The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-19
LADY ATHLYNE
Copyright, 1908, by BRAM STOKER Entered at Stationer's Hall-An rights reserved



 | or scraped from the new luggage. obliterated from the new linen and un- derclothes by the simple process of scissors. The cards and stationery were burned. It was with a sigh of relief that. having discharged all his | obligations. he drove to his chambers in Albany and resumed his own name and his old life. He was. however. | himself with long rides, but even the speed of the Kentucky horse who got | more than his share of work did not l satisfy him. There was some new un- easiness in his life; an overwhelming want which nothing of the old routine no matter how pleasant it might be, could fill.
 When MT. Hardy had said good bye to her. Joys new life began. New lite indeed, for Love is a new birth, a recreation. Whenever she thought of herself she seemed to be leading a double life. All the routine, the cares | and the duties of the old life remained unchanged; but super-imposed on it was quite a new existence. one of self surrender, of infinite yearning, of in finite hope. of endless doubting as to whether she was worthy of all that which she shyly believed really existed She was all sweetness to those around her. to whom she seemed happy-but with tinge of sadness. Both her father and mother believed that she was feeling the reaction from the shock of the Riverside adventure. Her mother possibly had at first an idea that she had given some thought to the handsome young man who had saved her; but when she herself re- viewed in her mind how quietly, not to say unconcerned1y. the young man had taken the whole episode she was content to let it take a minor place in both her concern and her recollection. In due course the Ogflvie family set out on their European journey, and in due course without any occurrence of note thov arrived fhair daSfin9f ffOn Hotel Bellevue, CaSamiccfola, Ischia. Dear MT. Hardy:
 As I promised to write to you now try to keep my word I dare say you will think an old maid is glad to get chance of writing to a man! Per haps she is! But I may say a word in your ear: the habit of personal re- longer than you would think How ever this is not the time or p1ace-or weather for philosophising. The scenery is far too lovely to think of right after a voyage which was nice enough. though rather dull. and with no opportunities of making new friends. We can't have runaway remain here for some weeks and shall stay with her as it wouldn't do to leave her all alone. It brought the whole caboodle of us hurrying over lIOII AuIETlCd through DuZZdrQ the last timei No. thank you! And Colonel Ogilvie doesn't care to. travel by him. self. He is set on going up to West moreland which he says is the original Country of his branch of the Ogilvies. He is complaining of getting no riding here: and yet he says that when he gets to London he will hire a motor. Men are queer things, aren't they? The forward to our English visit here we may meet some friends. How are you? suppose spending your time usual ga1loping about like knight-errant on big black horse rescuing distressed ladies. And writing letters to a pack of women not all old maids! I sup pose you will spare a moment to write to one in answer to this, just to say in the next few weeks. My brothers section of our party leaves here next week. As I am an old maid am shy of telling my sister, and most of the tleman; but if they knew it they too would send their love. For my own part I must confine myself to kind re- meInbrance.
 Believe me,
 Youth faithfully.
 JUDITH HAYES.
 F. S.-By the way, I forgot to say that the first contingent, will after a few days in London go on to Cumber- land or Westmore1and-I know it is the Lake country!
 Athlyne read the letter eagerly: but when he had finished he dropped it .impatiently. There was not a thing in it that he wanted to know-not once the name he wanted to see. He sat for a while thinking: then he took it up again saying to himself:
 'tShe's no fool: it must have taken her some pains to say so 1ittle." As he read it the second time. more care fully this time and not merely looking for what he wished to find. the letter fD1I i@r,o e-4 7 Then he smiled heartily as he sat thinking it over and commenting to himself:
 Mot word about her: nor even her namei And yet she must know that it would be of some interest to me to hear of her. I wonder if it would do to run over to Ischia. There seems to be party of them . He read over the letter again with a puzzled look, which all at once changed to a smile Good old JudyI So that's it is it! That's not the first letter Miss Judy has written with a double mean ing iii it. She hasn't those fine eyes and that quick wit for nothing. Why it's as clever and as secret as that sent to Easing at Pretoria. For good while he pondered over it, mak- ing notes on the back of the envelope. Then he read these over:
 ''We are at Ischia.
 'I am writing because I promised.
 ''The habit of personal reticence  yourself) is for both young and old.
 Our voyage was dull. no adventure, no meeting any one like you.
 Mrs. Ogilvie and Judy remain at Ischia some weeks.
 Colonel Ogilvie doesn't like going alone and goes to the Lake Country (who is to be with him but JoyD
 "He wants to go motoring (seems more in this-think it over)
 The rest of uS-(that can only mean Joy) are looking forward to meeting friends in Elngland-(that proves she is going with her fatherO
 Let me know where you will be during the coming weeks.
 My brothers section of our party Gle and Joy)-leave here next week.
 "J haven't told Mrs. Ogilvie or most of the rest of us Besides Mrs. O. | there are only two so that most of them must mean the bigger-that is Colonel Ogilvie-she has not told that ore of the two-then she has told the | other. And the other is JoyD
 eff any of those kept in ignorance |