
stepped toward her, her eyes bright
ened-they too We're brown and
she put out her brown-gloved hand
with a gesture so frank and cordial
that.l was won at once.