The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-06
LADY ATHLYNE
Copyright, 1908, by BRAM STOKER
Entered at StatiOner'S Hall
 All rights reserved (Continued from page al

Entered at Stationer's Hall
 All rights reserved
 (Continued from page s)
 Judith Hayes called herself an old maid. not believing it to be true; but all the same there was in her make up a distinctive trait of it: the man ner in which she regarded a romance. Up to lately. romance however unlike ly or improbable, had a personal bear ing; it did not occur to- her that it might not drift in her direction. But now she felt unconsciously that such romance must have other objective than herself. The possibility, there fore, of a romance for Joy whom she very sincerely loved was a thing to be cherished. She could see. well as feel that her niece by keeping it a secret from her father had taken the matter with at least a phase of seri- ousness. This alone was sufficient to feed her own imaginings; and in her glow her sympathies quickened. She had instinctively at the beginning de termtned not to spoil sport; now 1t be- came a conscious intention
 Mrs. O'Brien, too, in her own way helped to further the matter. She felt that she had a good audience for her little anecdotes of the child whose in fancy she had fostered. and toward whom in his completed manhood she had a sort of almost idolatrous devo- ton. Seeing the girl so sympathetic and listening so patiently, she too be- gan to see something like the begin ningS of a fact. And so the game went merrily on.
 The teIegrams at Queenstown were not very reassuring. and Colonel Ogil- vie and his party pressed on at once to Sorrento whence his wife had moved on the completion of her series of baths at Ischia. Naturally the whole of the little party was depressed. until on arrival they found Mrs. Ogilvie. who was something of valetudinar- ian, much better than they expected. The arrival of her husband and daugh-' ter and sister seemed to complete her cure; she brightened up at once. and even after a few days began to enjoy herself.
 One day after lunch as she drove along the road to Amalf with Judith and Joy-the Colonel was lazy that day and preferred to sit on the terrace over the sea and smoke-she began to ask all the details of the journey. Judy who had not had a chance of speaking alone with safety began to tell the lit tie secret. Her methods of commence ment was abrupt. and somewhat startling to the convalescent:
 We've got husband for Joy, at lastI"
 "Graciousr said Mrs. Ogilvie. What do you mean. Judy? Is this one of your prankS ?"
 Prank indeed!" she answered back. tossing her head. "A real live lord! belted Earl if you please-whatever that may mean.'
 ''Is this true Joy?' asked her moth CT beamingly anxiously on her-if such a combination is understandable. Joy took her hand and stroked it lovingly:
 Do you think. Mother dear. that if there was such thing I should leave you all this time in ignorance of it. It IS only jest made up by the stew ar1ess who attended us on the Cryptic. Aunt Judy seems to have taken it all in; I think dear you had better ask her; she seems to know all about it- which is certainly more than I do."
 And how 6id this common woman dare to jest on such a subject I don't think Judy that this would have hap pened had I been with her myselfi''
 'tOh my dear, get off that high horse. There's nothing to be alarmed about. The stewardess-who is a most worthy and attentive person."
 ''She is dearr' interrupted Joy.
 "-took such a fancy to Joy that she said there was only wan in all the world who was worthy of her-a young noblemaE to whom she had been fos- ter-mother- It was certainly meant as very true compliment, and I am bound to say that if the yo0ssg man merits hundredth part of all she Said of him there's certainly no cause of offence in the mere mentioning his name.''
 What is his name?' There was a shade of anxiety in the mothers voice.
 Lord Athlyne!'
 ''The Earl of Athlyne!' said Joy turned quickly away to hide her bush ing.
 III really don't understand" said Mrs Ogilvie. looking around help leSSly. Then with the shadow of shade of annoyance in her voice she went on:
 'I really think that in a serious mat ter of this kind I should have been
 
 for anything any more. Colonel Ogil- vie has not even mentioned the matter to me. I think I ought to have some say in anything of importance relating to my little girl"
 '-Lord bless the womani' said Aunt Judy throwing up her hands and lift ing her eyes. Sally dear don't you comprehend that this was all a joke. We never saw this young Lord, never heard of him till the stewardess men tioned him; and as for him he doesn't know or care whether there is such a person in the world as Joy Ogilvie-'' The mother interrupted hotly-it seem- ed want Of respect to her child:
 ''Then he ought to care. I'd like to know who he is to consider himself so high and mighty that even by little girl isn't Oh! I have no patti efce with him." There was silence in the carriage Mrs. Ogilvie had come to the end of her remonstrance, and both the others were afraid to speak. It was all so suprenely ridiculous. And yet the mother was taking it all so seriously that respect for her forbade laughter The road was here steep and the hors as were laboriously climbing their way. Present Judy turned to Joy saying: "Wouldn't you like to look at the view from the edge of the cliff? As she. Spoke she looked meaningly at her niece who took the hint and got down. When she was out of earshot and tv driye-- had stopped the horses Judy 1