Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-12
CHAPTER 1.

the kitchen.
Il hope you have lighted the fire in
Miss Mona's roomf"
"a fire in August, ma'am! Who ever
heard of such thing!"
'But the air grows very chilly up here
when the sun dips behind the mountains.
Stay, am going there now; if you give
me the box 1 will put a match to the
wood myself"
But Mamie was before her up the mar
row stairs.
tits the greatest nonsense" she grum-
bled. on her knees before the CRATE, "for
she'll no sooner be here than she'll be off
again like a lapwing securing the coun-
try. l know Miss Mona"
Mrs. Gerard stood in the doorway
surveying the room within with little
pleased smile on her face. White dainty
curtains draped bed and windows, white
cushions filled the wicker chairs, all the
little jars and candlesticks and trays on
the toilette table were of pale white
china
But not a fiower" she said. 81 won
der if ! could find anything to put into
those little vases-even a few red berries
would be better than nothing"
She turned downstairs, and, gathering
her long black skirt in her hand, stepped
bareheaded through the glass door into
the garden.
1t was a very neglected garden; but
above on the hillside and below where
the cliff ran steeply down to the torrent
that foamed out of sight in the narrow
glen there were dense woods of birch and
oak; and far away through the gorge one
caught glimpse of mountain SUBMITS,
which were deeply tinted with heather.
Mrs. Gerard paused a moment to look
at these
"'Blue are the hills that are far
away" she said, drawing long breath.
II suppose it's true, the trite old saying,
that distance lends enchantment to the
view
And that the past win always win
glory from it's being far
Ard orb into the perfect star
We saw not when we dwet therein
81 wonder-but what's the use of won
dering! Mona would call me an old
goose L hope she will like being here,
my darling, and grow strong and rosy in
this caller air.
She stood for moment longer, looking
at the curtain of foliage on the hillside,
listening to the noisy burn, tall young
looking woman, slight, almost angular,
with hair demurely parted yet clouding
duskiy about a low forehead and a
rather wistful smile-a plain woman, in
a plain gown of unrelieved black, which
simply as it was made, fell about her in
long straight lines full of grace and dis
tinction. AS she stood her ears, on the
alert caught a sound above the roar of
the cataract.
They are coming!" she said, and, turn
ing hastily, her eyes ran over the neglect
ed flower beds. A few belated sweet
peas, nipped yellow rosebud, pansy
or two, and in the border under the cy-
presses a few stunted asters. She
stopped to gather them.
The last red asters of an autumn
day." she murmured But this is not
autumn; this is only August
Lay. by. my side your bunch of purple
heather
Mo- she said, as she Strengthened
herself, with little shiver, Il will not
have these in Monas room!"
A rowan tree bent over the little gate,
the berries already cleaning blood-red in
the sun. Mrs. Gerard reached up-she
was more than ordinary tall-and
were in the road at the bottom of the
lawn, and with little glad cry she
opened the gate and ran down. Between
the yellowing birches she could see
Mona's red straw hat. Before the horses
drew up the girl was out of the carriage
was running up the pine-log steps, was
an her mothers arms.
Nanny, nanny"
My bady!"
One might imagine they had not met
for years. Lady Bannatyne, following
up the steps, would have laughed if she
had not been so out of breath, but Jean
was more sympathetic.
you have me and Jack and Alick,"
she said, 'but Mrs. Gerard has only
Mona. 1t makes a great difference"
Near the hall door, on rustic table,
tea was laid; and Mamie brought out
the silver teapot and kettle, Mona rush
ing TO hug her in her turn.
She grows prettier every day. Lady
Pannatyne said. Mrs. Gerard who was
also watching her, smiled absently.
''She has more than one admirer al
Eeady, J c: tell you. know a certain
person who is coming up to Loeb Linnhe
IN his yacht for no other purpose than
to see her"
hurriedly, and Mona returned at that
juncture. Mrs. Gerard rose and threw
her arms round her daughter. "You like
this place, Mona; you ae pleased, darling
tell me you are pleased with it."
"Of course I'm pleased" Mona laughed,
returning the hug with interest. 81 seem
to know it already-the woods, the river,
the path to Loeb Linnhe that we are TO
traverse at least twice every day; Jean
has described it hundred times. And,
oh, mother, Jack has promised me a
young collie, lemon and white, and given
me whip and a whistle, and Pm to
train him mysef-won't that be funi"
Mrs. Gerard resumed her place at the
tea table, but she looked at her daugh-
ter, and Lasly Bannatyne looked at her,
and Jean-they all looked at her as she
stood in the narrow gravel walk in the
sunshine. She was so young that she